No Time to Die **Spoilers from post #1449 onward**

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117960365#Comment_117960365

yes as said, aside from the opening scene the movie was crap.

FunLover18

I think the "car chase" in Spectre is one of the worst I've ever seen.

SimonTemplar

I think the general movie-going public will quite like it. But for life-long dedicated Bond fans, it will be very polarizing.

I'm in the latter category, and I'd say once Ana de Armas' character leaves the story, the movie become a decent (even very good) action movie but is also almost unrecognizable as a Bond movie. For this part of the movie, you could almost substitute Bond for any generic aging action character.

It is a very well made action movie but some life long Bond fans will have difficulty with it. But I've also read opinions of other Bond fans who love it. As I said, it is very polarizing within that fandom.

However, I will say that Danial Craig gave a fantastic performance. I can't fault him.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117960513#Comment_117960513

I came home from Die Another Day, which i flipping hated, went home and put on either the Living Daylights or possibly Goldeneye, for some real(to that point) Bondness. I suspect I'll have a similar reaction to this. Hopefully I'm wrong.

SimonTemplar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117960534#Comment_117960534

I know of some Bond fans who love it, some that hate it, some that love the first 75% and hate the final 25%. It is very divisive.

FunLover18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117960548#Comment_117960548

Is there any correlation with how they felt about Craig's previous outings?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117960548#Comment_117960548

The final bit could be described as mushy. A friend attending it simultaneously in another cinema remarked that, as said here, the opening scene was superb, the rest of it “meh” except for the action, the scenery, the acting. Craig is magnificent in it. Overall a great viewing, though, and very well appreciated after a couple of years being denied popping down to my nearby cinema complex.

SimonTemplar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117960608#Comment_117960608

I think most fans agree it is a better made film than Quantum of Solace and Spectre, although some do have trouble with some of the plot points of No Time To Die.

The fans I've spoken to still would rank Casino Royale and Skyfall higher.

Fred Astaire

As someone who hated this, I would rank this as on par with Spectre (which I hated). I think Quantum while not really a good movie is better than these as a Bond flick, at least I found more to enjoy in it than I did Spectre and NTTD. Then Skyfall, and a country mile clear of the other 4 is Casino Royale.

Not counting Never Say Never Again in the list, Craig takes up at least 2 spots between 20-25 for me, and one spot in the top 5.

The underlying emotionally charged plot is: (Don’t read unless you want to see the entire overall plot)

Spoiler Warning

Bond imagines he has been betrayed by the woman he loves (and who loves him, and embittered, leaves her in a state of fury at a train station, sending her on her way never to see him again. Unknown to him she is pregnant with his daughter. She, herself was the daughter of an alcoholic woman who was killed by the chief villain of the plot, right in front of her as a young child. The villain was avenging the death of his own family at the hands of the father/husband. In the meantime Bond gets on with the action in other aspects of the plot, to be reunited with his former lover and meet his child, both of whom are dragged through near death scenarios. He learns that she had not betrayed him. In the end his licer and child survive whilst Bond gets killed. The portrayal of Bond’s emotion, by Craig, knowing he is about to die, is tear jerking.

It may indeed not appeal to all Bond fans.

orecir

A life long Bond fanatic and I've come out of the cinema last for words.

I don't know if I loved it or disliked it.

Heraclius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117960503#Comment_117960503

I'm glad someone else thought that. It was worse than most ads for cars. It felt like it had no stakes. It was the moment I realised the film was rubbish when I was in the cinema.

MisterAnarchy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117960764#Comment_117960764

Thats more than a spoiler, its multiple spoilers, might be best to remove it.

There was a drone and Bond piloting some form of small strike fighter.

He got hold of a very ordinary floatplane (basic seaplane piloting skills) to transport himself and another out to a ship where further action took place, including the death of his friend.

MisterAnarchy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117960641#Comment_117960641

I'd agree with what your friend said.

Its a bit of a mess overall. Its full of plot holes, coincidences and illogical decisions by major characters. The main villians scheme is ludicrous to say the least, its like something out of a Star Trek/ Marvel film.

Theres alot of retconning going on, that seems forced and contrived, much like it did in Spectre. It completely jumped the shark in the finale.

I've never warmed to Craig as Bond.

I liked him in Layer Cake but he doesn't portray Bond well for me, he is too cold and trying to be tough and edgy.

Its forced acting, he was much more natural in Layer Cake, the role that landed him the Bond role.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117960793#Comment_117960793

Don’t look at it. It underlines that it is essentially a soppy movie filled with action.

Homelander

As someone who found Spectre fairly terrible I have to say No Time To Die really surprised me. Firstly, by being a damn good movie, probably my personal favorite since Goldeneye. Daniel Craig puts in an excellent performance, the plot, locations and action are classic Bond stuff, and the direction is very solid.

Secondly though, some of the plot points were unexpected and could easily make or break the movie for some people regardless if they held the opposite opinion initially. So, while maybe polarising in some cases, it worked for me - and I do appreciate when long-standing franchises try something new.

Magnificent high-note for Daniel Craig's last Bond movie. I suppose he's at his sell-by date at this stage for the role, but after NTTD I kinda wish we'd get one more from him.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117960842#Comment_117960842

I loved his character by the end of it, maybe speaking from a female perspective here.

It’s tied together like a loose crochet knit, full of holes and coincidences. So one needs to go to it with those expectations. It wouldn’t appeal on an intellectual level at all.

