The “gun barrel-esqe” shot near the end in the tunnels was perhaps my favorite shot in all of the Bond films. Such a subtle yet fantastic tribute to one of cinema’s most iconic frames.

The only complaint I have from this movie is bond didn’t spark Felix’s cigar at the end 🥲

One of the most tragic scenes was Felix’s death as the scene pretty much resembles vespers deaths

Another theory: If Bond can still conceive after once having his balls beaten to a pulp, surviving a nuclear blast should be no sweat for him.

You missed my fave part - when Bond kills Logan, he says "I had a brother...his name was Felix", That was epic.

It is funny to think that the last time Bond interacted with a kid he pushed it into a dirty Bangkok river

I really want more of Arna de Amas character she was so fun to see with bond

I know this comment will be lost in a sea of well thought out comments on this video but... Craig's first Bond film came out when I was 17. His last comes out now, when I'm 33. I genuinely felt growth in his character throughout his 5 films, just like there's been growth in my life. Now, my life hasn't been filled with bullets and women and booze and spy stuff but I've suffered loss. I've lost close loved ones. I've fallen in love, been stabbed in the back, and have hit some real lows in my own personal life, like Craig's Bond character. I love this 5 film series. I love the ending. There have been times where I felt like...yep, this would be a good time to wrap things up. Granted it wasn't me standing on an exotic island infected with nanobots, shot and bleeding. I dunno. Growth. Growth is what I get from Craig's tenure. If I want camp Bond I'll throw on some Moore movies. If I want sleek and a night bow wrapped on the end of a movie I'll pop in some Connery movies. Basically, if 17 year old me would have seen this I would have rolled my eyes. But, being a weathered, beaten down single dad at 33...I loved it. And felt a connection.

Credits roll in my screening and the child behind me is crying because James Bond is dead. Regarding the opening gunbarrel: no red “blood” means Bond’s shot “missed”; therefore death is still going to get him.

He couldnt leave the island, it was mentioned that the nanobots infect everyone but arent harmful until the reach the intended target and so if bond even infected a single person off the island it might eventually get to his family. I think this movie is flawed but id be lying if i didnt say this is one of the most emotional cinema experiences of my life just because of how important daniel craigs bond is to me

I feel we needed more on Safin and his history (upbringing following his parents murder) to understand why he is so set on his plans.

Craig is quoted as saying: “When I started as Bond on Casino Royale, one of the early discussions I had with Barbara [Broccolli] and Michael [G. Wilson] was that I would like to be killed off when I am finished.” This bombshell would mean Bond’s death in No Time To Die’s ending was planned by the star as far back as 2005 when he was first cast as 007 in Casino Royale.

Totally agree about the Cuba scene. Ana De Armas is a breath of fresh air and she brought the best out in Daniel. Would have liked more scenes like this over his five films. Reminded me of when he and Moneypenny were a great team at the Macau casino in Skyfall

Hi Calvin . No blood when Safin was shot because he had a bulletproof vest so the shooting really took his breath away which happens when being shot whilst wearing a b/proof vest made of kevlar. It also explains why he took such a deep breath when he came to.

The ending and the use of "We Have All the Time In The World" throughout the score and in its actual form at the credits were all really beautiful and made me emotional, something Bond movies have never done for me before. Billie Eilish's song was great too!

I was muddy on Safin’s motivation on first viewing as well, but upon a rewatch it’s clear that Safin has a God complex motivated by SPECTRE’s killing of his family and his own saving of Madeline. He wants to control the destiny of others the way his (and Bond’s) destiny was taken from him. Safin sees himself and Bond as equals in this way, with each man essentially playing God in the lives they take or save (also referenced in Safin’s conversation mid-film with Madeline). In Safin’s eyes, taking or saving a life gives him power and ownership over those lives and it’s much easier to take than to save. I’m choosing who to take and who to save… Safin becomes God over all.

Bond doesn’t go to Vesper’s grave to forgive her. He already did that in QoS. He went to ask her to forgive him. That’s what his note said

The bit where the computer confirms that Q has unlocked Blofeld’s eye was comparable to “warm liquid goo phase complete” from Austin Powers.

I came out of the theater emotionally confused and my first thought was "I need to see what Calvin said."

Bond didn't need to die. As Q once said, "Never let them see you bleed and always have an escape plan."

It's all right. It's quite all right. He's having a rest. He'll be coming back soon. There's no hurry. You see - you see, we've got all the time in the world.

I was hoping for a post credits scene where M goes to little Italian cafe and orders a Fernet Branca…

Watched for the first time today as it just opened in Aus. Have also been waiting eagerly to watch your review and I have to say that I completely agree with you Calvin! Fantastic in parts but the end...I did get emotional but reflecting back it was more from a state of confusion, disappointment and panic with a touch of pulling on my heart strings, but that was maybe just the OHMSS music. It will definitely take time to digest this one.

The film apparently had about 20 mins cut from it, so this would explain plot holes. I agree that the end section definitely has parts missing. Safin's reveal to Bond that Matilde is his daughter is played as if Bond already has found out. And it's like Bond knows Safin's reason for his big plan, but we don't see this. Safin wants to kill off those who don't deserve to live, but how does he determine who that is?

