Given that he had grounded cinema's most renowned secret agent and made 007 more relatable than ever before, Daniel Craig was never going to let his rendition of James Bond end with a whimper. That so, when No Time to Die made the riskiest choice in the illustrious franchise's history at its climax, you could practically hear a pin drop in theatres all around the world.
After Craig became the first wearer of the tux to be revealed as the father of a child, the actor's five-film run came to an end with Bond being for the first time ever definitively killed off. Even though it outraged a number of purists, it was a bold move that the creative team pushed hard for during the game's production.
However, up until that point, No Time to Die had seen the protagonist embrace the tropes of the original Bond more than at any other time in Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and Spectre by letting fly with one-liners and asides like it was nobody's business, though we soon learned there was an ulterior motive for leading us along with so many throwbacks.
A lot of praise was rightfully directed at Craig's performance, the breathtaking action sequences, Ana de Armas' all-too-brief scene-stealing turn, and the cohesive conclusion to the hero's most complete arc yet. Reviews remained strong across the board, and $774 million at the box office was a hell of a haul for a pandemic-era release.
Although the enemy is somewhat weak, we may overlook this since it is a typical Bond issue. After tearing it up all week, No Time to Die has also been riding a new wave of momentum on streaming. The momentous 25th instalment, according to FlixPatrol, is a Top 10 Prime Video success in 32 countries and also ranks among the most popular titles on iTunes and Google, proving that a contentious conclusion hasn't deterred viewers.
