I’m not the biggest fan of the James Bond franchise. The early movies, while well-made, have aged badly, while many of the later entries are so bonkers they lost any semblance of coherency. Even GoldenEye, which was fine, was followed by three really boring sequels, and I was turned off again with Die Another Day. The only ones I’ve attached to were Daniel Craig’s, and even then two were garbage. I think it’s because Craig’s Bond was the first time I felt like the character was more than a cold-blooded killer. He was human, wounded and tragic, three traits I never thought I’d see.
I should elaborate on that last part. Craig’s tenure has been hit-or-miss, that much I can’t deny, but at its best it’s always been tragic. Not because Bond himself witnesses someone close to him die, but because the character has allowed himself vulnerability. In Casino Royale, Bond falls for someone who breaks his heart and drowns. In Skyfall, he witnesses M, someone he respected as a maternal figure, die in his arms. And now, in No Time to Die, Bond has reconcile his desire for a regular life with the enemies his job creates, causing him to sacrifice his own life.
I mention these three movies because they made me cry. James Bond has 25 canonical movies, all ranging in quality, but these were the only ones to move me emotionally. You can take away the scores, the (mostly) brilliant theme songs and the action, but if I don’t care about the hero, well…what’s the point? You might as well make James Bond into John McClane, and even then that undersells the latter. I mean that wholeheartedly.
What made Craig’s Bond run so interesting, even when his movies were frustrating, was that he evolved the persona beyond what was expected. Sean Connery started it, but he was the suave gentleman of The Cold War Era. George Lazenby made him into a tragic lover, but not much was explored. Roger Moore’s take was way too cartoony, while Timothy Dalton was too extreme. And then there was Pierce Brosnan, who fit the role well, but never took significant risks.
Daniel Craig’s Bond took a little of everything that worked from his predecessors: the suaveness of Connery, the tragedy of Lazenby, the silliness of Moore, the extremeness of Dalton and the tailor fit appearance of Brosnan. He also made that into someone I could relate to. For the first time, I actually could see the thought process behind the man. He wasn’t a prop, but rather a person who had a lot to juggle. And his movies were aware of this, with all of them tying together.
I say that with no irony. Take the Bond-ness out of Craig’s portrayal, and you still have a satisfying story about an assassin whose attempts at opening up keep ending badly. This is a man who’s seen literal Hell, yet keeps wanting connections. He’s witnessed people he cared about die-his parents, his girlfriend, his mother-figure, his best friend-and while it’s hurt him, he hasn’t given up that need for intimacy. He’s human. And I didn’t get that with the previous iterations.
Daniel Craig’s Bond took a little of everything that worked from his predecessors: the suaveness of Connery, the tragedy of Lazenby, the silliness of Moore, the extremeness of Dalton and the tailor fit appearance of Brosnan. He also made that into someone I could relate to. For the first time, I actually could see the thought process behind the man. He wasn’t a prop, but rather a person who had a lot to juggle. And his movies were aware of this, with all of them tying together.
I say that with no irony. Take the Bond-ness out of Craig’s portrayal, and you still have a satisfying story about an assassin whose attempts at opening up keep ending badly. This is a man who’s seen literal Hell, yet keeps wanting connections. He’s witnessed people he cared about die-his parents, his girlfriend, his mother-figure, his best friend-and while it’s hurt him, he hasn’t given up that need for intimacy. He’s human. And I didn’t get that with the previous iterations.
It helps that Craig’s had excellent people to bounce off of. These individuals have felt equally human, and in some cases received given arcs of their own. This is especially true with Madelaine Swann, whose backstory’s opens No Time to Die. I was shocked by that when I sat down in the theatre for the first time since March of 2020: like the opening of Casino Royale, I’d never seen this before from James Bond. Was I watching the right movie?
In hindsight, it was intentional. Craig’s Bond established itself as unique out the gate, and having a side-character be the focus continued that. It helped that this was the longest timeframe of any Bond movie before the opening credits, which were complimented by Billie Eilish’s haunting, soft-spoken vocals. It’s a bit of waiting, but it’s worth it. Because like Casino Royale’s black-and-white opening, this was leading to something important.
The kicker is that this is the finale to Craig’s tenure. And he did that gloriously! Not only were there fireworks (or explosions, in this case), there was also an emotional hook. This Bond is a tired Bond. He’s had enough pain and suffering to last him a lifetime, and he wants no more. It’ll mean breaking someone else’s heart for a change, but if it ends the pain, so be it. Like a wounded deer, he’s ready to be put out of his misery.
In hindsight, it was intentional. Craig’s Bond established itself as unique out the gate, and having a side-character be the focus continued that. It helped that this was the longest timeframe of any Bond movie before the opening credits, which were complimented by Billie Eilish’s haunting, soft-spoken vocals. It’s a bit of waiting, but it’s worth it. Because like Casino Royale’s black-and-white opening, this was leading to something important.
The kicker is that this is the finale to Craig’s tenure. And he did that gloriously! Not only were there fireworks (or explosions, in this case), there was also an emotional hook. This Bond is a tired Bond. He’s had enough pain and suffering to last him a lifetime, and he wants no more. It’ll mean breaking someone else’s heart for a change, but if it ends the pain, so be it. Like a wounded deer, he’s ready to be put out of his misery.
I also like how this movie delved into Bond’s parental side. For the first time in Bond history, he’s allowed to be a dad. I wasn’t fully-sold on Matilda, I didn’t feel like she had much to do, but her interactions with Craig were genuine anyway. And considering how young she was, and how hard it is to get good performances from child actors, that’s impressive. It also added emotional stakes outside of saving the world, something we’ve seen ad nauseam by now.
Is this to be the best of the Craig era? No. Aside from minor pacing issues at the beginning, as well as an underdeveloped villain and a plot MacGuffin that needed consistency, the film feels over-ambitious. It not only has to cap off everything, it also has to wrap up the Vesper Lynd story and the Spectre thread. It does an admirable job, but even at nearly three hours it falls somewhat short.
Yet I enjoyed it anyway. It lacks the freshness of Casino Royale or the meta-introspection of Skyfall, but No Time to Die is still a satisfying conclusion to a mostly-great run. It also has one of the most-satisfying “black woman kills white man” moments to-date. Seriously, my entire theatre applauded at that point, myself included! And it was earned!
Is this to be the best of the Craig era? No. Aside from minor pacing issues at the beginning, as well as an underdeveloped villain and a plot MacGuffin that needed consistency, the film feels over-ambitious. It not only has to cap off everything, it also has to wrap up the Vesper Lynd story and the Spectre thread. It does an admirable job, but even at nearly three hours it falls somewhat short.
Yet I enjoyed it anyway. It lacks the freshness of Casino Royale or the meta-introspection of Skyfall, but No Time to Die is still a satisfying conclusion to a mostly-great run. It also has one of the most-satisfying “black woman kills white man” moments to-date. Seriously, my entire theatre applauded at that point, myself included! And it was earned!
The debate over Bond never ends: which one’s the best? Who’s the best Bond? Which movie has the best theme? Who should play the character next? Personally, the only question I’m interested in has already been answered, but I also don’t care. Craig’s Bond was moving in a way other Bonds weren’t, and if that ends up as a one-off, so be it!
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