The moment I heard the music cue for “All the Time in the World” my gut knew tragedy would strike in this film. It’s also so great this film made so many callbacks to OHMSS. Apparently it’s one of Cary Fukunaga’s favorite films.

And also, an RIP to Sean and Roger should have been included.

I have never cried to a movie, but the end broke me.

Thank you for your thoughts Calvin. I’ve been looking looking forward to and holding off from watching this video for about a month as I’m in Australia. I loved the film. It’s messy in places, and I can see what you’re saying - they contrived quite a bit to arrive at the ending that they wanted. But emotionally it still landed for me. Perhaps part of that was, as you say, because it was also Craig saying goodbye, but it was still engaging for me either way. Based on your non-spoiler, I thought you were going to have more problems but it really feels like the ending was the one aspect for you that upset things. I’m sorry it didn’t work for you. Thank you for all you did in keep the community fuelled while we waited for the film!

That long, single shot take of Bond taking down those guys in the stairway, ending with the EMP watch kill was so damn cool. Love how he just went all out at the end

The scene where Bond strangles Blofeld and Safins poison garden are straight out of Flemings You Only Live Twice.

I have a lot of mixed feelings on that ending, especially after seeing it twice now. On one hand I can understand why they had Bond choose to stay on the island and die rather than risk infecting Madeleine and their daughter. But on the other hand, I’m pretty sure Q could have figured out an antidote since he’s always able to save the day where technology is concerned. And also would it have killed them to let one Bond get a happy ending, out of all the Bond’s he’s had the most tragedy and heartbreak. Also yes, Mathilde is his daughter and Bond still suspected that despite Madeleine telling him otherwise, because she still didn’t really trust him at that point. And Safin just letting Mathilde go, I don’t think he ever truly wanted her because he was willing to let her leave with Bond. I think he just wanted Madeleine for himself because he’s had a creepy obsession with her since he saved her and almost seemed jealous she loved Bond and not him; “You’re just as damaged. You love a killer, you bore his child despite his rejection.”

My feelings are pretty similar to yours. Really really liked the first half. Cuba is some Craig era gold. The plot was also quite interesting, with Spectre and MI6/CIA operating while Safin is trying to undercut their plans. The second half just feels like Spectre all over again to me and I was pretty bored outside of that great stairwell scene.

One of my favorite things about the Jamaica sequence is that they show Bond living at what is clearly a replica of Goldeneye, Ian Fleming's house where he wrote all the Bond novels. Don't know whether anyone else picked dup on that, but I gasped when we got to that part. Such a great detail in what is essentially Bond's sendoff.

I took the “She’s not yours” as Madeline not so much lying, but reminding Bond that he was around for none of Mathilde’s life. He was the one that abandoned her, and he doesn’t get to have a say.

OMG, Calvin, you have so many fans! I can’t hope to make any meaningful contribution here. But, I loved your review and pretty much agreed with it all the way. I’m doing my second viewing this Wednesday in iMax at Century City here in LA, so I’m bound to have more thoughts and questions by the end of the week. Keep up the great work!

You're spot on from the perspective of this Bond fan. No Time to Die is the best film I've ever disliked. They did so many awesome things, but there was just no good reason to kill Bond off at the end that I can see, and I've rarely felt more deflated and depressed coming out of a movie.

Safin probably lets Mathilde go because he can't hurt children, being hurt himself young, which is also the reason he saves Madelaine.

The Jamaica club scene is one of my favourite scenes I all Bond 25 films. The chemistry between Bond and Felix was so great to see. Bond's relaxed and friendly demeanour was a welcome surprise.

So……wouldn’t the EMP charge from Bonds watch simply have destroyed or stopped the Nano Bots inside of him? I even went to look it up and found this: “Generators onboard the nanobot could use the electrolytes found within the blood to produce energy, or nanobots could even be powered using the surrounding blood as a chemical catalyst that produces energy when combined with a chemical the nanobot carries with it. Capacitors operate similarly to batteries, storing electrical energy that could be used to propel the nanobot” So it looks like there is/was a very good chance they would be rendered useless in Bonds case because of his Watch.

Hi kelvin. Awesome fun videos. I like the way u put this together. I wanna watch more

I assumed Saffin was wearing body armor at the start. And the urgency of the island's destruction was because there were terrorists on the way to claim it. You also missed that the nanobots spread throughout the population, if bond was in contact with anyone , it'd spread until it killed her.

I knew Felix was going to die the moment he mentioned going home to his family when he first tried to recruit Bond. Side characters bringing up family is such a red flag. But I didn't think a James Bond movie would have him be an actual father or kill him off - though obviously he'll be back for the reboot that's already being planned.

Great video, Calvin! I appreciate what must have been a difficult process. There's a lot of wonderful stuff in this film! I love Paloma, the action, the settings, travelogue, the overall production is gorgeous. The tone is relatively consistent (it stays well within the "torn-apart-by-dogs-double-taking-pigeon" extremes set by "Moonraker"). I had hoped that the story would pull back a bit from the (unconvincing) emotional excesses of "Spectre" instead of doubling down on them. I agree with you that the story didn't earn the right to indulge in the character milestones. Where my discomfort turned to something very like (adopts Christian Bale Batman voice) HATRED is when Louis Armstrong's "We Have All the Time in the World" began to play. That struck me as an attempt to appropriate the credibility of a vastly superior film. in spite of everything I liked about the film, my first viewing put it at the very bottom of the canon for me.

