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No Time to Die (2021)

Preceeded by: Spectre (2015)

See our full list of James Bond films.
 

Director:
Cary Joji Fukunaga
COUNTRY
UK/USA
GENRE
Spy/Action
NORWEGIAN TITLE
No Time to Die
RUNNING TIME
163 minutes
Producer:
Michael G. Wilson
Barbara Broccoli
Screenwriter (based on James Bond by Ian Fleming):
Neal Purvis
Robert Wade
Cary Joji Fukunaga
Phoebe Waller-Bridge


Cast includes:

CHARACTER ACTOR/ACTRESS RATING
James Bond Daniel Craig ½
Dr. Madeleine Swann Léa Seydoux ½
Lyutsifer Safin Rami Malek ½
Nomi Lashana Lynch
Q Ben Whishaw ½
Eve Moneypenny Naomie Harris -
Felix Leiter Jeffrey Wright ½
Ernst Stavro Blofeld Christoph Waltz -
Gareth Mallory Ralph Fiennes
Logan Ash Billy Magnussen -
Paloma Ana de Armas -
Valdo Obruchev David Dencik
Mathilde Lisa-Dorah Sonnet -

 

Review

By 2021, all of James Bond's vices, except his bloodthirst, have become touchy subjects, something needing revision in a postmodern sociopolitical light. If there was any blood left to drain out of the 007 series, this definitely ought to do it. But granted, they do it with some intriguing, if not exactly fresh or playful writing. The filmmakers (the usual team plus new director Cary Jojo Fukunaga) are desperate for Bond to come off as a real, modern and sensitive human being – but only in an interpersonal and sociological context. For all other intents and purposes, he is larger than life and very, very sinister – like Liam Neeson in Taken, only without Neeson's wounded-dog-look. He gets the job done, then he gets the job done again, and it sometimes looks and feels as impressive and exhilarating as Bond can and was always meant to feel. But the filmmakers are always quick to bog him down and make us feel guilty for all the pleasures we have enjoyed with him in the past. And poor Daniel Craig, who quite possibly gives his most accomplished performance as James Bond here, is made to carry the sins of 26 previous outings and 6 other Bonds before him, and we all know how that goes, biblically speaking. It's a gimmick from which there is no sane escape. For all its overcooked flaws, at least No Time to Die tries something, to ruffle some feathers and hope for the best. It may not be entertaining, but at least it's not completely irrelevant.

Copyright © 31.10.2021 Fredrik Gunerius Fevang

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