10 Things The Next Bond Movie Should Learn From No Time To Die
Spoiler Warning: This list contains detailed plot spoilers for No Time to Die.
After an 18 month-long delay, No Time to Die has finally stepped into theaters as Daniel Craig makes his last outing as James Bond. Although seen as a somewhat flawed Bond film, it sets up a satisfying send-off with action-packed moments and classic James Bond elements.
Craig has retired from playing James Bond, but the legacy lives on as the post-credit says, "James Bond will return." Therefore, Bond films will continue, and the search for a new James Bond is already underway. Of course, the next Bond film will look at No Time to Die, and in general, the Craig series in total, as a paradigm to set up a new James Bond era.
10 Adjusting The Long Runtime
Four out of the five Bond films under Craig are the longest Bond films in history, with No Time to Die sitting at record-holding 2 hours and 43 minutes. For the most part, the near 3-hour duration was not too problematic, considering how the film needed to wrap up every plot since Casino Royale.
The film did not feel too dreadfully long to the point where it would leave feelings of frustration and irritation. However, it became noticeable that the film was 15-20 minutes tad too long and did drag some of the acts. Because of its longer duration, many felt the film lost some momentum in the final hour to conclude the story. Henceforth, the next Bond film would need to adjust the runtime without dragging the story too much.
9 Problems Of Underusing Supporting Characters
No Time to Die brought in new and old supporting characters to help Bond with his final mission. New characters like Paloma and Nomi were well-received, showcasing their badass skills on-screen and boding useful when needed.
Unfortunately, the same thing can't be said for older characters like M, Q, and Miss Moneypenny. As Bond's closest allies, they were in the backseat as desk jockeys. It contrasts with their contributions in Skyfall and Spectre, facing villains like Silva and Blofeld. While their appearance was part of the farewell for Bond, their impact in the film fell flat when they also deserved just as much of a proper and exciting ending as Bond.
8 Bringing More Badass Bond Girls
No Time to Die showcased skillful agents like Paloma and Nomi. With Phoebe Waller-Bridge likely responsible for this change, the film shifted the Bond Girl notion with a more perceptive action girl archetype.
Fans cannot get enough of Paloma, a bubbly and nervous yet skillful agent whose short screen time was the only disappointment. Nomi shows herself as the new 007 agent, who works as a high achiever to gain that respect. While both characters had opposite experiences working with Bond, Bond still developed charming and energizing chemistry with them. Although not the first badass Bond Girls, this representation was a refreshing direction.
7 Keeping A Grounded But Classic Bond
Craig's Bond films became prominent for their grounded approach to portraying the 007 agent. This Bond era toned down the silliness, and this approach made Casino Royale one of the best Bond films and sealed the deal for Craig as one of the best James Bond portrayals.
Over the years, this earnest portrayal of Bond relaxed with more classic Bond elements of his silliness, as was the case for No Time to Die. Although No Time to Die was not as grounded as Casino Royale, it maintained some solemnity while trying to be fun and classic by including some one-liners and puns. It shows the necessity to balance James Bond as a character, a thought process that the future Bond actor will likely discuss. However, it does not hurt to say that the grounded approach works to showcase a more humane and likable version of Bond.
6 A Disjointed Plot But The Romantic Storyline Shines
Some viewers felt No Time to Die focused on too many plots to conclude this chapter of James Bond, and the plot's complexity became too disjointed. The film brought back characters like Felix Leiter and Ernst Stavro Blofeld to clear loose ends by basically killing them while forcefully connecting this plot with Safin's plans. Sadly, this approach made the film overcomplicated.
Despite the convoluted plot, the romantic storyline between Bond and Madeleine Swann was one thing that prevented it from being a disaster. Their romance was Bond's motivation in his final mission, and it helped fill some plot holes.
5 Imperfect Execution But Everything Ties Up
One thing to appreciate about this era of James Bond is that each film acknowledges events from the previous ones, an unusual practice in Bond films. This outlook helps to make the story sound cohesive. Despite the ridiculous plot twist in Spectre, it is at least satisfying to see everything that happened to Bond was tied up in No Time to Die. The film also acknowledges past characters, like Vesper Lynd and Felix Leiter.
The execution was not perfect in bringing all the storylines together, but it does tie up loose ends to conclude James Bond's story for good. Therefore, the film's execution to connect with previous entries is encouraged, but future Bond films need to be more organized and have a set endpoint for this to work.
4 Don't Include A Lackluster Villain
Bond villains are crucial given the spy theme of the series. Unfortunately, the most disappointing part of No Time to Die was likely the villain, Safin. He is introduced as one of SPECTRE's victims and goes on a vendetta by poisoning their members and family with nanotechnology.
Although Rami Malek does his best to portray Safin, the issues with the writing downplayed his threatening nature. After successfully eliminating SPECTRE operatives, his motivations were unclear why he continued making more nanobot weapons. Furthermore, the film failed to materialize Safin, and he was sidelined until the final hour. Safin fell short of being a memorable Bond villain and does not compare to formidable foes like Le Chiffre and Silva. The next Bond villain would need to avoid this mistake by enhancing its story and showcasing the threat.
3 Growth & Maturity With Bond's Character Arc
Although the villain was lackluster, the one thing that excelled was the character arc of James Bond. While James Bond is typically known as the elegant and womanizing spy, Craig's James Bond was more grounded, sentimental, and humane.
No Time to Die continued James Bond's transformation to his peak. Much of his well-written character arc stems from his experience in Casino Royale and his relationship with Vesper Lynd. Therefore, his distrust for Madeleine was not rash, but rather his trauma with Vesper was pivotal in his trust issues and character development. Even the big surprise about Bond having a daughter and his death seemed fitting, given how his character matured and developed. Therefore, his arc seemed the most consistent throughout and built up to his decision-making in his final moments.
2 Explosive & Neat Action Scenes
The action sequences for No Time to Die were tense and exciting, including the car chase and the forest chase. Even the fight scenes at the SPECTRE party were breathtaking and energizing.
Another scene gaining recognition is the hallway scene at the nanobot factory. It was a continuous shot that enhanced Bond's fighting skills and was visually spectacular and well-choreographed. No Time to Die raised the level of the action sequences with even more thrill and creativity, and it will surely be a challenge to nail the vigor for the next Bond film.
1 Bond Died, But Was The Move Too Risky?
Craig's Bond has faced near-death situations many times in Casino Royale and Skyfall, but he has been the luckiest to survive them and used it as a way out for a brief retirement. However, for the first time in franchise history, James Bond dies!
Bond's death has been divisive among fans. Diehard fans argue that Bond is immortal, and his death undermines his legacy. Other fans felt his death was inevitable and was a fitting conclusion for his character arc. Considering Craig wanted out on James Bond, it probably influenced the decision to kill Bond so that Craig's exit is definitive. The death scene will be debated for years and one that puts pressure on the next James Bond, given that No Time to Die ends this Bond's reign on a full circle.