No Time to Die has finally arrived in theaters, and this Bond fan is more than satisfied. As the fifth James Bond movie starring Daniel Craig, and the 25th James Bond movie overall, No Time to Die has a lot of history and expectations to live up to. Without diving too deeply into that history, consider that opinions widely vary on what a Bond movie should even be at this point. Although the runtime (163 minutes) is intimidating, and not every piece of his intricate spy saga comes together perfectly, Craig delivers the best performance of his career in the truly emotional, captivating, and always entertaining, dramatic conclusion to his turn as James Bond.

DavPoint: No Time to Die was directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga from a Screenplay by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Cary Joji Fukunaga, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, based on a Story by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and Cary Joji Fukunaga. It was produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Eon Productions, and Distributed by United Artists Releasing (North America) and Universal Pictures (International).

Background: Director Cary Joji Fukunaga leads an award winning dream team of cast and crew for No Time to Die. This includes the return of Daniel Craig as James Bond, Léa Seydoux as Madeleine Swann, Ben Whishaw as Q, Naomie Harris as Moneypenny, Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter, Christoph Waltz as Blofeld, and Ralph Fiennes as M, introduces Rami Malek as Lyutsifer Safin, Lashana Lynch as Nomi, and Ana de Armas as Paloma, features cinematography by Linus Sandgren and music by Hans Zimmer, and the (Grammy winning) theme song is by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell.

My Experience: The marketing materials all promote No Time to Die as the fifth and final act to Daniel Craig's storyline and turn as Bond, so I don't feel I am spoiling that, but I am hesitant to share too much and risk other spoilers. I have set up my own cliché lately, praising different actors for "their best performance yet!" but Craig was phenomenal, and leaves some big shoes to fill. It's not just that he embodies Bond so effortlessly, he delivers such an impressive range of emotions, and each feel so authentic, intense and natural, that he has set a high bar for any dramatic or action role that follows! Further, he isn't hogging the spotlight or stealing scenes, as he works well with each and every actor and scene he shares.

That said, some scenes feel like loosely connected episodes that happen to fit in an overall story arc than as parts of a fully fleshed out, self contained adventure. The first two acts are very well paced, but the movie slows down a little too much, and struggles with the transition, as it shifts in tone and focus to set up the action filled third act. It's almost as if I watched two separate movies, and I found myself wanting to see more interactions between key characters. I'd also like to see more of certain characters, especially Ana de Armas as Paloma, who definitely steals her scenes. (Fun fact: Armas and Craig starred together in Knives Out, in very different roles than they play in No Time to Die!)

DavPoint: No Time to Die wraps up Daniel Craig's turn as James Bond, in the last of five movies that present a continuing storyline, a rarity for the James Bond franchise. The big question is: are the previous movies, Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), and Spectre (2015), required viewing? Yes, as they provide emotional connective tissues, but also no, as this movie does a great job with exposition, and uses a five year gap within its story as an excuse to reintroduce characters and plot points we might have forgotten while waiting for No Time to Die.

Conclusion: No Time to Die is a satisfying and superb James Bond movie in spite of some uneven pacing. Daniel Craig has been truly remarkable as Bond, and his legacy will endure for decades to come. No Time to Die will also stand out as an emotionally complex action movie, full of exceptional performances and engaging cinematography, all enriched by a fantastic musical score. Don't let the length or complexity intimidate you from experiencing No Time to Die!

  • Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga
  • Distributed by: United Artists Releasing (North America) and Universal Pictures (International)
  • Starring: Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes, and Ana de Armas
  • Rating: PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, some disturbing images, brief strong language and some suggestive material.
  • Release Dates: September 30, 2021 (United Kingdom) and October 8, 2021 (United States)

Bonus DavPoint: Pay attention during the climax for Craig's contribution to one of my favorite cinematic experiences: a "long take" action sequence, and again at the end of the credits for an important reveal!