The scene where Nomi kills the Russian scientist is where you know she's a true "OO"....

Q : Now, pay attention 007. I've always tried to teach you two things. First, never let them see you bleed. Bond : And the second Q : Always have an escape plan Cinema is escapism, Bond is pure escapism. Bond bled and did not escape. I blame Q.....

Personally, I always felt like "We Have All the Time in the World" was intentionally used ironically in OHMSS; it made for a nice romantic theme, sure, but Bond and Tracy didn't really have much time at all since Tracy was killed on their wedding day. So I actually thought it was used rather well here! While it initially seemed to be demonstrating Bond and Madeleine's newfound domestic bliss, it also provided a sense of foreboding for fans familiar with the song's sinister undertones in OHMSS; however, the twist was that it was really Bond who was running out of time, and not Madeleine like many of us had been expecting. The final use of the song - as Madeleine drives away with Mathilde at the end - is therefore the only time it's played genuinely, since Bond had ensured that the two of them would actually get that time to live out their lives, even if he couldn't share it with them.

Rami Malek is exactly 40 years old. He's just one of those actors who's age is somewhat hard to pick up from their looks. Safin might even be like 18-19 in this scene, because Malek can sell that and it sort of makes sense. Oh, and maybe I'm too fond of downer endings because they hit closer to home in my case, but I liked it for what it's worth. It is pretty hard to make a memorable ending you will think about in a series that has 24-26 other movies (I am counting Casino Royale and Never Say Never Again, I like both too which I know is usually odd for a fan of franchise overall), but they managed to and at this point in the franchise... Why not? I might be biased because sad endings with philosophical sacrifice or questions uplift me way more because they make me think, while most happy endings just feel unearned from my perspective of the world. I am honestly not sure how on Earth I am also a James Bond superfan with that perspective of the world (said encyclopedic knowledge pretty much applies to me sans a few novels and movies here and there I've been hoarding purposefully and still know pretty much all of the plot: being spoiler-immune has perks), but here we go. I guess I'm more of a Fleming writing guy than a Bond guy, actually, come to think of it. OHMSS is one of my special favorites in the series and I liked all the callbacks.

"I would have been.. worried." Oh , you should still be VERY worried with the franchise in the hands of Amazon now. ITs DOOMED

I think we all can agree that the Jamaica and Cuba scenes are fantastic and Paloma is sensational. Hugh Dennis’ appearence was for me the most hilarious scene in the film.

It's going to be weird watching Casino Royale knowing most of the major characters die by the time No Time To Die. Vesper - Dies in Casino Royale Mathis - Quantum of Solace M - Skyfall Felix - No Time to Die Bond - No Time to Die

Greetings Calvin! Just saw the film with a friend on Monday. Waited until now to watch this review. I agree with most of what you say. However, my friend had the same objection that you did regarding Bond resigning himself to dying and making no attempt to escape at the end. And at that time, without hesitation, I told him that he didn't see the big picture. So let me share with you what immediately occurred to me. Safin breaks the vial and spreads the nanobots to himself and then touches Bond which means he now has the nanobots that could kill the love of his life and his daughter forever. Earlier in the film Madeleine touches Bond who in turn passes the nanobots to Blofeld which kills him. Even then Q mentions that once you have them you can't get rid of the nanobots. They're eternal. So here's the situation. It isn't just that Bond can never touch Madeleine and his daughter. He can't touch ANYONE. EVER. He can't risk the nanobots being passed around from person to person and one day, even years or decades from now, eventually reaching Madeleine and Mathilde. Perhaps he could have lived out the remaining years of his life as a hermit on a remote island without any direct contact with another human again. But in those scant few minutes Bond can only think of one absolute, sure-fire way to have the nanobots never, ever spread. And that's to die right then and there. Just my two cents. Cheers!

Calvin, I thought there was a "ticking clock" at the end because they had to wrap things up before the Japanese and Russians arrived. I suppose M or the PM could've just explained things to them, and it would've been fine, but maybe the diplomatic situation was so sticky that they thought they had to just get it over with? Not sure if that was the filmmakers' intent, but it was my interpretation.

The idea of killing off all of SPECTRE by an "upstart" seems to be based on an unused idea by Anthony Burgess for TSWLM. Loved the bits they pulled out of the book YOLT. (And don't forget Bond gets Kissy Suzuki pregnant...)

He also can't leave because if he touches anyone else that will keep spreading until it reaches madiline and matil

I wasn't invested in No Time to Die at all. The plot line of the evil guy seemed so generic and uninteresting. Also for 4 movies The Spectre was behind everything but in No Time to Die Rami Malek comes along with his garden and destroys the entire organization in 15 minutes.

