NO TIME TO DIE | One Year On... 

“NO TIME TO DIE is a funeral it’s not a party” - Very well said.

Just going to say I'm completely jealous of you guys in the U.K getting reruns of the whole franchise. I'd kill to go drag my grandpa to the theater and watch From Russia with Love and Goldfinger on the big screen with him (the first bond films I ever saw, thanks to him)

The fact that this is the last bond to be released during Elizabeth II reign, makes this film was more defining than ever

I agree ... NTTD was not the Bond film the world needed at the time of its release. I appreciate it had been finished before the Pandemic hit and they had no idea how the world would have changed ... but its a bare fact .. it just needed to be a positive movie..

Great video Calvin. I agree with you about the ending. I hate the ending, not only because it a big no for me to kill Bond, but also it was badly constructed like you say. I dont want a Bond film where it's personal for Bond. It can work, because I love OHMSS and CR, but they have a good plot and a good villain. I really don't like the idea of Bond have a kid and that he dies. Why can't we just get Bond on a mission? At least DAD and QOS had a story and Bond going on mission. NTTD and Spectre is always going to be at the bottom of my ranking and I'm not going to see them outside of a marathon.

Completely agree. Wasn't a fan of Die Another Day in the cinema but it was the movie I watched to cheer myself up and remind me what I love about these movies after watching No Time to Die. It's the only Bond I've only seen once which says it all really.

I totally agree with your sentiment on people wanting Escapism in the cinema. I saw No Time to Die with my grandad on his birthday who's been a fan since the 60s, it was our first time back in the cinemas. He came out incredibly deflated which shouldn't happen in a Bond film and ruined my night

I completely agree, there were some elements that were really good in the film. But for me the ending is just too much. I feel it takes away from what Bond has been for 60 years, always finding a way out of situations, never giving up etc. So I feel this ending is a bit disrespectful to the legacy that has come before. That’s just my take on it. I would rank it almost at the bottom of my ranking list

I rewatched DAD just the other night and I'll be damned if it isn't an entertaining piece of cheese! I think biggest mistake of the Craig era treating a purely escapist franchise as an art house project. Bond is a capable, charming cad with a penchant for sex, violence and one-liners. Let's get back to the fun of it all!

For me, this movie works best if I think of it like an opera; negative emotions are heightened but so are positive ones, so there’s fun to be had even in the buildup to impending tragedy. Edit: At the time I wrote this I had never seen an actual opera. Now I think I was giving them too much credit. There is very little fun to be had.

I've spent a ridiculous amount of time over the years toiling over my ranking of the series, and it usually gets tweaked a little whenever I do a full series rewatch. But I haven't even attempted to put NTTD into my ranking because it is very much a film of two halves. The first half, especially the pre-London scenes, is top 10 material, but I really dislike the second half. I doubt this opinion will change any time soon. Once Bond arrives at Madeline's home, I can just see the cogs and gears of the plot grinding away in an attempt to justify the decision for Bond to die. Also, I've been seeing each film religiously each week in the cinema as part of the 60th anniversary. It's been amazing but I won't be seeing NTTD because ending by weekly cinematic celebration of Bond with his death just feels inappropriate.

Because of that ending I can't bring myself to rewatch it.

Just watched this again and have to agree. When I left No Time to Die, I was so depressed I called out sick the next day! Both License to Kill and Die Another Day definitely walked out of those films in quite the opposite feeling! Appreciate all you bring to the Bond world. Thank You!!

Whenever I’m tempted to rewatch NTTD (mainly for the great action), I get somewhat dissuaded because it means watching the ending. I have nothing against Bond dying - actually I quite admire the boldness of it - but in the film it feels oddly forced and, at the end of the day, it isn’t pleasant watching Bond have fire rain down upon him. As you quite rightly said, a funeral, not a party.

