No Time To Die, the fifth and final Daniel Craig James Bond film, has critics raving. The movie finally premiered on Tuesday at the Royal Albert Hall, after the coronavirus pandemic caused several delays.
However, even though the majority of critics were positive, some thought the film could not quite justify its lengthy run time of 163 minutes.
Peter Bradshaw of the Guardian describes the film as an “epic barnstormer”, delivering “pathos, action, drama, camp comedy, heartbreak, macabre horror, and outrageously silly old-fashioned action”. Although he labels it a “festival of absurdity and complication, a head-spinning world of giant plot mechanisms,” he concludes that as a whole, the film is “very enjoyable and gleefully spectacular”.
The end of an era
No Time To Die culminates a storyline arch which started with Craig’s first Bond film in 2006, Casino Royale. It is Craig’s fifth film in total, after sequels Quantum of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre.
The Times’ Kevin Maher awarded the film a five star review, saying “It’s better than good. It’s magnificent”. Commenting on Craig’s performance, he describes him as “a towering charismatic presence from opening frame to closing shot”. He sees it as a fitting end for the actor’s run in the iconic role, saying he “bows out in terrific, soulful, style”.
In The Telegraph’s Robbie Collins’ five star review, he says the “extravagantly satisfying, bulgingly proportioned last chapter to the Craig era, throws almost everything there is left to throw at 007 the series can come up with”. He says “what a joy and relief it is” to have the much awaited Bond back, as “we’ve been expecting” him “for quite some time”.
However, Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent is not as enthusiastic about the film, awarding it only there stars. She describes the premise as “generic spy nonsense” with a “strangely” disappointing “anti-climatic” feel. Although Loughrey thinks director Cary Joji Fukunaga “has made a smashing piece of action cinema”, it’s “a shame” it is a Bond film. Even Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s “much-publicised contributions to the film’s script” could not win her over. The film did not feel “like the radical feminist rewrite we were promised”.
Jonathon Romney of Screen Daily had an equally lukewarm response. Even though the film “breaks many of the canonical rules of the series”, it is “not entirely to dazzling effect”. The film offers “plenty to gawk at, and to argue over”, but is “oddly lacking in pleasure or real wit”.
Is No Time To Die too long?
Time’s Stephanie Zacharek remained mainly positive, but suggested Craig’s final film did not warrant its length. She thinks that “more isn’t always better,” with two hours and 43 minutes too long for a film “overstuffed with plot”. The villain of the film did not impress her either. Zacharek calls Rami Malek’s character “one of the dullest villains in the series’ history”, wearing “dumb silky PJs”. But having said that, she feels that No Time To Die “is perfectly tailored to the actor” who is her favourite Bond.
John Nugent of Empire also agrees the film is too long. He says the middle third is “bogged down by plotting and exposition doesn’t justify that heaving runtime”. However, he acknowledges that the film has done things Bond has never done before. It still relies “heavily” on “familiar and comforting” tropes, but it is “the unfamiliar things it does that make this such an exciting entry”.
However, Digital Spy’s Ian Sandwell did not have any issue with the length of the film. He says: “It’s densely plotted yet snappily paced, meaning that the movie rarely stops for breath before the next big action sequence or another revelation”. Sandwell says the film delivers everything you come to expect from 007, plus a few surprises. The whole experience of watching the film was “entertaining” and “a bold finale for Daniel Craig”. Although he recognises there are “definitely moments likely to divide the fandom”. But only time will tell how No Time To Die ranks among the other Bond films.
Praise for the actors
Praise for Craig’s portrayal of Bond, and the emotional elements he brings to the role, filled many critics’ reviews.
Owen Gleiberman of Variety says Craig “has mastered the art of making Bond a seemingly invincible force who is also a human being with hidden vulnerabilities”. He also praised Rami Malek for his performance as villain Lyutsifer Safin. “Mottled skin, an all-seeing leer, and the caressing voice of a depraved monk, makes him a hypnotic creep,” Gleiberman says.
New addition to the cast, Lashana Lynch, also receives much praise from several reviewers for her part in the film. Josh Parham of Next Best Picture calls her “the real standout” to take over the title role, saying “she holds her own marvellously well”. In his opinion, “the most delightful moments in the film” come from her scenes with Craig, as the pair have “effectively humorous” banter.
Sky News’ Claire Gregory describes the latest instalment as “a genre-bending Bond”. She says it contains all the “classic lines” which will please the fans. But their delivery is with such humour, something she credits to Phoebe Waller Bridge’s additions the script. The film is full of gratuitous scenes of “tech, explosions, guns and car chases,” pretty much everything you expect from Bond.
A worthy send off for Craig
Brian Lowry of CNN commends the film for delivering “some impressive chases and action sequences”. But he feels as though No Time To Die works “too hard to provide Craig a send-off worthy of all the hype associated with it”. The length of the film “simply” proves this point, as it takes “too much time to reach the finish”.
While David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter says, even though the “running time is occasionally a slog, it ultimately delivers”. Although it does suffer from “plotting deficiencies and occasional pacing lags”, it is “a moving valedictory salute to the actor who has left arguably the most indelible mark on the character since Connery”.
Elsewhere, NME’s Alex Flood praises the film, but points out that there are a number of issues with it. He feels that Rami Malek’s disfigured Safin is “another clichéd, empty bad guy”. Meanwhile, Ana de Armas’ character is too “quickly discarded so that other, blander men can take the spotlight”.
Overall, the critics applaud the film’s producers producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for taking bold risks. Especially at time when the cinema industry is struggling due to the impacts of Covid. There is a lot at stake with No Time To Die, but “the gobsmacking ending” could be “the biggest in Bond history”.
The wait is finally over, No Time To Die releases in cinemas across the UK on Thursday 30 September.
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