Calvin, Thank you for your fantastic video. I really appreciate your review and how you handled your evaluation of No Time To Die. This film will undoubtedly be polarizing for some Bond fans. I personally have only seen the film once so far but I adored the film. I feel No Time To Die is the greatest Bond film for one simple reason: It completed the arc of James Bond’s character and it did so in a way no other Bond film has close to doing so. Much of this is of course because the storyline was implemented over the course of all of Daniel Craig’s films. Yes the film does have some challenges and I have some issues with certain aspects. I won’t bother bringing them up here because they may very well be addressed with my seeing the film again. I just love what the filmmakers achieved and this film feels like a ‘total bond film.’ We all know it’s the last Daniel Craig film so it’s great that we get closure for the storyline and character. But what I love is that Blofeld / Saffin actually win in this one… and Bond still saves the world (so he wins the mission as well). Blofeld and Saffin wanted to cause sadness and harm to James Bond. Bond is tricked into leaving Madeleine so he loses his 5 years of happiness with her. He also misses the opportunity to be a father for those five years and it’s Bond’s last moments that make all the difference in the world for his character. To explain I want to summarize that he’s dying (physically and mentally) of three things: (upcoming missiles which he could arguably flee, his wounds which he could possibly survive from, and the overwhelming emotion that he’s now ‘contaminated’ so he can never be close to Madeleine and his daughter- something which would eat him up inside and leave him as a shell of a man). But Bond has effectively saved the world (so he won) but he’s scarified everything that was important to him… and in his final moments he’s broken down physically and emotionally… and all that is left is his love and soul. This might sound silly but hear me out. In Bond’s very last moments he’s not full of anger or regret he’s full of love and contentment because he (as a person) is finally made whole. And that is something Craig’s Bond has been striving for since his very beginning. This is demonstrated in Casino Royale where he’s recovering from his injuries near the end of the film and talking with Vesper and says ‘If you do what I do for too long then there won’t be any soul left to salvage. I’m leaving with what little I have left… Is that enough for you?’ This desire for him to become a complete person is fulfilled in the culmination of No Time to Die and Bond dies with his soul intact and as a complete human being. I’d love to know anyone’s thoughts on this? (by the way- several people I’ve read are annoyed and confused in the opening sequence in Matera where Madeline is trying to tell Bond ‘I have something to tell you’ and Bond says something like ‘I bet you do…!’. At the time of the story we don’t know Madeleine is pregnant and so the setup is that we think she has a secret about being part of Spectre… so through much of the film we don’t know who to trust. I believe that Madeleine’s secret she wanted to tell is that she’s pregnant! But it seems many people haven’t made this connection… or I false connected these two story points? What are your thoughts?)

I loved that Bond yells Die Blofeld Die! Right out of the YOLT novel

Think the idea of Bond having the nano bots is not just that he won’t be able to touch Madelyn/Mathilde again, it’s the fact that everybody he touches from then on is infected etc etc until it’s inevitable it will reach them at some point? He’d basically have to never have any human contact again?

I loved all of the OHMSS references... Dalton's car... The Dr. No intro when the music starts... As far as I'm concerned, this has repaired the damage of Spectre and brought the Craig era to a close perfectly.

My reactions to No Time To Die were close to yours. I loved the first two acts, but as I saw the end coming--I figured when the blast doors started closing again that the filmmakers were digging 007's grave--I started getting annoyed. It just felt arbitrary, like the filmmakers were manipulating events to force Bond's death and refusing to allow other possibilities--like sinking the inbound transport ships, which would've allowed them to safely dismantle the nanobot facility at their convenience--to occur to any of the characters. It's a radical thing to kill off the protagonist we've been rooting for since forever. If you're going to do it, the situation has to be impeccably crafted so that it feels natural, inevitable, and right. No Time To Die's ending failed for me on at least two of those counts. It's too bad because so much of the flick was so damn fun.

Great breakdown. I disagree with your take on the ending tho… 1. Bond was shot pretty bad at that point and blood was dripping everywhere. It might be unlikely that he would survive even if they did “give him 10 minutes” to get off the island. 2. Surviving this and facing a potential future where you will ever touch your wife and daughter? Future antidote is not guaranteed and it would be quite hell to live on like that. 3. I think, and I genuinely believe, after everything that Craig’s Bond has been through and all the lost he’s suffered. At that point in the finale I think he’s just done. Too exhausted to carry on. In a way, I would argue that his fate had been paved ever since Vesper died. 4. I don’t think surviving this and have bond seriously wounded and never been able to kiss his wife or his daughter good night is a more satisfying ending. If anything, it overshadows the victory. Might as well go grand and emotional in a blazing glory from a story telling standpoint. Because story aside, this WAS Daniel Craig saying goodbye.

I was hoping M would say “and bond, don’t die” then bond would reply “ there’s no time for that”

Saw NTTD a 2nd time tonight. I accept the ending more now, it is what it is. I did actually tear up at bit right at the end when Madeleine says to the daughter I'm going to tell you about Bond, James Bond. Was a nice touch. Malek's motivation to me stems from him becoming crazy to the point of no return. Could even compare it to Prince Philip once saying he'd come back as a virus and wipe out the human population.

I'm surprised you haven't referred to the For Your Eyes Only moment with Logan Ash.