My thoughts on where it stands for me: Sorry if it's a bit long. Gotta give context. The first time I saw it in theaters, the ending didn't really hit me. It was more shock than anything. But the second time I saw it in theaters, I actually cried at the end(and I've shed even a couple tears every time I've watched it since). Calvin, you and I are around the same age and we both saw Die Another Day as our first Bond film in theaters. I cried because James Bond was like a friend to me. I had spent twenty plus years of my life with him, watching the movies and such. It really hit home to see him die. BUT I have been slowly reading through the Bond novels over the last couple years(and reading a fair amount this year alone, 5 books), shortly after NTTD came out, I finished reading From Russia With Love and at the end of it, James Bond dies. Ian Fleming was sick of writing the books at the time, and decided to kill him off. Now, obviously that didn't happen and he survived and carried on thru MANY more adventures, BUT when, at one point, even the CREATOR of the man, decided to kill him off, it made the ending of NTTD sit a little better with me. Now, would I prefer he lived, of course. HOWEVER, I can now see through different eyes, that Craig's Bond really did have a "life story" from the birth of his 007, to his death. And in the novels and films, has he not been portrayed as fallible and human? The man died, just as we all will. Overall, at this stage in my life after having seen the movie many times, with all the positives of it, music, cinematography, Cuba, acting, action ALL of it, I can't fault the film all THAT much based on his death. In conclusion, I would rather he have lived, but it's still a great movie and when it came out I placed it at 10 in my ranking. Now I would probably say it moved up to around 6 or 7. Thanks for reading Calvin and keep up the great work!! I always look forward to and enjoy your videos. Been watching you for almost 2 years now.

As someone who's exclusively seen the Craig Bond films (curse you streaming services for not having Bond movies here in Germany), and with No Time to Die having been the only ever Bond film I saw in the cinema, I like it a lot. The ending was very fitting and well set up in my opinion. In terms of bad endings, I'd cite Spectre, which is just ludicrous from the point on where they arrive at Blofeld's base. Edit: Only days after I wrote the comment they announced that from today, most Bond films will be on Amazon Prime. So it looks like I'll get to watch them now! Strangely, it seems they left 5 of them out (From Russia with love, On her Majesty's secret service, The spy who loved me, The world is not enough and No time to die).

The biggest problem with No Time to Die, besides the awful villain, is that they went into creating this film deciding that Bond HAD to die, rather than them making it and realizing they had a really good idea to tell a story of him dying. They so obviously decided they had to end his life

I think one of the things adding to Mavericks popularity, is that it has become one of the few sequels to a popular film from the past where the characters from the original film are treated with respect. We haven’t got that with Trek, Star Wars, or Bond.

I have a love/hate relationship with the ending of No Time To Die. I wish he didn’t die but I can understand how it completes his arc clearly. There was a clear beginning in Casino and a clear ending here.

Great elements. Loved some of the scenes but this is a movie I’ve fully edited in my head. I’d change Naomi’s character to be more of a bad ass during the Silo scene. She almost dies fighting those soldiers and loses Waldo in the process. He escapes and we respect Naomi for a tough fight. During the missile strike, we get subtle hints he dodges the missiles. Cut to last scene, he catches up to Waldo after wounding him (throwback to Casino Royale). We see a detailed close up of Bonds wrist watch (EMP) Waldo says “How did you not to die?” Bond: “There’s No Time to Die” End Credits

Despite the objective issues with "Die Another Day", I think it achieved its goal of being a dumb, fun popcorn movie. You can easily watch it and have fun without caring too much about the story; If you enjoy the story set pieces, then that's all the better. No Time to Die desperately asks you to take it seriously, which it fails at on multiple levels. You can't watch it as a popcorn movie because you need to know the story, but the story has so many critical issues that it just takes you out of the movie.

I’ve seen all 24 at the cinema so far this year so (sigh) I will see No Time To Die again on Sunday but it will be the last time as I’m permanently retiring both it and Spectre. I really can’t stand either of them, I just feel it’s a shame to end Craig’s tenure on such a low but Bond being killed off was what he demanded way back in 2006 if you take him for his word. I’m really looking forward to the next film, I hope it’s bombastic and over the top if only to be a palette cleanser from the overly emotional dross we’ve had to endure the past decade.

My opinion hasn’t really changed much. The film falls apart during the last hour because tons of flaws compound upon each other: The lack of an arc in Nomi and Bond’s relationship, the lack of chemistry between Bond and Swann, the villain’s nonsense motivations, the contrived steps leading to the ending. All the failures of the film add up in a climax that has nothing good going for it.

