“James Bond: No Time to Die” celebrates its free TV premiere and with it Daniel Craig’s emotional and polarizing farewell as 007.
The genesis of the 25th “Bond” part “No Time to Die” was itself Hollywood-worthy. First, the desired change of director. Then an unwanted explosion and further setbacks on the set. And finally, the biggest challenge 007 has ever had to face: Corona. In September 2021 and a good two years later than originally planned, Daniel Craig (56) finally celebrated his farewell as James Bond after 15 years in Her Majesty’s service. Not quite three more years later, on April 7th at 8:15 p.m. on RTL, it will finally do this in its free TV premiere.
The Thanos among Bond’s adversaries – that’s what it’s all about
James Bond has finally quit his job as MI6 agent 007. Knowing that Specter boss Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Christoph Waltz, 67) is locked away, he enjoys his life alongside Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux, 38) in the Italian coastal paradise. But the retired double-zero agent doesn’t really want to trust peace. “You’re looking over your shoulder again,” his loved one also notices. But Bond’s instincts don’t deceive him; Specter henchmen are already on the couple’s trail. Before they know it, they have to go their separate ways with heavy hearts in a hail of bullets.
Five years will pass. Bond has retreated to Jamaica when he receives an unexpected visit from his former CIA colleague Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright, 58). He asks him to give up his resignation one last time in order to free a kidnapped scientist. But what seems like an ordinary rescue mission turns out to be Bond’s most difficult task. Together with the scientist, the villain Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek, 42) has fallen into the hands of a toxic superweapon that can be used to specifically wipe out individual people, entire ethnic groups and, if necessary, the entire human race. To prevent this, Bond reluctantly finds himself in the well-known office of M (Ralph Fiennes, 61), although no more than 007 – his identification number has since been reassigned…
An old school villain
In the refreshingly down-to-earth “Casino Royale” (2006), the then new Bond Craig had to deal with a money-hungry poker cheat (Mads Mikkelsen, 58). In “Skyfall” it was a former MI6 agent (Javier Bardem, 55) with a mother complex. In “No Time to Die,” US director Cary Fukunaga (46) delivers numerous reminiscences of the iconic villains that Sean Connery (1939-2020) had to contend with. It is true that Safin is also driven to his actions by a personal vendetta. Ultimately, he is a classic Bond monster with his own secret base on a remote island from where he threatens humanity. And in the finale of the film, Bond also has to run away from a countdown that is far too tight.
With Oscar winner Rami Malek, an expressive actor was found to challenge Bond. But here too, the film remains true to an old tradition of the series: despite a running time of almost three hours, the viewer doesn’t get to see much of the villain. Instead, the retired and the new 007 (played by Lashana Lynch, 36) mostly have to make do with Safin’s henchmen. But the rare encounters between Bond and Bond villain are all the more intense.
Woke, James Woke
Completely different signs for the title hero. While it was already a thorn in the side of 007 traditionalists that the beefiest Bond of all time showed emotions in “Casino Royale”, their displeasure may have increased with “No Time to Die”. The time when Bond can simply take what he wants – be it a life or a woman – seems to be finally over. Craig’s final adversary is not the obvious villain. It is the outdated rules of the entire film series symbolized by Safin that he fights against with fervor. And so now he no longer wakes up every half hour next to a new, basically condemned beauty. Instead, he prepares breakfast for a little girl and is pleased with her reaction to his limited cooking skills: “Not bad.”
Until now, it was both due to and thanks to the lack of an emotional level that a “Bond” film represented entertaining entertainment. “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” from 1969 with 007 ephemera George Lazenby (84), who was allowed to enter into marriage for a few moments, already tried to break this formula. However, the idea of a Mrs. Bond and a monogamous super spy was not well received. And that didn’t happen anymore.
The emotional fall in “No Time to Die” is higher than ever before. While the ending of a classic “Bond” was almost forgotten before you made it out of the cinema, its finale stays with you for a long time. This is, without any ifs or buts, due to Daniel Craig, who is giving his all once again at the end of his 007 career. Bond is built from charming to brutal, tough to surprisingly close to the water. In short: unusually complex and a whole lot more human.
And he has more female help than ever before. The Bond women (no longer Bond girls) are still eye-catchers, but they are no longer bullet-stoppers. On the contrary, time after time it is Nomi, Madeleine or Ana de Armas (35), who makes an impressive cameo as CIA newcomer Paloma, who save Bond’s double-zero bottom. The influence of “Fleabag” star Phoebe Waller-Bridge (38), who was brought in to give depth to the female characters, cannot be overlooked.
Farewell in five acts
Craig’s previous films broke another tradition in the “Bond” series. While the previous films were largely self-contained stories, from “Casino Royale” onwards they built on one another. “No Time to Die” is no exception. If you no longer have any idea what dangers Bond had to face in the four previous films and which characters he met, you should at least watch the aforementioned “Casino Royale” and “Spectre” from 2015 again. This makes it much easier to get started and makes a scene between Craig and Waltz all the more impressive.
The new film has another special feature: Bond’s “No Time to Die” is quite long in it; more precisely, with a running time of over 160 minutes, it is the longest part of the series to date. And that’s exactly why entertainment is finally and literally a thing of the past. A good half hour less would have been more with Craig’s brilliant farewell.
Conclusion
Is Craig’s departure as James Bond worth it? Yes, if you like the development of the title hero away from outdated clichés and want to be surprised. No, if you care about the classic portrayal of Bond. Because Bond still likes to drink his vodka martini shaken. But he himself is now moving.