REVIEW: NO TIME TO DIE

4/5

Die One More Day.

163 Mins. Starring: Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Ana de Armas, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Rory Kinnear, Billy Magnussen, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz & Ralph Fiennes. Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga. 

Ladies and gentleman like "the weekend", the wait is over for Bond 25 premiered at London's Royal Albert Hall. 'Happier Than Ever' I now finally get to listen to youngest ever Billie Eilish's iconic theme 'No Time To Die' over the classic 007 titles. Even if Gladys Knight is still my favourite (tough pips!). And plugging my social media ears for over two years, the smokey and smouldering singers simmering signature sound is worth the epic anticipation. Scoring like Hans Zimmer giving dark nights to the gun barrel homage of a spy who one day may be directed by the 'Inception' of Christopher Nolan (Danny Boyle dropped out of this one). But this is 'True Detective' director Cary Joji Fukunaga's investigation and spider-diagram. The 'Writing's On The Wall' like Sam Smith's theme that went against type for Bond's swan song. This is it with no time left to die after we've waited so long like another day.  James Bond. "License to kill. History of violence," as new 'Bad Guy' Rami Malek puts it. Fresh off rising like Mercury for Freddie in this 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. Galileo. Waxing lyrical in his Japanese zen garden like a calmer Javier Bardem, or Mads Mikkelsen, bar none. This is the best deal since the royal flush of Daniel Craig's 'Casino Royal' first hand, word whisper to Eva Green's Vesper. The Adele rising 'Skyfall', the 'Spectre' homage. It's all Mendes connected like a 'Quantum Of Solace' for the one Sherlock like sleuth who can best Bourne and even the impossible missions of Tom Cruise. He can even skydive with Her Majesty on her secret service for the London, 2012 Olympics...now that's Queen. But its 2021 now. A new masked and vaccined world of corona that saw Tokyo, 2020 this Summer and cinemas curtain closed as big pictures were put on hold longer than a starters pistol false start. But now the barrel is back, cocked and loaded before Bond fades to black...or is that blood red? 

Idris Elba (awks...please)? Henry (Goddamn) Golding. This new double-O (she's a disarming young woman)? This all feels final for Ian Fleming's James. Just when you thought you couldn't cry at a Bond film, you will like Daniel Craig thanking the crew in that viral video. Applauding whilst still in the tux of the Cuban crisis carnage of an amazing action scene filmed with hand-held missiles flying like pylon sparks. Salut! Thank goodness for screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge's signature moments of levity lifted straight out of her iconic 'Fleabag'. So much so you half expect Bond to break the fourth wall and look at the camera knowingly with deprecation when someone forgets the name's Bond...James Bond. But how could you forget this Commander Craig in iconic blue fisherman sweater (your new fall favourite), just made an honorary Royal Navy one? Salute. Never actually shaken, but always stirring. Going down like your favourite Martini. And on the rocks with a twist, how about this? Craig's classic James is now iconic in Bond lore like Roger, Timothy and Pierce...and let's not be lazy and forget the legacy of Lazenby. Even if my late, lovely neighbour once sweetly, like only she could told Daniel upon meeting him at a Liverpool match at Anfield, "you're not my favourite Bond...Sean Connery is." To which Craig without missing a trick lent over and replied, "he's mine too". My word is my Bond like Moore autobiography. Don't raise an eyebrow. On time in 'No Time' with the Omega Seamster for the gadgets watch. Stepping out of the latest toy like the classic car that used to sit on my windowsill like a clouds silver lining. This one doing donuts, spreading smoke and mini-gun fire after Bond bungeed off a bridge and then flew back up it on the back of a steel horse of a chopper. All courtesy like the car of Ben Whishaw on Q, holed up somewhere in London (Paddington's our guess). Although in this epic part of all the players, criminally underutilised in this enterprise (although it's great to rely on more from 'Lucan' Rory Kinnear) like Naomie Harris' refreshed Moneypenny now resigned to desk duty after shooting Bond through the chest. M's the word like 'Kings Man' Ralph Fiennes filling in for and finding a M16 home, post Dench. This service is also secret. Hush, hush. 

Worth all the wait in Fleming gold, this big Bond spectacle deserves to be seen on the biggest screen. Timely too with no time for misogyny, this is a different world from those old books that were written so well, but should never have dealt the "swift slap" meant to "calm her down" (pu-leeze). Still, you only have to read Ian's 'Goldfinger' to see that even back then when it came to women in agency that were more than just "Bond girls", Bond mustn't have been dreaming. They were as real then as they are today. So why all the hate? 'Captain Marvel' star Lashawn Lynch is a real Marvel and force of nature and if she's the next to take flight as double-O then the sky really is the limit. She owns every scenes she's in by the gun and control never lost. "Need a ride?" Just like knives in (someone please call the sequel that before it's too late) and guns out 'Blade Runner 2049' star Ana de Armas. Reuniting with Craig classically and stealing the one scene she's in (more please), an armed up Armas is the toast. You'll have faith in her Paloma character, downing people in heels and a backless gown. But the real Bond woman here giving us more depth and heart and the very soul of this picture is the returning Léa Seydoux. The 'French Dispatch' icon who has already spied hard before for a 'Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol', but here gives this action packed-in its 'Blue Is The Warmest Colour' level of star shining, acclaimed acting. With more time than Louis Armstrong, this storybook ending is going to need all it can get with more twists and turns than it takes to fix a glass eye, as a primo "not this guy again" henchman switches opticians like he does bad guy prescriptions. From being the literal eyes of Christoph Waltz's returning legendary Blofield (minus cat but with some creaky cell intimidation straight out the lamb silencing, Magneto or Marvel Loki playbook...even if it does take him half an hour to get here), to the mesmerizing Malek. Rami's cracked, masked up (how appropriate), outstanding opening scene on the ice is matched only by the Mercury man's cold demeanour as a legendary Bond villain. One whose larger than his physical life presence (just like Live Aid) is felt throughout even though he doesn't really make his mark until the third act like Shakespeare when he really scars. All this plus the 'Westworld' of Jeffrey Wright's redefining CIA slick agent friend Felix (they go waaay back) and recognisable face Billy Magnussen (having the week of his life with this and 'The Many Saints Of Newark' for you Sopranos). Needing to watch their six and ask more questions than Wright's Watcher and forthcoming Batman Commissioner Gordon does for Marvel's 'What If' animated series also concluding today. All this for Fukunaga's formidable film with Waller bridging the gap. All this, all for him. The man who not only redefined Bond to be a blunt knife that still cut fine in a tailored suit. Even stepping out of the sea of misogyny and switching the sex symbol status of this franchise (you remember those blue briefs) like the safety off a gun, now holstering his hand. But a man who became this generations James. 007 forever like the diamond he is. Craig...Daniel Craig. TIM DAVID HARVEY. 

Further Filming: 'Casino Royale', 'Skyfall', 'Spectre'.