◎ Zhang Wei
Daniel Craig's 007 farewell ceremony dragged on as if by fate. Before the film began, first I did not want to star, then the director withdrew due to differences, the script was constantly rewritten, the soundtrack was changed in the middle, and when everything finally came to an end, there was an unprecedented new crown epidemic. In this way, "007: No Time to Die" was delayed from 2019 to 2020, and then postponed three times before it was released in the fall of 2021, responding to the "no time" of the title.
The longest Bond candidate
Back in 2005, when Craig was announced as the new actor of 007, public opinion was in an uproar, as if yesterday, and now he has played the role for 15 years, which is the first in film history. By number, he ranks behind Roger Moore and Sean Connery with five 007 films. Craig, who is so close to Bond, does need a "long goodbye", and "No Time to Die" became the longest 007 movie in history with a length of 163 minutes.
When it comes time to say goodbye, it is natural to look back. Before the release of "No Time to Die", the documentary film "Become James Bond" was launched at the right time, reviewing Craig's glorious journey as Bond, which shows the weight of its film history. The industry once thought that he was not the material for the male lead, let alone play Bond, but he not only did it, but also made 007 achieve higher box office and enter the Chinese mainland market for the first time. Craig, who grew up as a superstar, has now earned a whopping $100 million for two films. But at the same time as becoming an actor, this role is also "demanding" a lot, and injuries are commonplace. Craig backed off after the last film, but the producer who single-handedly dug him up explicitly refused because the story was not yet finished.
Indeed, Craig's 007 film is different from the past, more like a high-end series, and each plot is not completely independent, but intertwined. This raises the threshold for watching movies, but also gives the story greater integrity and complexity. The Bang Girl played by Leia Saidu actually appeared continuously in "Ghost Party" and "No Time to Die", completely breaking the existing model of "Bond of Iron, Bond Girl of Flowing Water", proving that women are not foils at the same time, but also making the story lie for thousands of miles. Therefore, "No Time to Die" is not only an action movie that pursues excitement, but also a heavy responsibility for the end of the series.
In an interview, Craig said that the last time he starred in 007, "no regrets", the film finally let Bond die heroically for love, giving it a unique place in the 007 sequence. Craig's 007 debut novel, Casino Royale, based on the first novel in the James Bond series, was the origin of Agent 007; now "No Time to Die" brings it to the end of death. Daniel Craig became the only actor to fully present Bond", truly achieving a beginning and an end, making it difficult for latecomers to surpass.
The unworthy "strongest villain"
Craig's five 007 films have two styles, "Casino Royale" and "Quantum of Solitaire", which change people's stereotyped impression of 007's gentlemanly demeanor and technological leaning, and the classic character q does not even appear. After the failure of "Quantum of Solace", the successor director Sam Mendez reversed the situation while also changing the plot direction and film setting. In "Skyfall", Quartermaster Q finally appears, which means that Bond is gradually using high-tech weapons and moving closer to the classic elements of 007. In "No Time to Die", it showed off a lot of equipment, including a luxury car with real guns, a powerful super watch, and a flying tool that can dive.
But the equipment can only be the icing on the cake, can not become the cornerstone of the film, the success of "No Time to Die" depends on the layout of the plot and the shaping of the characters. Unfortunately, the Oscar-winning actor Rami Marek's Safineen is far from the publicity gimmick of "the strongest villain in the series", which is completely high and low. The shape of the horror mask in the past is eye-catching, and the clever removal of dissidents during the gathering of the ghost party is unexpected, but this powerful figure who dares to be the enemy of the ghost party can be described as miserable in the decisive battle.
Build a biochemical base on the disputed island between Japan and Russia, use DNA weapons to achieve targeted elimination, and embark on the road of revenge because of the family tragedy... Safin's villain is set up in a decent manner, and there is even the possibility of innovation, but all illusions are extinguished with the collapse of the climax. Combat effectiveness is low, subordinates are wasted firewood, and early stages of the drama of blackmailing women and children, but inexplicably let people go, all dangers become a melancholy posture, and the accumulated tense atmosphere is destroyed by falsehood.
The audience seems to have strayed into a third-rate literary film with an unclear motive. Safin, dressed in Japanese at the tatami, is more thin and lacking in aura, and strangely enough, in addition to the proximity of the base, Safin has no relationship with Japan, perhaps because director Kerry Fukunaga is of Mixed Japanese descent, the Japanese element is unnecessarily implanted, self-defeating.
The ruthless agent died for love
In "No Time to Die", the villain who opens high and walks low is not the villain. At the beginning of the film, Bond and his girlfriend return to the burial ground of their first love, the two try to forget the past but are difficult to get out, one is hunted down by the ghost party, the other is used by Safin, which is a near-perfect start, and the first two episodes echo back and forth. However, with the development of the plot, the film gradually became absurd. The plot twist and action elements are both, why did the final effect come to this? In the author's opinion, the rhythm of "No Time to Die" has a big problem.
The length of 163 minutes already tests the endurance of the public, requiring the director to have a smooth narrative level and a repetitive climactic setting. However, the pace of the film is fast and slow, loose and tight, in terms of literary drama, the belt that should have been portrayed should have been portrayed, but it has been repeatedly delayed; in terms of action, the danger that should have been shown has been easily resolved, the scenes that can be carefully designed are monotonous, and even the well-received Bang girl Cuba fight is too blunt. The plot of "No Time to Die" has been reversed many times, but the plot explosion has become a plot doubt, Bond and M have a serious contradiction, but it is quickly eliminated; Bond and the new 007 are at odds with each other, and suddenly shake hands. This makes the audience feel unclear, which greatly affects the viewing experience.
It was Bond's final ending that saved the film. At the end of the movie, which is sometimes enjoyed and sometimes endured, Bond is hit by a DNA weapon that is fused with his girlfriend's DNA sample and is able to kill all beings related to her. That is, as long as Bond sees his girlfriend and daughter again, they will die.
This harsh reality rather than the evil villain knocks down Bond. After unshackling the base, he had the chance to jump into the sea and escape before the missile hit the island, but Bond chose to give up. Because he knew that if he survived, it would be difficult to suppress the urge to meet his family, and eventually kill them; and if he didn't see them for the rest of his life, what would be the difference between death and death. As a result, 007, known as a ruthless agent, eventually died of emotion. This ending has an unspeakable tragedy.
According to the custom, when Bond is trapped by love, the Bond girl must die, so that he has no worries and starts again. But now it's not the Bond Girl who's dying, it's Bond himself. The appearance of the daughter has allowed the agents from all over the world to have a complete family. These are acceptable because Craig has injected ordinary emotions into Bond for 15 years, and is no longer just a cold-blooded machine. Unfortunately, the emotional performance of the family when witnessing Bond's death and the remembrance of his boss and colleagues are too sloppy, and the hero's end lacks some weight.
After the credits ended, the declaration that James Bond will be back appeared on the big screen. Decades of classic characters certainly don't stop there, but Craig's version of Bond is already in history. 007 is not only a code name, it is the only male force and national business card that remains after the sunset of the empire scenery; the Bond series is not only a set of movies, it is the predecessor of all secret agent films and the industry benchmark. Soon, the world will focus on the final candidate for the next Bond.