Movie Bond (No Time to Die)

Oct 14, 2005
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that was a bit of a nine-lives death fakeout though like in Diamonds are Forever, you aren't meant to take it too seriously, it is a bit like seeing the cat but not properly seeing Blofeld.
... and it did come at the end of one of the better opening sequences, with Bond being trapped in the remotely controlled helicopter, and having to escape before "killing" Blofeld.

In contrast, Time to Die's opening sequence was quite possibly the least memorable/spectacular in the franchise's entire history.
 
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... and it did come at the end of one of the better opening sequences, with Bond being trapped in the remotely controlled helicopter, and having to escape before "killing" Blofeld.

In contrast, Time to Die's opening sequence was quite possibly the least memorable/spectacular in the franchise's entire history.
Yes, I'm a fan of For Your Eyes Only, I think that sequence stands up better on repeat viewings. It is really just the producers showing the non-Eon threat that they can do Blofeldy stuff anyway without being explicit about it if need be.

I don't think the issue with No Time to Die is the opening sequence (one of the better segments of the film), but I get you, it approaches the opening sequence very differently to a lot of the franchise. I did like that it shows the childhood flashback that Swann mentioned in Spectre, and then cruelly rips apart their happy interlude, but Bond openings should really be punchier.
 
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Sep 7, 2008
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Saw this on the weekend - ultimately it all just felt like one long goodbye, tying up all the loose ends.

Felt the main villain was really weak. Was there for the sake of having a villain - would've preferred to have someone from Spectre finish Bond off.

On the topic of that, wiping out all of Spectre was way too easy. Basically undid all the work they made building them up over the movies.

Considering how long the movie was, a lot of it felt brushed over.

Didn't care for the new 007. Really don't know what she was supposed to add.

Was completely shocked with him dying. I don't hate it but it's certainly different.

Thought it was silly after the credits to still say 'James Bond will return'. How does this now happen? James Bond died. Are they going to just give the next agent in the role his name?

This is kind of the issue with trying to make an ongoing storyline with this series. It never really had to make sense before with the change of actors but I don't know how they get away with it now.
 
that was a bit of a nine-lives death fakeout though like in Diamonds are Forever, you aren't meant to take it too seriously, it is a bit like seeing the cat but not properly seeing Blofeld.
it was all a part of the corny nature that made the older Bond's great. The gadgetry, the interplay with Q and the different ways Bond would thwart the henchmen/villains.

From making Kananga ingest a gas pellet and explode in Live and Let Die to harpooning Largo in Thunderball. Dropping Trevalyan from a missile silo or speared with a plutonium rod like Renard in TWINE. But for all the times Blofeld has escaped Bond's grasp alive, or has been left for dead only to return.. For him to die like he has in this film is just so damn tame IMO.

It is where this iteration of Bond is falling short IMO. While Dench/Fiennes were never going to be able to replicate Bernard Lee as M I would say both have done the role well enough. Same goes for the few who have gone since Lois Maxwell as Monepenny. But as much as I have nothing against Ben Whishaw as an actor and maybe a nerdier Q is needed for 21st century bond films I feel some of the Llewellyn magic has been lost by not continuing with corny gadgets and Bond being a nuisance to Q, all while his lackies trial all the non-used gadgetry.
 
Thought it was silly after the credits to still say 'James Bond will return'. How does this now happen? James Bond died. Are they going to just give the next agent in the role his name?

There's a pretty straightforward answer to this, I would have thought.

Pretty much every Bond movie pre-DC was a standalone story. If they revert to that style then there's no reason to even acknowledge his death as we saw at the end of this movie as the movies tell a story prior to that event.
 

deanc

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Tom Ellis (Lucifer) would make a pretty good Bond imo.

Agree, he would be great - however I think it's wishful thinking, given the progressive thinkers and their influence in the future of this franchise, to expect the next 007 will not be 'Jane Bond'..?
 
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Agree, he would be great - however I think it's wishful thinking, given the progressive thinkers and their influence in the future of this franchise, to expect the next 007 will not be 'Jane Bond'..?
Barbara Broccoli & Michael G Wilson (AKA EON Productions) have said that James Bond will always be male. He doesn't need to be white, but he needs to be male.
 
Watched this for a second time and thought it was much stronger on re-watch. Probably because I didn't have to spend the whole film linking things and people together, felt a bit clunky and cluttered the first time around.

Knowing where the film is headed, I was pretty impressed with how much exactly is laid out in the pre-credits scenes that didn't stand out on the first viewing i.e. she puts her hands over her belly when Bond puts her on the train. The action set pieces are fun, especially the Cuba shoot out and the whole scene in the forest.

The big problem of the movie was Safin, as much as I enjoyed Malek's performance. His ultimate motivation is a bit unclear, though his connection to Madeline was interesting, feeling though he 'owned her' etc. Though him putting the kid down is one of the stupider things I've seen a Bond villain do. Guess the writer's couldn't be bothered figuring out a better idea there.

Paloma needed to be in it a lot more, which has been said a lot already. The scientist felt like a cheap version of Boris from Goldeneye, hard pass.

An above average Bond flick for me.
 

revo333

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A bit of a shame, the build up is great but for me the movie really fizzled out in the end.

Agree that it's all down hill once Felix dies.

No issue with the ending but Bond killed the last 2 villains way to easy, I was hoping for atleaat once epic battle at the end. Too much gun shooting.