I love NTTD, it’s the climax of Craig’s era, it dares to step into uncharted territory with Bonds death. It looks stunning and harks back to points in the series with sensitivity. Maybe we’re mourning Bonds death? This character who has been part of our lives for so long was killed off, and that still feels quite strange to me. I think in a year or two, and maybe when Bond is reinvented we may see it differently and be able to move on.

Great video! - and as someone who loves this film, I also enjoy the debates/different opinions. I think it says more about our passion about this character more than anything that there are so many different views whether you think the story is high ranking, middling or rubbish. It’ll be interesting to see how this affects a new era. I genuinely think that the Craig films will age better as we move forward and we can appreciate them as this small little connective story.

I totally agree, Calvin. Die Another Die was enjoyable but absolutely ridiculous (the invisible car was just too much!), and is the worst film in the series in my opinion. However, the ending of No Time To Die was just too heartbreaking and the only time I have left the cinema (let alone a Bond film) feeling downbeat and upset. By the way, I loved your use of the Goldeneye N64 soundtrack in the background!

Beautiful looking film, hated the ending and all the flipping plot holes. Loved your in-depth review!

Calvin for the next movie, dont you think the time is right for EoN to use 'FOR KING & COUNTRY' as the title? Also how would everyone feel about On HIS Majesty's Secret Service as a title without the movie being a remake or connected to OHMSS 1969 in any way?

NTTD was an absolute disaster! Ms Broccoli was so in thrall to her beloved Daniel that she more or less gave him carte blanche. &, as we know from Quantum, as well as his stylistic preferences, his instincts are extremely flawed.

The killing of Bond is not entirely unheard of. Let's remember even Ian Fleming was unsure whether he wanted to even continue writing the novels at one stage and rewrote the ending of _From Russia With Love_ to have Rosa Klebb succeed in poisoning Bond resulting in him collapsing to the floor struggling to breath. All that being said, I would like to reserve my judgement on _No Time To Die_ until the next film comes out to see what direction they are planning to go next. I see two possibilities. 1) It's a straight up reboot. Or 2) in something of a more faithful adaptation of _The Man With The Golden Gun_ we see Bond survive - presumable all chard and busted up in need of reconstructive surgery - suffering amnesia from the explosion, and brainwashed by the Russians. It seems like an obvious way to continue where Craig left off with a new actor in the role.

Enjoyed the video, you've certainly been a good sport about NTTD all this time & I commend you for it haha. One year later, for me personally it's very hard to talk about my feelings towards NTTD from an unbiased perspective. Although there are worse movies overall, I absolutely hated it & easily much more than Die Another Day (which ranks 24/25). Haven't purchased it (a first for me when it comes to Bond movies) & have zero desire to re-visit it anytime soon. Looking back on the Craig era as a whole while I certainly enjoyed some of those movies (Casino Royale and - god help me - Spectre) I think I tolerated his era more than I genuinely enjoyed it. Truly miss the Brosnan era.

Really enjoying the content on your channel keep up the good work 🎥👌👌

I think that the ending has really painted them into a corner. Far from being freeing for them to start afresh, I think killing Bond really broke the forth wall in a way that’s hard to come back from. His death is followed by a post credit coda that says “James Bond will return” which may as well say: “there are no stakes anymore, even death can’t kill him”. It’s also escalatory in that it sets a president for all future Bonds to go out in increasingly dramatic fashion. I think Bond probably died for me in this film. Whatever happens hereafter: there will be something missing.

I'll admit, I'm one of the ones that is onboard with No Time to Die until a certain point but still actually like it. With that said, I HOPE that going forward, the producers go back to making Bond films FUN again especially considering what's been happening over the last two years. I think people are really just looking for genuine fun and excitement, reasons to just smile even if stuff is stupid and shouldn't make sense. I hope that they've gotten this out of their system this is whole overarching story of Bonds love interests or backstory. To the point about Die Another Day, its STUPID fun and considering how the last 16 years have gone... That's ALL I want. I'd take A View to a Kill, Die Another Day, Diamonds are Forever and even the unofficial Bonds at this point if it meant we can go back to being FUN with Bond again! Great video!

Spot on re. the pandemic. I remember walking out of the cinema after my first viewing, in the midst of an awful couple of years, and thinking, "well now HE'S dead." I didn't need him to ride a unicorn across a rainbow, but . . . if Bond can't beat the odds, who the hell can?

