007, No Time To Die (Review)

[WillBrink]

JAMES BOND 007: No Time To Die (Review)

The last Bond movie with Daniel Craig and the end of James Bond himself... I have to start this review by being honest: I have not enjoyed a Bond movie since Casino Royale, and had high hopes for Craig and the direction of Bond movies as more gritty realism, but it was not to be. This Bond movies tries to incorporate some of the classic Bond moments of old, but misses the mark at every turn.

There's some good action scenes, but they tend to drag on, and the movie seems more focused on his emotional state and heavy drinking trying to forget a lost love and move forward with the new one (plaid by French actress Léa Seydoux) who does a convincing job all around. Bond movies themselves are perhaps passed their due date culturally, and trying to fit Bond into today's culture - something Bond and M (Ralph Fiennes) actually lament about in the movie - does not work any more. There's some all inclusive wokeness in the movie that will annoy some viewers to be be sure.

If you enjoyed the past Bond movies with Craig beyond Casino Royale, you'll likely enjoy this one too. If you feel as I do about it, see this one for no other reason that to say goodbye to Craig as Bond, but the movie is not the Bond you grew up with to be sure. I think it's probably best they don't continue the franchise... B-/C+

[SteyrAUG]

Casino Royale is the last Bond film I can remember and the only one I can rewatch.

I can't even remember the Bond girls from the films after that. Gemma Arterton is hot but I don't remember her from Quantum of Solace or anything else about that film. Vaguely remember Olga Kurylenko being in it.

Only thing I remember about Skyfall is it sucked and Naomie Harris was really not that hot.

Apparently Monica Bellucci was in Spectre but I really don't remember anything about that film and I love Monica Bellucci.

Apparently they've brought a bunch of those forgettable hacks back for this film as well. I have heard the next Bond will be a female and they might as well. I have all the important films on DVD.

[Diamondback]

If I was brought in by the Broccolis to try to save the franchise, I'd go as far from Woke as possible--roll back to the '50s/'60s and do them as Period Pieces in original Fleming storyline sequence, ditto the authorized continuances approved by Glidrose (who hold the Fleming Estate custodianship). Lightly massage things as described in the books to fit what actually existed in the day, set them against a backdrop of historical events and then always add a closer with M discussing the official cover-ups that explains why, as with the opening text of The Hunt For Red October, "nothing of this... ever happened."

[Sam]

NTTD is my favorite Bond of ALL time. So there I said it. It was sad to see him die and leave his woman and his kid without a father.

Loved Skyfall too, that movie cost me over $4000. Well actually less than that as I sold the Quantum of Solace Omega Planet Ocean and used the money from that plus $1500 toward the Aqua Terra.

It's going to be tough to replace Daniel Craig.

Sue me. LOL.

[SteyrAUG]

If I was brought in by the Broccolis to try to save the franchise, I'd go as far from Woke as possible--roll back to the '50s/'60s and do them as Period Pieces in original Fleming storyline sequence, ditto the authorized continuances approved by Glidrose (who hold the Fleming Estate custodianship). Lightly massage things as described in the books to fit what actually existed in the day, set them against a backdrop of historical events and then always add a closer with M discussing the official cover-ups that explains why, as with the opening text of The Hunt For Red October, "nothing of this... ever happened."

Yep, I would "Mad Men" the entire atmosphere of every film. That would be a winner.

[TBAR_94]

It was ok, but I didn’t love the idea of trying to humanize the Bond character. There’s plenty of other movies for that, I personally think Bond is best as a light hearted action thriller. I like the gadgets, girls and guns aspect of the franchise—and ai think franchises like Fast and the Furious are successful enough being entertaining there isn’t a need to make James Bond a social commentary piece in order to keep the movies going.

[SteyrAUG]

It was ok, but I didn’t love the idea of trying to humanize the Bond character. There’s plenty of other movies for that, I personally think Bond is best as a light hearted action thriller. I like the gadgets, girls and guns aspect of the franchise—and ai think franchises like Fast and the Furious are successful enough being entertaining there isn’t a need to make James Bond a social commentary piece in order to keep the movies going.

I don't know. I think Casino Royale was a pretty human Bond. He had obviously been through some shit and they really put him through some more shit during the film. I think Craig was the first "real" Bond we ever saw that wasn't 1960s Batman "camp."

I know they tried to some extent with Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan and while they weren't any worse or better than Roger Moore, none of them really pulled it off. At least Sean Connery made it work for his generation of films...most of the time.

Worst thing about Craig was probably that he set the bar so damn high with Casino Royale that he never got close to it again. While I love many of the classic films, I think Craig's Casino Royale is probably the best Bond film ever made.

[Gabriel556]

Steyr, I was with your right up to the last sentence. Unfortunately, I didn’t care for a single movie with him as Bond. I really don’t know why either. He was good in Casino Royale, but I didn’t like the movie.

[Renegade]

I am glad I will never have to suffer through another Bond movie with Craig.

[SteyrAUG]

Steyr, I was with your right up to the last sentence. Unfortunately, I didn’t care for a single movie with him as Bond. I really don’t know why either. He was good in Casino Royale, but I didn’t like the movie.

These things are subjective. We all like these films for different reasons. With Casino I really enjoyed the reality they introduced to a genre that is pretty goofy sometimes.