Cary Joji Fukunaga, Action, Adventure, Thriller, 3.6, 2h 43m

The longest-standing James Bond actor, Daniel Craig, will leave the stage after 15 years. Craig will step down from the role of James Bond leaving behind five different movies in the franchise and fanbase of millions. The latest movie No Time To Die illustrates Bond reprising his role of 007 after his retirement in his previous movie, Skyfall.

Released October 8, 2021, No Time To Die is an exciting story of Bond coming out of retirement to help an old friend bust the world’s deadliest weapon.

The film starts off with Bond living a quiet life in Jamaica when an old companion from the Central Intelligence Agency turns up asking for help defeating Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek), a terrorist leader. Safin not only wants revenge on the people who have hurt him, which includes Bond’s love interest but also to become the next big person in the criminal underworld.

The complex relationships between Bond, Safin, and the love interest (Madeleine Swann, played by Léa Seydoux) are the main focus of the movie’s plot line. Bond works to try to save Swann from a villain who has been involved in her life since day one. The complex relationship between the villain, the love interest and the protagonist causes feuds, lives taken, and is the driving factor of conflict throughout the whole movie.

You can expect to see all the classic elements of a Bond movie continued in No Time To Die. The movie starts with a strong opening action scene that is a prequel to the fighting in the rest of the movie. There is a typical love interest who is the main motivation of Bond’s actions. There is an iconic villain with a complex background that continues to be uncovered throughout the movie. There are cool gadgets, including the classic bulletproof car, made by Q (Ben Whishaw). There is consistent drinking throughout the movie, which is another common theme throughout all 007 movies. And an amazing theme song by Billie Eillish titled “No Time To Die”. All the repeated elements of a Bond movie add to the timelessness people love about the franchise. While the movie encompasses the old, it also includes new elements and a complex plot that draw people into the movie theaters to watch this movie/series time and time again.

No Time To Die upholds the level of perfection the rest of the movies have laid out. It generously gives 163 minutes of Daniel Craig, which many argue is a precious element since it is his last 007 film. The cool gadgets and impractical stunts allow viewers to transcend into another world of fantasy and action, while common and relatable storylines of love, goodbyes, and what was in the past connect viewers to the movie in an intimate way.

The movie focuses on memories and saying goodbye to the past, while invigorating people and making them question what the future will hold for the character James Bond.

The end of the movie states James Bond will be back but many question if this next Bond can live up to the legacy Daniel Craig created.