NO TIME TO DIE 2021 Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga

Daniel Craig is my favorite James Bond, ever. He’s sophisticated, sexy, and owns the popular name, that the past Bond actors feel like they’re irrelevant. Not that I’m saying that they are but when you watch all of Craig’s Bond movies, there are just certain standards that he put there. This feels like it was made for the actor to have his final bow as James Bond. Making him shine above the rest.

It was well-made and has all the elements why his series of 007 films are the best among the franchise. From Casino Royale to the flawless Skyfall and now to the emotional last hurrah of Craig, I’m kind of sad that he had to leave the franchise but it is what it is and he certainly knows how to go out with a bang because No Time To Die satisfyingly closes his time as 007.

It was actually hard to watch the film as I often lose focus on the movie because it’s hard for me to notice how sexy Daniel Craig, and Lea Seydoux are, and then Ana de Armas entered the scene. I was inside the cinema, I can’t take a break from this. But that’s the thing, 007 movies are not just about the gadgets, the action, the villains. All Bond movies showcase the girls and James Bond himself being all sexy and mysterious. And No Time To Die isn’t short on those.

The film continues to be the sleek, action-packed, grounded, and character-driven treatment we got from the previous Craig-led Bond movies. It kinda feels like every James Bond movie starring Daniel Craig is a celebration of the popular character because it treats us with a story worth our time, a spectacle, and something that would affect us even after the movie. And that’s hard to find in action movies lately.

The story feels bigger this time, which affects its emotional journey though. There’s more focus on the big things that are happening around him than what Bond feels and thinks. That also opens a door for more characters to have their share of the emotional spotlight in the film. Maybe that’s what the film wanted to say ultimately. That everything that Bond does is not for him. That it’s for the bigger picture, the people around him.
I wish there were a lot more 007 movies starring Daniel Craig. Every installment just shows how difficult it is to replace him. They are big shoes to fill. But this I can say, Daniel Craig in No Time To Die is perfect. There’s just no other way to describe him. The film maybe not be as perfect as his portrayal of James Bond but there’s no denying that he carried the character wholly until the end. And that is a thrilling experience to watch.