I really hate doing this as it outs me as the young Bond fan I am, and I have really made this film work for me to say this, but No Time to Die might just be my favourite Bond film. It was everything I could have ever possibly wanted from a Bond film, from spectacular action to emotional stakes. This film challenged me like no other Bond has, and made me reflect on what I love about the series. I never thought I would want to see Bond have a kid, let alone die, but it somehow works for me. I can buy into the decisions the film takes and just go with the experience. Every time I watch it I want to experience the film again. But also a big part of why I love the ending as much as I do is the fact I grew up with Craig’s Bond. I was 7 when Casino Royale came out, so Daniel Craig has been Bond for most of my life. No Time to Die gave Daniel Craig something that no other Bond has had, closure. No other Bond has had the chance to properly say goodbye, and for that I will always love that I got that for the Bond I grew up with. As weird as it sounds, it felts like the closure on a chapter in my life. I do get why people may not like this film. But I think it is fantastic and a genuine contender for the best Bond film for me. No one liked the ending for Majesty’s when it was first released, and now it is one of the most celebrated Bond films of them all. Maybe a lot of people don’t like the ending because it feels like a definitive end until the next film, which given all the uncertainty is justified. I’m glad this film took a risk, and despite the ending I think this is still a pretty outstanding Bond film with a number of great moments.

The ending still makes me 😭 I still like it but I definitely want a more fun bond next time. I still love die another day or dad 😂 as I call it.

I agree also. Left the cinema deflated and never recovered following 2-3 viewings.

There is a lot to like with NTTD. The opening action scenes in Italy, the sequence in Cuba. But the ending spoils what could have been a classic Bond like Goldfinger or The Spy Who Loved Me.

I totally agree with you Calvin I did a ranking of all the Bond movies earlier this year I definitely need to do a redo of it I love No Time To Die till the scene in Q’s flat after that I turn it off Licence To Kill and GoldenEye will forever be my number one and two favourite James Bond movies Die Another Day holds a soft spot for me it was my late mother’s favourite James Bond movie

Hard to believe it's been a year already. I still appreciate that they tried to do something different and that there are some great parts to this movie. Overall, I'm not keen on revisiting this one unlike the rest of the Craig era. Its lower on my list, and because it's a bit sad doesn't have much rewatchability.

After the Queen died this film made so much more sense. I feel like its a metaphor for the Britain that Bond used to inhabit.

Calvin, you've got to do your own gunbarrel scene. Also, may I recommend reviewing "Robin and Marion" (1976), which reprises Connery vs. Shaw in a stirring climactic duel?

When I first came out of the cinema I said I liked it. But it quickly became apparent that I actually did not like it and was forcing myself to. And this is something I believe others have done too. I’ve seen plenty of ‘on my 15th viewing I finally liked the movie’ type sentiments. Simply put, if you don’t like the movie that’s totally cool. If you rank it near the bottom, that’s ok also. I’ve always said re-watchability if a key appeal of Bond-that idea that on any random day you can put on any random Bond movie. I think NTTD will suffer in that regard.

Absolutely agree mate 😅

Just found your channel. I finished watching DC collection thru for 3rd time. it had it’s shortcomings, still left me show hole feeling. Especially after everything Bond has survived, and manipulated to his favor, they killed him in such a ‘forced’ way. That hurt the most! DC’s Bond really grew on me. If that was his way out, he deserved a better plot, IMO. Much love from Texas

I was adamant after seeing this film that I wouldn’t be able to judge it properly until Bond 26 which is just not what I want from going to see a solitary film. My opinion hasn’t changed and I get that same cold feeling, I need to know Bond can give me that fun thrill again to accept what they did to him in No Time to Die.

Under the Daniel Craig films. My number one is Casino Royale my number two is no Time to die. With Skyfall I can never get over the plot line. It was almost exactly like the dark night and it was too easy for me to guess it’s spoiled the plot in the reveal for me.

I think its just the tone. If Bond had died, but sort of with a satisfied smile on his face, and for a worthy cause (Not for a villain`s motivations that I dont really understand. And on an island that didnt need to be bombed right then), and the music was more in the spirit of celebrating that his family was safe and he had done his job, then I think it could have worked. Its just that as it is, in the words of the dude: "This is a bummer, man".