I've just come from seeing this at the Odeon Imax at Swiss Cottage. I loved it to be honest. I have been a Bond fan since the 60's when I 'borrowed' my fathers Ian Fleming books. My father and Bond always connect with me because of ... well that is for a book I intend to write. I then saw my first Bond film in 69 - 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' - and was blown away. I then caught up with re-releases and double bills. Bond has meant a lot to me - an awful lot. My Masters thesis was on the Cultural Iconography of Bond. I used to bore all with my love of all things Bond - don't all Bond fans do that;-) I fully get your passion. Bond got me through a lot of difficult times - again something for a future project. It actually helps me in my campaigning for disability rights. It is a long story. But I have come away loving this film. One thing that this film has given future Bond films is a sense of true jeopardy for the character. We all knew, in previous films, no matter how bad the situation, Bond would survive. It kind of took away some of the tension that does exist in the books. Now, we can have that sense of jeopardy, tension etc.

I didn't really like how easily Spectre was taken out, they'd been built up since Casino royale and then they're all killed off

My theory is that bond doesn’t die as we discover in the man with the golden gun (the novel) after the events of you only live twice…

I always have loved heroic sacrifices in movies, they are some of the few things that make me cry. But I had no emotion here because you’re absolutely right it didn’t feel earned! I would’ve rather this been the “bond has a family” and he retired movie. But I feel they wanted to be edgy and kill him, but they only decided that in the final draft of the script and rushed the ending. My sister who has literally never seen a James Bond movie absolutely loved the movie! She also called that he was going to die and I kept whispering back “no way! He’s never died, I’m betting a helicopter gets him out.” And she was right. So she was happy she was right and she has no emotional stakes with the character so she came out enjoying it.

SPOILERS (btw this is my interpretation) Guys I think you’re misinterpreting the impact and effect of his death. The Craig series are the only films that are legit sequels and a continuous story. The five film arch was a full story of the beginning to the end of Bond. Many people argue that Craig’s Bond isn’t really Bond and that’s ok if that’s your opinion but the character has remained consistent from Casino to this. It’s ok not to like the film but to hate it for killing off Bond is dumb simply because “they’ve never done that before”. Also I’ve seen some people saying they killed him off so that anyone can be 007… this is just not correct. JAMES BOND will return and most likely go back to the anthology style of the previous Bond Eras. The films will likely not connect as much as the Craig ones from this point on. So say what you want to about Craig’s films and weather or not he’s a good bond but don’t say this movie is bad just because he dies. Logical people can see that his death was a fitting end to the CRAIG era. Maybe not all of James Bond in general but this continuity. All in all if you didn’t like the movie that is ok but James Bond will be back they’re not replacing him they’re just ending this story that has spanned 15 years and is contained within Craig’s 5 films only. James Bond Will Return . . . Just not Daniel Craig’s James Bond Also on the point of Craig’s death. I think he made the decision to let himself die instead of living his life unable to be with the woman he loves and his child. A new continuity or lack of continuity like older films will begin within the next 3-5 years. This movie was a fitting end to its era not the whole ass character. My point being, if this was the last Bond film ever then I agree his death would be dumb as fuck but that is not the case. Just try to look at it with a more open mind guys. And lastly I get it if you’ve grown up with Bond since the 60’s and you hate this film and I can respect you if that’s why you hate it, because you have a 60 year long love for the character but otherwise you guys have to understand why things change in film. If Bond stayed the same and never changed during every era people would be bored as hell after 25 films and 60 years. And don’t say you wouldn’t be bored because you don’t know! That’s the beauty of Bond he can be done differently and if people hate the interpretation or the actor there will always be a another Bond after. Just try to understand the choice from a filmmaking and storytelling point of view. If you read all of this you are awesome and thank you. Have a great day and know that I’m not saying you can’t have your opinion Im just giving mine. Thanks!!!

Honestly I'm shocked that I love the third act the most, when everyone else seems to love everything from Matera to Cuba. Which was great still.

Loved the shoutouts to the previous movies and books. We even see the room with gridded skylight from Dr. No.

I think watching this was the best thing I could've done as a follow-up to my own viewing. It really helped me process my confusion at the end. The two main points it helped with most were Safin's mastermind plot (agreed, I really don't quite get what his global goal and motivation were) and Bond just deciding to give up. In the moment where it hit him that he could never touch Madeline or his daughter all I could think was about my own wife and how she'd react to that. I can hear her telling me now (we didn't view it together, I'm geo-bach'ing it so far for this assignment, so I'm imagining her reaction) that she'd rather have me there alive and nearby even without being able to physically make contact. Plus giving up, simply saying, "Oh, you can't undo this," just felt far too lazy for a Bond series. As Q once said, "Always have an escape plan." That also means, "Don't just give up," which I think they kind of did overall in a way. They wanted the ending that they filmed and given the right circumstances it could work, but I don't think they executed it as well as the needed to for it to succeed in my personal view.

