The latest Bond film, NO TIME TO DIE, is also the longest, clocking in at 165 minutes, and what have they one with the extra time? They padded out the film with incoherent machine gun fights full of sound and fury, and fights in general. There is also more of Bond's personal life, but not as much as they could have used, and there is a discussion of the philosophy of being a James Bond or a Blofeld. And the Russian accents seem to come from the Ensign Chekov Institute of Languages. But for once the villain's super-weapon is not something Bond or anyone else has ever faced before. It isn't simply a rocket aimed at Washington or a decoder; it is something whose very existence is science fiction and beyond the power of existing science (though the idea seems to hearken back to Nathaniel Hawthorne).

Also, and this is just my opinion, Daniel Craig is the best James Bond. But I have to say he is the ugliest James Bond. He has a face like like a prizefighter who has lost more than once. There are times the script calls for him to be attractive. Maybe part of the reason he is interesting playing Bond is that he is different from the pack. It is like Jean-Paul Belmondo. Ever notice?

Released theatrically 10/08/21; available on various streaming platforms. Rating: +2 (-4 to +4), or 7/10.

Film Credits: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2382320/reference

What others are saying: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/no_time_to_die_2021

					Mark R. Leeper
					Copyright 2022 Mark R. Leeper