Daniel Craig’s ‘No Time To Die’ thriller has been adjudged by critics as the best in the series of 007. The overriding message in the action-packed soothing movie is what you can give to your country and the human race.
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Over a year ago, No Time To Die was billed to be in the cinemas but the pandemic struck. But since the cinemas have been certified safe (thanks to COVID-19 vaccines and other precautionary measures), the release of the movie is a good sign for the global entertainment industry. Because the movie industry urgently needs such an era-defining final appearance of Daniel Craig featuring as James Bond.
Saving the movies in a period of the pandemic and in a very competitive era of online movie streaming system cannot be such a herculean task for our hero. James Bond has been saving the world from time immemorial.
Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan have all imposed their distinctive personalities on the character of James Bond 007, with amazing effect on the global movie. James Bond is once again the archetypal saviour of the society. And don’t ever entertain any doubt that he won’t save the world now that we need him the most.
Daniel Craige’s appearance in Casino Royal, according to critics, is the best 007 film ever produced. But wait a minute! You can’t draw that conclusion until you have seen the latest in the franchise, No Time To Die.
The 007 series unarguably brings Daniel Craig’s enchanting character curve all the way from Casino Royal to a gratifying and suitable close in No Time To Die. Craig has been a fine introduction as he seamlessly blends into the mold while giving the 21st Century audience certain pleasing vibrations and alterations that made him to stand out from others who have played the character of James Bond.
Daniel Craig’s physical presence is remarkably not the tall, dark and handsome cast of his predecessors. Craig’s Bond is a thug who is refined enough to cultivate the elegance of a modern day spy, lover of women, and wine connoisseur. Of course the music, lighting, production design and cinematography have added a glamorous tint to this beautiful character.
Hans Zimmer composed the music for this particular installment and he is just on point all through. The synergy between his scoring and Billie Eilish’s soft sound track lends the auditory allurement to the movie. Eilish’s theme song for the movie sets the sombre tone highlighting a sense of loss and mourning for Vesper (Bond’s deceased wife) and the new romantic relationship with Madeline.
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No Time To Die survives on first-class gadgets, the life-saving, sinfully armoured, innocent-looking bulletproof car, the martinis, the thought provoking one liners, and the romance. You cannot but be wowed by that life-strangling wristwatch that simply counts down and explodes the hell out of the eyeball of an assailant. The action-packed scenes will certainly leave you gasping for breathe. Oh my God! The biggest on the list of things that will endear you to this movie is the character of Daniel Craig, his stylish and roguish way of being professional at undercover missions. How does one man take down so many people within such a short time even when every statistics seem not to be in his favour in a given situation? How does a movie get padded with subtle humour in the midst of deadly fights? How does an action movie get so loaded with philosophical undertones masking as every day speech? So many questions which you will certainly get to answer when you eventually experience the absolutely gripping spectacle of No Time To Die.
The sense of urgency begins to mount when you suspect that something is about to happen to Bond who must vacate the scene as soon as possible. You would find yourself counting down as the missiles fly across the sky. The eventful plot, the energetic and fast-paced scenes, the many blasts and impossible stunts are all salutations and testaments to the unforgettable career of Daniel Craig. There is no better way to bow out as 007.
Movie buffs who saw the film as soon as it was released in Nigerian cinemas on October 8, 2021 have not been able to contain their filmic experience of the last of Daniel Craig’s outstanding outputs as James Bond 007. Femi responded thus to the movie: “Yeah, it’s a film for everybody to watch. Will that be the last of James Bond? Did I see the movie hinting at Craig’s successor? Those are the big questions for the next movie. The movie is about what you can give to your country and to the human race. It is an action film, and not just the action, but also teaches a lot of lessons, too, We are looking at 007, the lady. Will she be a good James Bond?”
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Abisola, a very ambitious critic went as far as projecting Edris Elba as the next James Bond. “Everybody wants Edris Elba!” she enthused. Adeolu picked Lashana Lynch who plays Nomi, after all she is the 007 that replaces Craig when he leaves the secret service before he was called back. Innocent gave this a big nod affirming that a lot of things that were missing in the last 007 are now in No Time To Die. He was more enamoured with the upgraded personality of Craig as 007: “This is the 007 we have been missing in Daniel Craig. The old 007 was brought in, a lover of pretty women. That was missing in the previous one. He was just too strict and too hard-faced. That aspect has been corrected here. A lover of gadgets” Olaoluwa who pinpointed what the implications of the franchise can be for Africa, said: “A black woman can take the lead. Our women can be as good as anybody out there. Sky is the limit if you can put in the work.”
Maybe there is, indeed, No Time To Die. But you won’t know until you have watched this thriller on the big screen No Time To Die is currently showing in a cinema near you.