Safin probably wore a protective vest, with which you still can get hurt (explaining the small drop of blood), but not getting killed. And the kinetic energy is still strong enough pushing him down the balcony

Absolutely loved the ending. Been a big Bond fan all my life. This is Craig's Bond story arc. So glad they're not going to carry on the franchise (or more precisely Craig's Bond arc) with another actor. Very happy to know that the next movie and actor will belong to a new separate reboot, hoping this time they make it a period piece with the movies set in the 1960's.

I have had to wait so long before I could watch your review! I'd been down with a chest infection over the past two weeks and was unable to go and see No Time To Die, which meant I didn't dare see anything connected with it. Thankfully, my husband and I went to see it yesterday afternoon. An excellent review, Mr Dyson. I loved the opening sequences and loved the fact that for the first time since The Living Daylights, we had some John Barry music in a Bond film. Made me go all tingly. I was shocked at seeing the SPECTRE card on the flowers at Vesper's tomb, but was even more shocked by the explosion. The chase was phenomenal and the DB5 used to perfection. The film was incredibly entertaining. Loved Paloma big time and those sequences at Blofeld's birthday party were amazing, and I agree that that tongue in cheek essence makes Bond all the better. Had no time at all for the new 007, not because she was a woman, but because I felt as though her character was crowbarred in. Great acting chops, but I felt her scenes were clunky. Unlike you, I really disliked the scene where she relinquished her 007 status to Bond as there seemed to be no point to it. It did not change the dynamic of the mission one iota so why do it? Safin was interesting up to a point. As you said, where was his motivation? Yes, getting revenge on SPECTRE made perfect sense, but then he came out with all this stuff about people wanting to be controlled despite wanting freedom and that we all ultimately seek oblivion. Hmmm. My husband said that Drax wanted to kill everyone too, but of course he had a plan after that, as did Stromberg, whereas Safin didn't seem to. His curious relinquishing of Mathilde was odd. Surely, she was still a huge bargaining chip? I loved, loved, loved the base!! Felt like the Bond films of yesteryear. Especially liked the garden. Was the Poison Garden a glance towards Blofeld's Garden of Death in You Only Live Twice? Or am I being ridiculous by stating the obvious... Q was just lovely in this and it was so nice to see his home. I also really enjoyed him in M's office trying to cover the fact that he'd been helping Bond by pretending he hadn't seen him whereas M was already in the know. The death of Logan Ash was so brutal, and I loved the way that Bond turned to walk away and didn't give him a second glance as he pushed the vehicle onto him, much in the same way that Bond didn't even look at Safin as he shot him as though he just wasn't important enough. Ice cold and very good. As for the ending ... I just don't think it was right to kill him. My jaw hit the floor when I realised he'd given up and that there was no escape. That to me is not James Bond's character in the slightest. And why on earth would the producers want to kill him? Clearly, there will be a major re-boot, but surely that could have been done without blowing Bond up? I felt that the franchise had come to an end. Dead Bond, dead Blofeld, dead Felix, dead SPECTRE. Such an odd ending. There is so much more I would like to say, but I think I've said enough! I can witter endlessly about Bond. However, great review, I thoroughly enjoyed it xxxx

OK. This reply to your invitation is a grandmother’s. Why didn’t Bond return to Madeleine and Mathilde? Because he couldn’t. What kind of life could he have if he couldn’t touch his family and they couldn’t touch him? None. In addition, unlike we who are safely sitting in a movie theatre munching on popcorn, the character has been fighting for a long while, he’s wounded in addition to be physically and emotionally exhausted. What alternatives are there? Waiting for Science to reverse the threat? How long would it take? Meanwhile what would he and his family do? Suffering hell on Earth each and every single day, they would be. Why you couldn’t comprehend Bond’s choice? If I may, because you need to go through many, many more years of life’s perils and heartaches of your own before you can empathize with Bond’s. I’m an old woman now. I had to make the choice of putting my beloved soulmate’s chances of happiness before mines and let him go. I can vouch for Bond’s broken heart and the decision he makes, not because he wants to: because he has to, because he must. That’s how we know how deeply he really loves Madeleine and Mathilde. He sets them free. His sacrifice is his ultimate parting gift to them. And that’s exactly how the movie ends, with Madeleine driving his car, telling their daughter she has a beautiful story to tell her. His name was Bond, James Bond. Painful for us, perhaps. But beautiful nonetheless. The only end Bond’s life allows. Remember the beginning of Casino Royale when M surprises Bond in her place? She tells him she regrets her decision to giving him his two zeroes. His reply is that considering the short life span those two zeroes condemn their carriers to, her mistake would be short lived. No Way to Die proves his point.

Upon the 2nd rewatch there is a scene when Bond meets up with Nomi on the Island with Madeleine & Mathilde. He starts introduces them both to Naomi saying, “This is… err This is….” then turns around and mumbles the word “My family”

I didn’t like the ending, but I get it. Bond saved the world and his family, but didn’t save himself as he didn’t want to live in a world without them. Acting from Daniel Craig throughout this movie was great.

