No Time To Die

No Time To Die

No Time To Die is the twenty-fifth film in the James Bond series, and it marks the fifth and final appearance of Daniel Craig as the iconic British spy.

It was directed by Cary Joji Fuku, and premiered at The Royal Albert Hall, London on 28 September 2021 after being delyed due to the Covid 19 outbreak.

The film was nominated for three Oscars at the 94th Academy Awards, winning Best Original Song for the eponymous Bond theme sung by then 18-year-old Billie Eilish.

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As well as Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes returns for the second time to star as M, Ben Wishaw is back for his third outing as Q, as is Naomie Harris in her Miss Moneypenny role.

Rami Malik plays the role as the latest Bond villain, Lyutsifer Safin, while old foe Blofeld makes a return, this time played by Christoph Waltz, unfortunately he doesn’t have his cat.

Lea Seydoux is back for the second movie as Bond’s love interest, with a big surprise for Bond fans and Bond! And in a surprising plot twist a new 007, played by Lashana Lynch, is introduced after James Bond quits the secret service.

Daniel Craig in No Time to Die

No Time to Die is a Bond movie with a difference. He falls in love, has more help and stress from women than he’s ever had, and the movie ends with surprising twist. The cast also includes several big Hollywood names.

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No Time to Die – Synopsis

No Time to Die picks up five years after the events of Spectre, with Bond having left active service and settled into retirement in Jamaica.

However, Bond’s quiet life is interrupted when old friend, CIA agent Felix Leiter shows up seeking help finding MI6 scientist named Valdo Obruchev and a stolen programmable DNA-targeting nanobot weapon.

Leiter believes he’s been kidnapped by a dangerous villain named Lyutsifer Safin. Bond refuses Leiter’s request, as he’s retired, but then agrees to it after the new 007, Nomi, warns him not to interfere.

Bond villains Blofeld and Safin in No Time to Die

This triggers Bond, who doesn’t like to be ruled or told what to do and so he helps Leiter. He goes to a SPECTRE party in Cuba where Obruchev is, beating the new 007 to recusing the scientist albeit with the help of his new aid Paloma.

Bond then takes the scientist to Leiter and his partner Ash, who turns out to be a SPECTRE agent and shoots Leiter and flees with Obruchev again.

Bond then visits old foe Blofeld in prison, who tricks him into believing an earlier explosion at Vesper Lynd‘s grave was planned by him, making Bond think it was his girlfriend Madeleine Swann had betrayed him. In a rage, Bond strangles Blofeld, unknowingly infecting him with the nanobots, which kill Blofeld off.

Bond’s next journey is to Norway to see Madeliene, and try and make up. He meets her daughter, Mathilde, who she insists is not his child even though the dates match from their time together in Spectre.

While in Norway, he’s tracked by SPECTRE’s corrupt CIA agent Ash. An exciting chase through the forest ensues and Bond eventually sees off Ash and his henchmen. However, tragedy strikes as Safin kidnapps Madeleine and her daughter.

Safin in No Time to Die

With the help of MI6, Bond and the new 007 Nomi take a submersible glider to get into Safin’s hideaway island in the Sea of Japan, in hope of rescuing Madeleine and Mathilde, and ending Safin’s deadly plan to cull the world.

As panic sets in at Safin’s hideaway, the Bond villain releases Mathilde, and Madeleine escapes. 007 Nomi kills Obruchev by kicking him into an acid pool. Safin and Bond then fight, but Safin infects Bond with the nanobot, and tells him he will now kill anyone, including Madeleine and Mathilde if he touches them.

Bond shoots Safin dead with 3 bullets and is then left to consider the devastating effects he will project by going back. Bond decides to stay to protect them, and an emotional exhcange by radio closes the movie out.

In the exchange, Bond tells Madeleine he isn’t going to make it, saying goodbye and how much he loves her and her perfect daughter. She then tells Bond Mathilde is his child, and then the movie ends with Safin’s island blowing up with Bond dying.

The end scene in No Time to Die

Daniel Craig’s Final Performance as Bond

Daniel Craig’s last outing as Bond has been met with mixed reviews, as always, but some of the negative reviews are fair, as are the positive reviews.

