Silver Screen Suggestions: No Time to Die

The Plot (as Summarized By Google)

James Bond is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica after leaving active service. However, his peace is short-lived as his old CIA friend, Felix Leiter, shows up and asks for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond on the trail of a mysterious villain who's armed with a dangerous new technology.

The Movie Specifics

Is It A Sequel/Remake? Yes, this is the fifth installment of the most recent James Bond series. If story continuity matters to you, I would advise watching the previous movies before this one.

Rating: PG-13 for violence, some language, and some suggestive material

My Read on the Rating: It doesn't push the limits as far as PG-13 movies go. The suggestive/sexual content of this movie pales compared to most other Bond films, and the violence, while abundant at times, is fairly tasteful and clean. There's some language, but once again, it's not a fixture of the film.

Runtime: 2 hours, 43 minutes

Notable Names and People You Might Recognize That Are Involved with the Film

Actor Daniel Craig: Stars in the other James Bond films and "Knives Out"

Actress Ana de Armas: Stars in "Knives Out" and "Blade Runner: 2049"

Actor Ralph Fiennes: Stars in "Grand Budapest Hotel" and "Schindler's List"

Actor Rami Malek: Stars in "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Mr. Robot"

Actress Lea Seydoux: Stars in "Spectre" and "Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol"

Actor Christoph Waltz (☑️Silver Screen Suggestions Favorite): Stars in "Inglourious Basterds" and "Django Unchained"

Composer Hans Zimmer (☑️Silver Screen Suggestions Favorite): Composed the score for "Interstellar", "Inception", and "Lion King"

Two-Sentence Selling Points

James Bond Grows Up

In literally every single Bond film before this one, James Bond is a bachelor (albeit a highly skilled and suave one) that bounces around from place-to-place (and person-to-person). In this film, Bond finally comes to grips with the incompatibility between his life as 007 and any chance of settling down for good.

It Grabs Your Attention Right Out of the Gate and Largely Sustains It

The opening two scenes, though spiraling from separate storylines, are supremely intense, emotional, and set the film up for its eventual successes without wasting momentum. As far as pacing goes, this is one of the most engrossing action movies (not just Bond films) that I've ever seen.

The Action Scenes Are Sensational

Bond films are always filled with engrossing action sequences, but this one takes it to a whole new level. Bond's skill and sheer will are put on full display in several extended, breathtaking action sets that top any other Bond film's in both realism and intensity.

The Use of Sound Is Top-Notch

From the opening theme sung by Billie Eilish (I am reluctantly a major fan of Eilish in general, and she is a perfect fit with a Bond theme song) to the overall score by Zimmer to the sound effects in the action scenes, this movie is truly a sensory feast. Not everyone appreciates the variations of a central musical theme that play throughout a film, but I personally found this film's utilization of that mechanism to be a wonderful addition to many other positives.

Just the Right Amount of Humor

One of my largest gripes with Bond films is that they can revert to sophomoric humor that undermines the "coolness" of the movie. This film pushes the right buttons by bringing some laughs that don't come at the expense of more emotionally resonant themes.

The End Is Abundantly Satisfying

I won't spoil this, but the end really does tie together what the entire series has built toward. We finally get to see what James Bond is capable of when his back is truly against the wall with no quick, easy out in his back pocket.

Weak Points

The Middle Gets a Little Slow

The first and third acts of the movie are tremendous, but the middle can get a little long. In a nearly three-hour movie, the middle 45ish minutes can be a bit laborious to get through.

It Has a Pretty Generic Villain

I really like Rami Malek as an actor, and I don't think his performance is at all to blame for the fact that this movie's villain ends up being a familiarly motivated antagonist. One could make a compelling argument that the real villains of this movie are time and life's consequences, but the villain brought forth falls a bit short of the complexity of the rest of the film.

Final Verdict: Is It Good?

YES! If you hadn't gathered from the tone of what you've read up to this point, I really like this movie. It's essentially exactly what I hoped James Bond movies would be in our modern cinematic era (one that trends a little darker and grittier than previous eras), and my disappointment with previous Bond movies only amplified the joy I experienced when I saw this one. Skyfall is the only other film that resonates in a similar manner to this one, but the combination of a feeling of finality throughout the film as well as the exceptional set pieces make No Time to Die the superior movie.

Craig's performance (as per usual in these films) is marvelous. I always enjoyed his portrayal of Bond, but he took the character to new heights in this movie. The female characters from top-to-bottom are competent, cool, and worthy of respect from the audience and Bond, which is such a welcome departure for this film in particular. For the first time in a Bond film, I really felt something when the characters were in peril, and that's a testament to the storytelling from director Cary Joji Fukunaga.

This is a very good movie.

Viewing Recommendations

Should You See It In Theaters? If possible, yes. The sound effects and the more intense action sequences are elevated greatly by a theater experience.

Do You Need to Block Out Time For the Entire Movie If Watching At Home? I would truthfully say no. You could break this movie up into three hour-ish segments and get most of the same effect.

Should Your Kids Watch It? This is the most benign Bond film of them all except for the violence (which isn't overwhelming, there's just a lot of it). If you feel comfortable showing your kids the Mission Impossible movies, this film is perfectly fine as well.

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