Really enjoy your honest and thoughtful video essays. Your 10 worst Bond scenes, especially Sean Connery as a Japanese man, was especially funny. I personally love the Bond & Vesper love story, so much so that I see the end of “NTTD” as Bond being able to join V, Felix, the M who recruited him and saw him through a good bit of his career between CR, QOS and Skyfall, and Mathis too. His child has a strong, lovely Mom whom Bond loved and got to tell her that. He already walked away from her for 5 years and lived alone though and rather than live at a distance for some indefinite amount of future time waiting for some possible cure, he can complete that last mission, having outlived all of his peers, and his nemesis one might say, and let the Jack London quote apply. I agree somewhat with the reference you made that it was a Daniel Craig goodbye possibly even more than an “earned” Bond goodbye but where would the next film go if he was alive? I also was aware before viewing and respected the table turning on the many womun who loved Bond and were killed, and his dying. RILove Daniel Craig James Bond. anyway, love your channel !

The literary version of Bond has a scar on his right cheek. I'd like to think that when Bond gets struck with the vial at the end of the movie it serves as a reference to the scar he has in the books. I might be wrong but that was the first thing I thought about when i watched it the first time.

Offering my take here: Pros: - Robert Brown / Judi Dench portrait cameos! - first 30 minutes - Arna de Amas' character - the cars - the locations - the clothing - heavier use of M, Q, Moneypenny Cons: - I thought the first half hour was great until Felix's demise. I felt that people don't realize how strong Felix's relationship with bond was, and to kill him off like that - Daniel Craig after the first half hour didn't feel like "Bond" for me. The pizazz that Bond carries just wasn't there for me. I felt like he was just another random agent rather than Bond. - Vesper bleeding into the film... again... - Billie's song was depressing and disappointing, the scenery to accommodate the video felt like a drug trip and a spin off from Spectre's - Saffin's arch was not as clean as something like Silva's. It just felt rushed and I didn't get as invested with his character's aims. Was he out for revenge or hell bent on world domination? Which was it!?

My thought re: the nanobots is that Bond knew that, if he left the island with the bots on him, they could be transferred from person to person; and that even if he was on another continent, they might never be truly safe. This is at least the narrative I’m telling myself to make the ending “work” in my mind.

The other foreshadowing I noticed for Mathilde in the pretitle sequence is when Madeleine says “There’s something I need to tell you” and Bond says “I bet there is”…she was going to tell him she’s pregnant.

I rarely comment, but I just have to say this is one of the best spoiler reviews of any film I've ever watched. You did an incredible job of rehashing & giving your opinions without overstating your iPhone as fact. You earned a sub from me easily. Fantastic content

The US release didn’t have that weird new gun-barrel, which I’m honestly glad they didn’t. It was the regular MGM lion then the pure black screen before the dots moved in classic fashion right to left. Pre title sequence I liked the Dr. No dots homage. Also...Safin is CLEARLY Dr. No save for his obvious name. Also the wind tunnel with the Aston Martin at M-I6 looked like the Q lab from Everything or Nothing.

I really didn't mind the ending at all. I felt the emotion of it, even though I saw it coming from the moment that Bond put Madeline on the train at the end of the PTS. I do feel that Purvis, Wade, Fukunaga or Craig decided how the film would end before working out the plot points that got them there, which I think is what results in the less than clear plotting of the last 20 minutes. SPECIFIC SPOILERS The way that I read the final moments was Bond was already in very bad shape from the multiple bullets he received from Safin and the issue with the nanobots was much more complicated than he can't touch Madeleine or Matilde. Bond kills Blofled because he grabs Madeleine's wrist. Transfering the nonobots to him. So these nanobots are highly transferable, anyone who came into contact with a bleeding out 007 after the moment that Safin breaks the vial would have also been a walking death sentence for those he loved. Any paramedic, any colleague, any friend. So not only would Bond not be able to see his new family and have to go back to a life of 'killing time, rather than having something to live for' (to paraphrase Nomi) but also the nano virus he now carries could potentially travel from contact to contact and eventually kill his family anyway. Deciding to stay and die in the missile blast was the only way to ensure they were safe. Which really is the only thing a man like Bond can do. Was this poorly written and explained? Yes Could the writers have contrived a different ending? Yes Is there enough evidence in the text of the film to support this theory? Yes Would the ending be better received if more clearly explained? Probably yes. My problem with writing a happy ending for the film, where Bond goes to be a family man is, like Mr White, by Bond being with them he is putting them in danger, he has killed a lot of people and one day someone might turn up, like Safin, and want revenge. The nano virus is a literal manifestation of 'everything he touches withers and dies' (Greene in Quantum). However much he wants to be with them his presence in their lives has the potential to kill them. Skyfall (well) Spectre (badly) and No Time to Die (also pretty well) explore the collateral damage of being a man of violence and part of the world of espionage, so many of the characters reach violent ends because of the decisions they made in life and many others meet an undeserved fate because of those same decisions. All of Craig's run as the character has focused on the effects living the life of James Bond would have physically and mentally on a human being. '00s have a very short life expectancy' Craig's Bond can't walk off into the sunset because something will always pull him back into the shadows. Finally, for a thought experiment, imagine this wasn't Craig's last film, imagine he'd signed on for Bond 26. Craig's Bond has gone back into retirement, he's settling down with Madeleine and Matilde, the next film can't start with a call from M 'Bond, I know you've got a Parents Evening to go to, but do you mind coming back and saving the world?' Madeleine (at least) would have to die to drive Bond back into the Shadows and allow for a new Bond Girl and a suitably pissed off Bond to complete his mission. Of Bond doesn't die in No Time to Die, then someone else close to him will pay the price. It might not have been the ending to Craig's last Bond that I would have wanted, but I think it may have been the one that the character needed. I apologise for the slightly rambling rant.

