No Time To Die gave viewers as much closure as excitement. The film brought back characters from earlier instalments while emphasizing Bond as a three-dimensional character. It is Daniel Craig’s fifth movie as the MI6 agent and the 25th in the James Bond series. The film hit theatres on September 30th and is amongst the top 10 highest-grossing James Bond movies to date.
The Premise
The film begins with Bond and Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) in Italy. In the first of many moments in the movie, we see Bond’s vulnerable side, which is a realism Craig first brought to the character in 2006. Swann tells Bond he should visit Vesper Lynd’s tomb as he still grieves for her, but when Bond is ambushed at the gravesite, he blames Swann and leaves her. Bond disappears for five years before reuniting with Felix Leiter. The returned character asks Bond for his help finding a kidnapped scientist, and he agrees, beginning an adventure that sees the introduction of Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek).
No Time To Die is action-packed, and gadgets are used, but without going overboard and being unrealistic, which was the main critique during Pierce Brosnan’s tenure as Bond, and why fans wanted a rebirth of the franchise. There are also more emotion-driven scenes in the film. For example, there is a scene between Leiter and Bond where Leiter acknowledges the friendship they have: “James, it’s a good life, this one…the best,” he said. This version of Bond that people wanted and Craig created— relatable yet gritty with elements grounded in reality — was apparent in his final outing as the character.
Real Life Themes
In many ways, the James Bond series’ focus on relevance and realism is a sign of the times. Today, industries focus on making impressive, relevant technology without being extreme. For example, take the new Apple watch. The size is designed for easy daily wear, but the features are advanced. Companies also try to listen to feedback. When Bond fans said they wanted less unrealistic gadgets, the franchise listened. Similarly, when movies theatre-goers said they wanted to purchase tickets with online services, companies listened.
For instance, before No Time To Die came out, AMC Entertainment Holdings announced the theatre chain would start accepting cryptocurrencies for ticket purchases. Digital currencies are gaining mainstream acceptance, and the prospect of using them has become easier when services like PayPal make it easy to hold virtual money. PayPal itself has become common throughout the online sectors, in part due to its early relationship with eBay. It’s worth mentioning PayPal has also played a role in advancing other areas such as the iGaming industry, where there are many James Bond-themed games. A great example is PayPal casinos. According to this review site, PayPal casino sites are a top payment method as they offer fast transaction times. Review sites like this highlight PayPal’s additional influence in the casino industry and what its advantages are in terms of convenience and security.
Perhaps no franchise has reflected the changes in human interest more than Daniel Craig’s five films as James Bond, which could be part of the reason No Time To Die performed well at the box office. (On October 10th, the film had recorded £52.7 million in the UK.) Casino Royale marked a rebirth of the series, replacing unrealistic gadgets with a gritty realism that made one final appearance in No Time To Die, ultimately reflecting the world’s ongoing preference for realism over materialism and where less truly is more.