As someone who's first Bond film was Dr No...in 2018... and then subsequently watched through every single one, I personally don't understand your take, and many's take, on hating that Bond dies. This isn't to say that I think people who dislike that ending are silly; I think quite the opposite. It's absolutely fine by me that people find Bond dying to be against the core importance of the character. I just want to share a perspective from someone who isn't attached to the character from a nostalgia point of view but still has seen all films from 1962 to 2021, starting from Sean Connery. I absolutely adores the ending. I don't have a childhood attachment to Bond- and yet I understand every tone, plot, and corner of his character. I love that he's allowed to rest in this iteration. I don't get how someone can disagree that he's allowed to end, especially as this version is very separate from Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton, and Brosnan. Just because I don't get it doesn't mean I don't respect and like that you think the opposite. I'd just love someone to explain to me: 'why'? I understand the argument that the nature of Bond is to be a force, and therefore a force shouldn't be allowed to die, but why can't Craig's separate iteration be allowed to die? I want to think its because of 'Blind nostalgia' but that's an ignorant approach. I'd love to be given some insight into this. Thank you!

Good review, Calvin! _No Time to Die_ is, for me, probably the most depressing Bond film. (Not the worst, but the most depressing). It just has this sense of sadness and death about it. And while that's not a bad thing to have, as many have shared: James Bond always finds a way; he's resilient. In _No Time to Die,_ he gives up. Now, some, like me, may say Bond's death is due to the 'current year' of films where we seem to have our masculine heroes getting killed (i.e., Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, now Bond...with Indiana Jones being killed off next). Ana de Armas was sexy and could have been in the film a bit more. Too, Craig (and the film overall) seems to have a more positive feel during her sequence. While Daniel Craig is my third favorite Bond after Sean Connery and Timothy Dalton, my favorites from him remain _Casino Royale_ and _Skyfall._

I think it's no coincidence that what is generally seen as the best 2 bond films of the Craig era (Casino Royale and Skyfall), are also the two that don't make the stakes personal to Bond from the outset or are heavily tied to previous movies

I agree with all that they could of give us a better ending. BUT HOW MANY GROWN MEN CRIED IN THE CINEMA. Still gets me when I see Q filling up and taking a breath.

When the UHD Blu Ray Discs of the Daniel Craig era Bond films were released, I went to the store and picked up - Casino Royale, Skyfall, Spectre and No Time To Die. Took me a while to remember I missed one :)

I agree with the ending, the ending will always be a bit strange and a bit rushed

Agreed Calvin. That ending ruins the movie and is absolutely horrendous 😂

I still like No Time to Die. It was the first Bond movie I ever saw in theaters, so it will always have that going for it if nothing else.

Woah… hold the phone. ONE YEAR ALREADY?!?! But yeah I need to rewatch the film, on the whole, I love so much about the film, but that ending I think is dreadful. It’s contrived, it’s unsatisfying, and it’s demoralising seeing our hero just give up. Surely he would try to find a way just so he could be with his family again, even if it took years to find a cure for the herecles bots, it still gives that hope that maybe, bond can have the happy ending even after the hardships he went through, but that’s just my opinion

Would be great to see a tour of your Bond books and DVDs

I liked craig's run as bond, but was pretty disappointed he wished the character dead and that they acquiesced. I think it was a huge mistake and so the one viewing will always be enough for me

I wonder how the passing of Her Majesty will effect the Bond franchise

“I thought Christmas only came once a year” is the worst end to any action film I’ve seen. Far worse than watching Bond become a man who discovers love isn’t a crass quip but actually worth dying for.

Maybe I'll think differently in the coming years, but I kind of feel like No Time To Die has a kind of hopeless nihilism under the surface. Maybe all the Craig Bonds do. Bond films in general tend to reflect the times in which they were made, and this one seemed to me like a reflection of the current popular desire for all the madness in the world to JUST END. Rather than a heroic sacrifice, it just felt self-destructive to me.

A year on, and the film made me realize the Craig era is its own Island away from the previous 20 films just like the Rob Zombie Halloween duology. Now it's up to Mike and Babs to take cue from that franchise and revisit the previous 20 while carving a new destiny without repeating the mistakes made whether on their end or their leading man

1- Casino Royale 2- The World Is Not Enough 3- Skyfall ... 23- No Time To Die 24- Spectre 25- Quantum of Solace Craig exists in my top 3, but makes up my entire bottom 3 as well.