Craig, who had to overcome the fact that he wasn’t dark-haired, did so oozing typical Bond style in Casino Royale and Skyfall. But the way the producers have evolved 007 is leaving many Bond fans in a flux.

The action scenes are there, and Craig plays them masterfully, and his acting is second-to-none, but what he’s directed to perform by Broccoli is beginning to leave a bitter taste in Bond fans’ popcorn boxes.

That said, the story is excellent, even if this new Bond is a bit too much of romantic big softie, instead of being the stoned cold lothario that we all grew to love. And with more female help, the scenes are great, but again, it’s just not Bond.

Has James Bond turned into a big softie?

The way James Bond heroically chose to die rather than infest and kill Madeleine and Mathilda at the end of the movie, might mean a new beginning for the way he evolves, or devolves with a bit of luck.

We won’t see Daniel Craig as Bond again, but the direction his character went in wasn’t down to him, so we will just have to wait and see how they direct the next James Bond.

Bond Villains in No Time to Die

In No Time to Die, Bond fans got 2 rival Bond villains, with Lyutsifer Safin, played by Rami Malek making an appearance after being mentioned in Spectre, and Christoph Waltz starring as Bond’s oldest foe Ernst Stavro Blofeld, returning yet again.

Lyutsifer Safin serves as the main antagonist, a brilliant scientist and terrorist leader who was driven by revenge against SPECTRE after they murdered his family through their hired assassin Mr. White.

Bond villains Blofeld and Safin in No Time to Die

In the movie, it goes back to the 1990s, when Safin goes to murder Mr White, but finds only his wife and daughter Madeliene. Safin murders Mr White’s wife, and is shot and hurt by a young Madeleine. He’s seriously injured but gets up to chase Madeliene who then falls into a frozen lake. Safin helps rescue her.

Blofeld is running things from inside his cell, and even though he plays a smaller part his menace is still apparent. And he takes Bond villains typical cunning and sophistication to new levels.

>> Rent or Buy No Time To Die on Amazon Prime <<

Safin is out to destroy SPECTRE after they killed his father, and inadvertently kills Safin via Bond with who’s infected with a nanobot. And this is the end of the mad genius. Forever? We doubt it.

Blofeld has an air of Dr. Julius No in his mannerisms, and his plans to cull the world are ultimately destroyed by Bond. But his final move is a masterstroke as he infects Bond with Heracles and as he’s dying, he tells Bond he will infect and kill Madeleine and her daughter if he touches them. Bond then fires three bullets into him, before doing the right thing.

James Bond and Ernst Stavro Blofeld

Bond Girls in No Time To Die

Bond girls are a crucial part of the James Bond franchise and have always captured the attention of audiences with their beauty, intelligence, and charm.

In No Time To Die, Madeleine White, played by Lea Seydoux, is Bond’s on-off girlfriend in No Time to Die as their relationship carries on after Spectre. She plays a big part and Bond thinks she sets him up, which she doesn’t.

Madeleine white is Bond's on off girlfriend

They have an on off relationship, and along with her daughter is kidnapped by Safin. Bond goes to Safin’s hideaway to rescue her and foil Safin’s crazy plan, which he does of course.

But at the end, Bond is infected with Heracles and because Madeleine is connected to SPECTRE, if Bond touches her, she and her daughter will die. Bond tells her he won’t be escaping from the island and will instead die there as it blows up. Madeleine is obviously distraught and tells Bond, Mathilda is his daughter.

Two girls that aren’t technically Bond girls, but worth a mention are new 007 Nomi, played by Lashana Lynchm and Cuban intelligence operative Paloma, played by Ana de Armas.

Nomi is an ultra-covert Black Ops, and her first introduction with Bond is when she hijacks his Land Rover and gives him a lift home. He’s expecting another notch on the bed, but she turns out to be the latest 007, after he hung up his Walther PPK and licence to kill. They clash a bit during the investigation, but there’s begrudging respect among both characters.

Ana de Armas as Paloma and Lashana Lycnh as Nomi 007

Paloma is more of a partner with Bond even though he expects to get his wicked way with her, too. She helps Bond in the investigation after they come together in Cuba, investigating the kidnap of Obruchev.