The vibe that I got from Safin was that having seen his family mercilessly slaughtered, he developed a therapeutic problem where he felt a lack of control and the nanobots were a safety blanket or form of control. Maybe that explains his bad skin, I don't know if that was the result of one of his or his father's plants but stress plays a key factor in bad skin. He is always in a state of stress and unease. Maybe that's why he feels an attachment to Madeline and his daughter Mathilde, he felt a connection after saving Madeleine from the ice, this being a relatable connection, a child alone in danger, and it was that mutuality that gave him that connection and he wanted to be a part of a family with Madeline and his daughter and that was a kind of therapy. A surrogate family. He doesn't do anything because there is nothing he wants to do with her. Mathilde wanting nothing to do with and leaving Safin is a rejection of his protection, his parenthood. After that, as far as he is concerned, leaving her on the island is a death sentence as is. But hey that's my take on Safin. He could be underwritten or some more vital scenes were cut out.

Why are these reviews so perfect and exact to the point , I agree with everything

something I spotted in the title sequence was that the Athena statue had a moment where blood appeared on its cheek.... the same place where he's poisoned later. The Athena statue in general was really cool, it had a trident thing that became Bond's symbol on Q's screen. Oh, and the guns firing and looking like a double-helix. I spotted that, and instantly knew it was something to do with DNA. I really loved the sequence.

I'm just kidding, but imagine if Bond was like "welcome to hell Blofeld" when he died. Also, I found out the ship that launched the missiles at the island was called "Dragon". Now it definitely is a coincidence, but there are so many references to Dr No I found it an ironic touch (referencing the "dragon" that guards Dr No's island). Like how it's ironic that Blofeld has a close subordinate with one eye, like Largo in Thunderball.

You hit it spot on when you said, well that sucks, when referring to the end

Really good review. Enjoyed hearing someone go into detail rather thean avoid spoilers and you can tell jhst how much you llve this franchise haha. Really enjoyed it.

The thing about the Craig era was the fact that the producers decided to experiment with the Bond formula, push the limits of the series. It worked so well with CR and SF but Spectre was a mess in part because of this. The whole Bond and Blofeld are 'brothers' thing could have been avoided with the producers taking one look at the first draft of the script, realising it was taking a plot point from Austin Powers and got them to rewrite it with some limits in place. It's great that they have a more collaborative process now, especially between the actors, but the producers saying 'no' and taking a hard line on certain things is really needed. For all Cubby's odd decisions during his run he at least kept the basic formula alive, even when he continually reinvented the series.

I wept at the end. The line "I won't be a minute" was a great call back to OHMSS. I feel that the Craig Bond was always destined for tragedy and I felt that it was fitting that it would be his choice how he goes out. I'm trying to make a definitive list starting with Casino and ending with NTTD. when I'm done I'll try to post it once again here.

my big problem with the "nanobots aren't just for christmas" is that Bond's watch has an EMP that fries every circuit near it. I would think that he uses that once and all his nanobots are fried

I'm with Calvin, the ending is not deserved. I had fears it was going that way when I heard the OHMSS references littered throughout. Comparing Craig's era to the Mission Impossible films of the same period, I unfortunately have to say that they work much better for me. Maybe I am being too much of an old school fanboy as Calvin wondered if he was, but I miss the standalone nature of each film being a separate mission. I like to be able to watch the Bond films in any order and enjoy the style, locations, music, stunts and the escapism of it all.

Thanks for this Calvin. Interesting re: "too precious" to appreciate the ending. I'm probably as nerdy as you are about bond but I really rated everything, including the ending. I totally bought into it. Though I found myself actually sobbing at the end as I felt like I'd lost a big brother that had got my through a lot! Thanks for your review - even though we disagree about the ending I still really appreciated hearing your thoughts 🙂

"They didn't want people to compare it to Avengers"-you mean where Tony Stark has a five year old daughter and then dies?

Not sure if I’m reading too much into it, but the Wallace and Gromit foreshadowing of showing The Wrong Trousers, then Safin’s base having the opening hatches with rockets underneath like in A Grand Day Out was a lovely and subtle touch

I recently rewatched Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and Spectre, I still find them not much appealing overall, and then I watched No Time to Die for the very first time, and I was pleasantly, pleasantly surprised. With the first four movies I always have a feeling that they rush over the story, but the fifth takes the time to tell the actually interesting story. The first four seem to kind of take place in the "Bond universe," the fifth is most definitely a continuation and a variation of the story told in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, even without the clues in dialogue and music. Also, I've found no trace of modern political ideology in the presentation of the characters, rather I've found the same British spirit I've seen, and always adored, in all Bond eras updated to today's world. While On Her Majesty's Secret Service still remains my most favorite Bond movie of all time, No Time to Die comes very close to this top position, perhaps on place no. 5 or even 4.