Fred Astaire

I don't really see any way back for the franchise from here - two disasters in a row (from the perspective of being a James Bond movie, staying true to the character written by Ian Fleming). I know they have resurrected the character from previous low points, but in todays climate and with the noises out of Barbara these days, I would personally rather that they put the franchise to bed - because anything further from here is almost certainly going to be more of the same.

It's very obvious that the studio has no interest in making an actual James Bond movie anymore, and would prefer to serve up whatever tripe they feel like, and plaster the name James Bond on it.

This was literally like the most anti-James Bond movie possible. I can only but think that the majority of people who are loving this will only have seen a small couple of Bond films in their lifetime. And to me, just make something else then - do this completely unearned and quite frankly unbelievable, sappy nonsense in a different movie. The people who liked it will still like it, and you aren't sh*tting all over a beloved character. Win win.

This 'deconstruction of the character' rubbish didn't work with Luke Skywalker and it didn't work here. Why studios are so eager to hand the keys to franchises and their iconic characters over to people who actively don't like those franchises and those iconic characters, completely baffles me.

I fully expect that when the dust settles on this that history will not look back as kindly as it as some of the immediate reactions are.

SimonTemplar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117960967#Comment_117960967

You know sometimes Hollywood repurposes screenplays. So for example, the Die Hard 3 script was originally meant as a Lethal Weapon movie. One or two of the Cloverfield movies were initially written as stand alone movies but were repurposed into the Cloverfield franchise.

If someone told me that Barbara Broccoli purchased a generic "aging action hero must protect the people closest to him" script and rewrote it as a Bond movie, I'd believe them. That's not what happened, but that's what it feels like at times. It is a shame because I really liked the opening in Matera.

I'm very conflicted because I'm not the type of Bond fan that insists they stick to the formula. I like innovation in Bond movies, and this movie certainly makes some very bold innovative choices. But in doing so, I feel some of the core aspects of what makes a Bond movie have been lost.

I think this could be one of the main differences between judging the movie as the general public / movie critics versus diehard Bond fans. Aside from a few quibbles here and there, I do recognize it as an excellent piece of action entertainment. But as a Bond fan, it has left me fairly cold. But then again, even within the Bond fandom, there are wildly differing opinions.

silliussoddius

Couldn't you argue that Licence to Kill wasn't really a Bond movie, but it's bloody good.

SimonTemplar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117961169#Comment_117961169

Yes, and I've heard that argument a lot which I partially agree with.

I'm not saying NTTD is a bad movie, it is a very good action movie. But judging it as a Bond movie is a different kettle of fish.

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117961185#Comment_117961185

Aren't Bond movies a bit constricted by what the prior films have established (wimmin, gadgets, evil mastermind diabolical plot etc.), and they are left with nowhere to go unless they go bigger and that can result in bloated messes like Die Another Day.

MisterAnarchy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117961169#Comment_117961169

You could, OHMSS is another one that you could say isnt a Bond film and NTTD borrows alot from that.

Christopher Nolan has stated that On Her Majesty's Secret Service was his favourite Bond film; in describing its influence on his own film, Inception (2010), Nolan said, "What I liked about it that we've tried to emulate in this film is there's a tremendous balance in that movie of action and scale and romanticism and tragedy and emotion."

The use of We Have All The Time In The World was nice , however I feel the song was used as a crutch to create emotion that wasn’t necessarily created from the story of this movie but as a callback to previous Bonds.

martingriff

So I watched it tonight and I am just back and I must say it was a very good if not great film. Some bits were predictable maybe even the end. Could it have been shorter maybe. They actually could have made it longer for the end

Spoiler Warning

My only gripe I can have is too little time between Bond and the main bad guy. There was more between Bond and Blofeld If you are going to do that I rather the main bad guy be kept a secret from the audience until near the end. I loved the end and I even mentioned it in a comment on the thread it be great to see the naming of a new Bond as the last one died. I did think it be at the start of the next movie but maybe it is split into too

I don't think Naomi will be the next Bond I feel they made that point in the plane.

Even though she was only in it for a small bit I think there is more of a chance that there will be a movie the CIA agent Paloma

I say this is also Ralph Feinnes last movie

I am going to stop now as I feel if I continue I will give stuff away and that is why I spoiler of everything just incase

Just back from this, I enjoyed it as a movie, it was ok.

but as a Bond movie? Not so sure. I do like Daniel Craig and I thought he was very good in this.

I can't put in spoilers, but I'll just say I thought it was quite predictable

Sexual Chocolate

I loved the little musical nods of a previous bond film.

Craig was absolutely amazing, him and Connery are definitely the top two actors to portray Bond by far. If Connery and Moore were alive I'd be interested to hear their opinions on this film.

I loved the little musical nods of a previous bond film.

Lovingly set to the aerial shots of the panoramic coastal drive.

callaway92

Any use going to this without having seen anything since QoS?

seligehgit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117957426#Comment_117957426

Could'nt agree more.

Very disappointed in it.

Real Her Majesty's Secret Service vibe off of it with Bond's relationship with Madeleine central to the storyline but it was not captivating in a similar manner to HMSS nor Casino Royale.

The locations as always were breathtaking.The action scenes,various car chases were formulaic and rather boring.Loads of rather meaningless killing of Spectre/Safin henchmen by means of rather aimless fire from automatic weapons.

The megalomaniac nemesis's motivations were unconvincing much like his character.It was difficult to hate his character which is a prerequisite for any great Bond villian ( Auric Goldfinger )

The whole new 007 arc was so not in keeping with the franchise.

Ana De Armas was a real positive but so sparsely used.

The movie dragged on,excessively long and pedestrian in nature.Any attempts at lighter moments fell flat.

The music was more traditionally Bond like which was a positive.