I still love NTTD and probably even more now as it's had time to percolate. As I've grown older and really confronted the fact that I will die eventually, and it could come at any time (and I mean REALLY confronted that) and that everyone around me will die, I find a story like NTTD where our hero dies is very empowering, and I think that fantasy where everything works out fine for the hero in the end is actually kind of cynical. It's a denial of the harshness of life, pretending that it doesn't exist. I don't want to watch stories where everyone lives happily ever after because that makes it more upsetting for me knowing that it won't be like that for me, or anybody I care about because that's not how life works. Life is great for brief periods of time, and then we suffer, feel better, and ultimately, things get bleaker and bleaker until we eventually die. We need movies that relate to that experience and makes us feel less alone. This film did that for me. I was intially very against even just the idea of Bond dying, but when I saw NTTD and I was driving home from the theatre, and let out the tears I was holding back in public, I realized that it did really impact me emotionally. I was supposed to be heartbroken. Of course I was, that's why they killed Bond. But it worked. It was an optimistic portrayal of death and took Bond to a level of character development that hadn't been explored yet. It's a film that's a tribute to everything Bond, while being bold and beautiful. It's my third favourite Craig film after Skyfall and Casino Royale, and one of my favourite Bond films.

Very nice review Calvin. You were too polite about the film if anything. Was going to rewatch NTTD but now you have reminded me how horrendous it is I will watch something good that isn’t 3 hours long instead

The more I watch this film, the more it depresses me. Its such a shame as apart from the ending it's a very solid entry! Nothing though takes away from when I saw it for the first time at Waterloo Imax. Blew me away! Was also wondering what your thoughts are of reports they'll make the new Bond more emotionally sensitive etc.

The first time I watched it I felt physically sick. The second time was even worse.

It was a two out of five star film upon seeing it the first time. After seeing it again at the cinema, a third time on 4K Blu Ray where I showed it to my mum, it slipped even further down (she hated it outright) However in April after a six month breathing space from release, and after viewing my four other worst Bond films and honestly… possibly only Diamonds Are Forever can compete for me as the very worst Bond film to date. NTTD is so slow paced, boring and a mess in plotting that the ending was a mercy for me. I mean when on earth did I ever want Bond to die? Never! Except in NTTD where I simply couldn’t care about the film or the characters. Totally agree about License To Kill, I am biased since it has been my favourite Bond film since 1995, but those few seconds of reflection at the end have always hit me home. I went to see the film this year at the Prince Charles and after a total blast of a film when that scene came along, the audience member next to me actually teared up.

I think NO TIME TO DIE is beautifully constructed. It is leagues ahead of SPECTRE in that regard. That being said, I have to agree that I don't want to leave a Bond film on a downer (and this is someone who puts OHMSS in his top 5). The quote I keep coming back to is one from an earlier video Calvin had done where basically someone said this could have been the film where James has a family instead of the film where he dies. It's a choice I felt was ultimately driven by Craig's need to have a finality to his time with the character; not what was best for James' story.

Great timing! Just watched it yesterday. Skipped the ending, of course, that part’s non-canon.

It took me a bit to appreciate No Time To Die, but after seeing No Way Home in theaters a few months later, and seeing the similar themes of forgiveness, responsibility, and sacrifice be conveyed, I really started to appreciate the film more for it's efforts. It was something new I guess. Its not a perfect film, but it just worked for me.

Yeah I have to agree with you here. It's such a shame, as it had so much promise. But the ending and how they got there is shoe horned in, and makes no sense. (Why didn't Bond leave the island and come back with the cavalry, he had time. The maguffin was on a boat, so going nowhere fast). I remember being very sad seeing it the first time, and I don't think that's changed on rewatching it. However there's enough great material on show to get it to around 17/18 in my last ranking. Onwards and upwards for the franchise. P.s. I've always been a Die Another Day apologist! 😁😁.

I hate this film. They shouldn't have brought in another 007, which only served to antagonise the fans, and the producers knew it would. Finally, they shouldn't have killed Bond. This is the only Bond film I will never rewatch.