She helps Bond evade 007 Nomi, and also kill half of SPECTRE, even though she’s only had 3 weeks of training. As with Nomi, Bond and Paloma don’t end up in bed, but instead she’s part of the big female help Bond gets in No Time to Die.

Best Scenes

Bond and Madeleine Chased Through Streets of Matera in DB5

The first main piece of action is one of the best scenes in the movie. 007 is paying his respects at Vesper Lynd’s grave, when a bomb goes off and almost kills him. Bond comes to his senses just in time for when some SPECTRE assassins are there to give chase.

Craig is always fantastic in his action scenes and this one is up there with the best. Almost getting run over by a chasing car and motorbike, he then throws himself off the viaduct bridge hanging on for his life with some rope.

Aston Martin DB5 No Time to Die (1)

He gets away on Primo’s motorbike and picks Madeleine up before they get off in Bond’s classic Aston Martin DB5, and the action and thrills are only just beginning. A chase pursues through the tight streets of Matera, Italy as Bond nimbly evades SPECTRE’s henchmen by driving down some narrow, stone steps.

They park up in the middle of the town square before being surrounded by the assassins, who then open fire and shoot hundreds of times at the DB5. With bullets peppering the car Bond is unmoved while Madeleine is panicking.

Then in true vintage style, Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 headlights open up and transition into cylindrical, pop out machine guns. 007 then expertly executes some doughnuts while firing away and killing all the henchmen.

James Bond Partners with Paloma

Paloma is one of the most enjoyable characters in the movie even though she’s only in one scene. At first glance, Paloma may appear like your typical rookie spy, she’s only had 3 weeks training after all, but we quickly learn she’s a fast learner.

Played by Cuban Spanish actress Ana de Armas, Paloma infiltrates a Spectre meeting thrown in honour of Blofeld’s birthday and completely disrupts their plans, helping Bond take out half of SPECTRE with some expert shooting and even better martial artistry.

_Ana de Armas as Paloma (1)

In the middle of the action, she and Bond meet at the bar after Bond falls through the roof on to the bar. He quickly pours a couple of drinks and asks, ‘3 weeks training, really?’ in a nod to her expert help.

It’s a classic Bond action scene that even old-fashioned Bond fans, like myself, who want 007 to go back to his older ways, will enjoy. Paloma might have been dressed like a Bond girl, but she’s sure enough left a big impact, especially on SPECTRE’s ability to carry out its missions.

Cars in No Time to Die

Land Rover III Classic

Sun-drenched and stylish, Daniel Craig’s James Bond is known for always driving the absolute best cars. And after another close shave in the DB5, it’s time for retirement, and a vehicle that’s not as showy.

So, bond instead he drives a classic Land Rover III around town, the same car as Timothy Dalton drove in The Living Daylights in 1987. While Bond has opted for modern Land Rovers since then, he’s never returned to this timeless classic — until now.

Land Rover III

Bond leisurely drives around town with the Land Rover’s roof open doing retirement things, eventually bumping into his old pal Felix Leiter in a tavern. After much convincing from Leiter, Bond decides to rejoin the clandestine world of espionage, and so the car goes back into the garage.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage

With Bond’s DB5 wrecked from all the bullets he needs another car. So, in Skyfall fashion he sweeps a car cover off a vehicle in storage, and reveals an Aston Martin V8.

It’s not just any Aston Martin V8, it’s the 1987 Vantage that made its first appearance in The Living Daylights, yet another nod to Timothy Dalton.

The car is the same year, colour, model, and even has the same B549 WUU registration plate. It’s only used for a cameo drive through London and up to Norway, but it’s nice to see the dust being blown off such a classic car, and something we should see again in future Bonds.

Aston Martin V8

No Time To Die – Craig’s Bond Passes Away

No Time to Die is the last we’ll see of Daniel Craig as Bond. His tenure has received mixed reviews among fans, but that’s more down to the direction the owners have taken the Bond character.

As an actor, Craig produced some memorable moments, an No Time to Die maintained that. With some mesmerising action scenes, and plenty of classic tags to previous Bond’s, the blonde 007 has done well.

The movies are more drama now with more intricate subplots, and No Time to Die can be difficult to follow at times. The love story is a bit annoying for Bond fans to swallow, but the action scenes in No Time to Die are top notch. And of course it finished with Bond becoming a father before passing away.

What next?