Female 007 did nothing for me, someone earlier mentioned her double crossing Bond would of worked and I agree.

Would watch the first 90 minutes again but once they get to the island not sure if I'd bother.

I was just hoping it would be better than Spectre, I think it is but I just think a lot of potential was wasted in the final 30 minutes.

Scenery and locations were great.
 
Aug 18, 2006
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Watched this for a second time and thought it was much stronger on re-watch. Probably because I didn't have to spend the whole film linking things and people together, felt a bit clunky and cluttered the first time around.

Knowing where the film is headed, I was pretty impressed with how much exactly is laid out in the pre-credits scenes that didn't stand out on the first viewing i.e. she puts her hands over her belly when Bond puts her on the train. The action set pieces are fun, especially the Cuba shoot out and the whole scene in the forest.

The big problem of the movie was Safin, as much as I enjoyed Malek's performance. His ultimate motivation is a bit unclear, though his connection to Madeline was interesting, feeling though he 'owned her' etc. Though him putting the kid down is one of the stupider things I've seen a Bond villain do. Guess the writer's couldn't be bothered figuring out a better idea there.

Paloma needed to be in it a lot more, which has been said a lot already. The scientist felt like a cheap version of Boris from Goldeneye, hard pass.

An above average Bond flick for me.

I dont ever really rate Malek as an actor, mumbles his way through most of his lines - he was ok in Queen, but massively overrated performance
 
Sep 7, 2008
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There's a pretty straightforward answer to this, I would have thought.

Pretty much every Bond movie pre-DC was a standalone story. If they revert to that style then there's no reason to even acknowledge his death as we saw at the end of this movie as the movies tell a story prior to that event.
Agreed it's really the only way to do it - does essentially make the DC movies a complete outlier in the collection though.
 

deanc

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Barbara Broccoli & Michael G Wilson (AKA EON Productions) have said that James Bond will always be male. He doesn't need to be white, but he needs to be male.

Good news, OK, Sam Heughan would be my nomination then, a modern day Sean Connery would be perfect...?
 

deanc

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Highly doubt the next Bond will be a well known heavyweight actor so probably rules out candidates like Hardy, Cavill, Elba, Hiddleston etc


Well as long as it's NOT Derrrrwayne Johnson, who has obviously not rejected a movie role in 10 years, then I'm not too fussed who the next Bond is..!
 
Sep 3, 2002
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Good, but not great. Despite having seen every Bond at the movies since my long departed Nana got tired of kids movies and took me to see Octopussy, I don't want another Bond movie. I agree with the general consensus that the villain and his plot were the weak points. There needed to be a greater rationale of random killings, even if was to explain they'd then blackmail governments or they'd do more.

The biggest plot hole was him just releasing Bond's daughter. A better ending would have been she was infected to kill Bond and he starts to feel the effects after finding her and that's why he was willing to sacrifice himself at the end, as he was already about to die.

Whilst I don't want another Bond movie, I don't mind if there's another 007 movie, with the new 007. Obviously she had to play a backseat to Bond for this one, so it'd be interesting to see at least one 007 movie with her, to see if the '007 Universe' can continue.
 
Feb 26, 2012
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Good, but not great. Despite having seen every Bond at the movies since my long departed Nana got tired of kids movies and took me to see Octopussy, I don't want another Bond movie. I agree with the general consensus that the villain and his plot were the weak points. There needed to be a greater rationale of random killings, even if was to explain they'd then blackmail governments or they'd do more.

The biggest plot hole was him just releasing Bond's daughter. A better ending would have been she was infected to kill Bond and he starts to feel the effects after finding her and that's why he was willing to sacrifice himself at the end, as he was already about to die.

Whilst I don't want another Bond movie, I don't mind if there's another 007 movie, with the new 007. Obviously she had to play a backseat to Bond for this one, so it'd be interesting to see at least one 007 movie with her, to see if the '007 Universe' can continue.
If she was infected to kill Bond then she would've died too
 
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The biggest plot hole was him just releasing Bond's daughter. A better ending would have been she was infected to kill Bond and he starts to feel the effects after finding her and that's why he was willing to sacrifice himself at the end, as he was already about to die.

Agree that the ending was poor. Why did Safin release the daughter? Why develop nanobots to kill Madeleine and the daughter when he could have killed them any time? It seemed like it was a flimsy plot device to get Bond to have a heroic death - because he's saving his family.

There are countless ways that the ending could have left it ambiguous whether Bond dies. The next movie could either ignore the change of actor, like previous Bond movies, or go the facial surgery route. Or nanobots!

Whilst I don't want another Bond movie, I don't mind if there's another 007 movie, with the new 007. Obviously she had to play a backseat to Bond for this one, so it'd be interesting to see at least one 007 movie with her, to see if the '007 Universe' can continue.

In this movie they went down the path of distinguishing between James Bond and 007. But I still think it's a James Bond universe. He is a handsome white guy who is a ladies man, drives fast cars, loves his booze, takes on evil villains, shoots heaps of bad guys. If you don't appreciate that character then don't make the movies - or don't watch them.
 
Oct 23, 2014
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. Also the new 007 should of been a male. It would be a perfect way to transition from the old one to the new one. A bit like when Judi Dench M died and Ralph Fiennes M took over. Big opportunity missed
That would still mean replacing James Bond with a random 007 . . . in which case the gender is irrelevant.
 
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