I think No Time To Die works as the end to a limited series to never be revisited again, much in the same way as, flawed as it can be, The Dark Knight Rises was the perfect ending to Christopher Nolan's run on Batman. This was the first run on Bond to really focus on developing him as a character from film to film (missteps like SPECTRE notwithstanding, there was no need to connect Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Skyfall together!) and if you were going to end this limited incarnation, I think it works, even if it was kind of looking off the paper of Logan and Avengers: Endgame and letting Daniel Craig exit that film like Hugh Jackman and Robert Downey Jr. did in those two films, respectively. I still think there needed to be a more sinister charismatic villain, though, like maybe if Safin had been played by Bryan Cranston channeling Walter White from Breaking Bad (seriously, Cranston would have been a PERFECT fit as a villain to go opposite Daniel Craig) that would have been awesome. I still love No Time to Die, though.

I really dislike how much the Craig movies made Bond feel so disrespected. He's the greatest agent in the world, but everyone at MI6 seems to treat him like he's this replaceable, obsolete old man. He retires like 3 times throughout the 5 movies, and I don't blame him because no one in the organization seems to like or value him much lol

NTTD feels inorganic and overly constructed, even the Cuba scenes. The ending didn't bother me although I didn't feel moved, as I did watching OHMSS and CR. Time for another reboot, so there's the clean slate to look forward to.

My mom still thinks Craig's Bond survived the ending.. I said there will be a hard reboot and that his ineration of being Bond definitely passed from the missiles. Its not like they gave us a The Dark Knight Rises ending of the main character..

I'm curious how you feel about the ending, juxtaposing with OHMSS.

I enjoyed of the film in the cinema but on rewatching at home, it’s right around when Felix dies and Bond going back to London where it all becomes too grating at the idea of sitting through the rest of the story. If they did away with the second half and created a story where Bond is unofficially helping out Felix in the sunny Caribbean on some adventure before being recruited back by MI6 just before the climax and surviving without any family subplot, then I’d think we’d have a more fitting Bond film.

For me, No Time to Die is a decent Bond film that has some really good acting and really good spectacle which I enjoy watching, like the Cuba scene or Bond in the forest. But for me the film does have some very big problems which dampen the experience. 1. Bond's death. I actually don't mind the idea of Bond being killed off, but I feel as though that if you're going to kill off the character, it has to be done in a way that feels poignant or feels like it would be a demise that Bond would be fine with. The way Bond dies at the end of NTTD doesn't really feel like something Bond would just accept. There are two ways I feel like Bond could be killed off which would better suit the character. The first being maybe he could die facing a villain and the two end up in a brutal fight where both sides are severely injured close to death, but Bond is determined to get the job done and won't back down until the mission is complete so once he kills the villain and the day is saved, he can give in to his fatal injuries and die knowing that he died saving many lives. The second way to kill Bond off is if we have an older Bond who is probably suffering from some terminal illness and goes out on one last mission and once it's over, he just goes home, sits in a chair, pours himself a drink and dies peacefully, knowing that he was able to do one last mission before his demise. 2. The villain. Safin isn't a very clear cut villain and his presence is very underplayed. He doesn't really feel like a threat to Bond and more like a nuisance to him because the guy has the hots for Madeline. Also his plot in the end isn't really well defined and almost feels like Safin is just plotting his scheme on the fly. It feels like the film wants to make Safin Bond's most dangerous adversary, but had no real clear idea as to how to do it. Something else to consider is that since NTTD is the film where Bond dies, Safin is a pretty weak villain to be Bond's final villain to face off with. For me, the main Bond villain has to feel like a worthy opponent to Bond who could actually kill him. Villains like Dr. No, Godlfinger, Sanchez, Scaramanga and Trevelyan are great villains who can match Bond with their intellect and power, but Safin doesn't really feel like he's a villain who's an equal match to Bond. He almost feels like he's only finished Year 1 at the SPECTRE academy and is getting ready for Year 2. I feel as though that NTTD is a great film that's trapped inside a more cluttered film that was only 85-90% complete before it got released into cinemas. It's going to be one of those films that we'll look back on in years time and praise all of the great moments from it but ponder greatly on all of the moments and themes that it squandered.

Yes, Die another day is full of flaws... but at the same time, there are so many things I love there and, in general, it´s always so much fun to rewatch it. I can enjoy a silly Bond movie. I prefer it to a depressing one like NTTD or a boring one like Thunderball, even when these are much better movies overall.

