Craig’s Final Bond Film a Grand Goodbye

The blonde Bond takes a bittersweet bow as Daniel Craig wraps up 15 years with the franchise.

Returning for one final turn as MI6’s legendary 007, Craig’s ripped, razor-focused, dour-yet-defrosting James Bond ends a globe-spanning story which began with the game-changing ‘Casino Royale’ (2006).

While Craig’s casting was originally met with controversy, for many, the longest-running Bond is also the best Bond.

Imbuing Ian Fleming’s iconic character with the darkness and depth of the novels, a departure from his imperturbable predecessors, Craig’s Bond is the straw-haired, sensitive secret agent who has killed and maimed for queen and country, but also loved and lost.

It’s amid this loss that we catch up with Bond, six years after the release and the events of ‘Spectre’ (2015). Still mourning Vesper Lynd of ‘Casino Royale’, Bond has retired from MI6 and is attempting to jettison his baggage before throwing himself fully into the arms of Léa Seydoux’s Madeleine Swann, and living happily ever after.

It being a James Bond film, however, things explode, a gang of mercenaries start shooting, and a distrusting Bond seems to lose the girl in a mess of double crosses, bullets and vengeful blasts from the past.

Clocking in at over two hours and 40 minutes, ‘No Time to Die’ is as ambitious as it is action packed as it bids Craig a heartfelt farewell, ties up some loose ends, and hints at much more.

Returning characters, such as Jeffrey Wright’s Felix Leiter, Ralph Fiennes’ M, Naomie Harris’ Moneypenny, and Ben Whishaw’s Q on the good-guy front while Christoph Waltz reprises his role as Bond’s arch nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld, ‘No Time To Die’ also introduces Lashana Lynch’s kickass Nomi, briefly the new 007, and Ana de Armas’ elegantly efficient Paloma, a disarming agent for the CIA.

As anyone who loves this franchise knows, a Bond film is only as good as its villain, and the Daniel Craig era has had some greats. From the whip-happy Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) and the ruthless and taunting Blofeld (Waltz) to the vengeful and flamboyant Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), Bond villains are as crucial as the man himself, and in ‘No Time to Die’ Bond seems deprived of a formidable final opponent.

While actor Rami Malek, who stars as the film’s main villain, Lyutsifer Safin, can do little wrong, the character seems somewhat half-baked and a bit bored by his whole bit.

Safin’s bit is that he was orphaned by Blofeld/SPECTRE, and is initially on a revenge mission armed with a bioweapon which targets no less than one’s DNA.

Despite what it lacks in a villain, Cary Joji Fukanaga’s ‘No Time to Die’ is a worthy send-off for Craig. Fans of the franchise will revel in the Easter eggs, marvel at the action sequences and locales, applaud Craig’s impressive fifth and final performance, and may even shed a tear or two as we wish the blonde bond a grand goodbye.

Want to win a movie ticket to see ‘No Time to Die’ (2021) or a movie of your choice at Ster-Kinekor? Simply answer the following question: What is the name of Daniel Craig’s first James Bond film?

Send your full name, cell number and your answer to weekender@namibian.com.na.

The competition closes this Friday.

– martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram;

marthamukaiwa.com

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