Personally, I found all the good in the movie so good it outweighs the bad, which I appreciate for at least trying to do something radically different with the film. The difference is far lower between it and Casino Royale than it is between it and Spectre and Quantum

NTTD left me depressed, upset, angry and feeling very down due to the and its other terrible ideas. I agree that DAD is fun, campy, upbeat, doesn't get bogged down with emotion and relationship issues, and at least cracks a smile from me. I can groan, roll my eyes and laugh my way through and be swept along on a big old ride of silly adventure. NTTD makes me want to punch the screen with frustration. Wrong film at the wrong time.

I would put NTTD in the category of no bond films together with the old Casino Royal and Never say Never Again. Basically movies using a character named james bond that has nothing to do James Bond

At a time when we could have done with a rip roaring classic Bond film we got NTTD. I detest it.

I enjoy about 90% of the movie until the very end. I'm on the same page as you when it comes to the mixed feelings, specially the first time I watched it and left the theater, didn't know how to feel, it's not a bond movie I feel like I'll revist often unlike all of the others. Sucks because most of it was really enjoyable and the ending definitely ruined the rest of it.

You should do a top 5 scenes for no time to die.

Great update Calvin. Everyone knows I totally loathe this movie. I had all the other ones first on VHS, now on Blu ray but I won't buy this one. I'm with you, the ending left such a terrible taste in my mouth, I left the theatre feeling depressed as hell, not the way you want to leave a Bond movie. It still ranks dead last for me. I've only seen it once and don't plan on seeing it again any time soon. Looking forward to 26, hopefully with Henry Cavill 😀 😊 👍

I’m a little unsure as to how I feel about it and I probably will have a re-shuffle of my bond film rankings. I would love to see Calvin do an updated ranking too to see how your opinions have changed since the last ranking in 2019

I like the ending honestly, but its quite obvious the film was written back to front ("Bond dies" then work backwards). May be biased due to it being my first in cinema bond (Saw casino royale as my one trip for the 60th anniversary reruns and that was an excellent experience as always)

The director of Top Gun2 should definitely do a Bond film.

8/10. Great film and great performance by Craig. Safin was a weak villain and I wish he would’ve been more. Loved it though!

Feels like yesterday since i saw this film in cinemas with my Dad. I've seen it a couple of times after that and to be honest, I still enjoy it as a Bond film. Totally get why people don't care for it, (and I certainly have my problems with it) but overall it just gave me that sense of escapism that made me fall in love with this film series all those years ago, whilst building on Craigs' Bond in a satisfying way.

Considering the fact presented in the Spectre party then the ending presented in the movie could be avoided

I absolutely agree with everything you said in this video, Calvin. I would add that the ending is out of character for Bond. James Bond never gives up and he's been in worse situations than that in previous films (and novels). Craig's Bond gives up and resigns himself to a death he could avoid somehow, using those improvisational skills that serves Bond so well...that makes the audience and readers root for him over a 70 year period. If there's one fault in the characterisation of Craig's Bond is that he gives up and walks away from his job too many times. Dalton's Bond went rogue because he wanted justice for Felix. Brosnan's went rogue because he knew he'd been betrayed. OK, Craig's Bond went rogue to get the job done his way but then quit because M didn't trust him and he ended up shot. Then he walked off the job again in SPECTRE and now at the end of NTTD he can't fight for his life because of the nano-virus in his bloodstream won't let him be with Madeline and his daughter. A big mistake from the writers on this one....Bond's not a quitter, he's the antithesis of that. He picks himself up from tragedy and moves on.

Short video on NTTD for you Calvin

From the first time I saw it No Time To Die has been my favorite Craig film, and my 2nd favorite James Bond film overall behind OHMSS, and each time I watch it I love aspects of it more and more. Maybe it's because I'm more of a "character beat over plot contrivance" kinda person, but everything that Safin did made sense to me, and everything that happened in that ending was the most satisfying way to get to that ending. This movie was the almost perfect capstone to Craig's run. The only thing that would've made it perfect was replace Paloma with Camille, and then all the previous Craig films get wrapped up in one neat circle.

I still love NTTD. Its clever unpredictable and believable, perhaps even perfect ending. Bond is REAL. Not a superhero. Bond dies sacrificing himself. What a better Hero?