Daniel Craig plays James Bond for one final film.
MGM/Universal Pictures
Craig. Daniel Craig. He’s back for the final time as superspy James Bond in No Time to Die, the 25th 007 film. For a while, the British actor made it sound like he wouldn’t put on Bond’s tux for a fifth time, so savor this one, fans. Here’s what to know about the upcoming movie.
Plot teasers and trailers
Bond, retire? When the film opens, Bond has indeed left active spy service. But you can’t keep a good spy down, and when CIA pal Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) comes calling and wants Bond to help him find a missing scientist, you know he can’t say no. The film has familiar characters, such as Leiter, Q, M and Moneypenny, plus new ones, such as Lashana Lynch’s Nomi, who’s taken over Bond’s familiar 007 number.
The most recent trailer reminds fans that No Time to Die will carry on plot threads from 2015’s Spectre, which introduced love interest Madeleine Swann and Christoph Waltz’s villainous Ernst Stavro Blofeld.
The first trailer, from 2019, features some good old-fashioned Bond movie staples, including Craig leaping off a bridge and riding his motorcycle up a steep stone staircase. Choppers, shootings, danger under ice, formal events where Craig looks great in a tux — it’s all there.
When does No Time to Die come out?
No Time to Die will have its world premiere at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Sept. 28, and will open in the UK on Sept. 30.
Americans will have to wait a little longer. No Time to Die opens in the US on Oct. 8.
It comes to Australia on Nov. 11. So what do the reviews say? See below.
Early reviews
Reviews started coming in Tuesday after the London premiere. Here are a few excerpts to tide you over until CNET’s Richard Knightwell publishes our own review on Wednesday.
“Yes, it largely adheres to the formula that’s the franchise’s blessing and curse: you get spectacle galore in terms of action set pieces, incredibly shot locations and attractive characters wearing the hell out of killer costumes. While the conventions can occasionally feel confining, there are enough significant deviations to make this entry stand out.”
–Games Radar+
“What holds it all together is Craig, given some longer speeches and passages of performance the like of which I can’t recall a Bond previously delivering.”
—The Wrap
“No Time to Die feels as if it’s working too hard to provide Craig a sendoff worthy of all the hype associated with it — an excess that might be summed up as simply, finally, by taking too much time to reach the finish.”
–CNN
How to see No Time to Die
No Time to Die will be showing in theaters only. Sure, it will eventually come to streaming, but when and where isn’t exactly clear. So if you’re not willing to venture out to theaters at this point in the coronavirus pandemic, you’ll need to be patient for now. Maybe check out our recommendations for which older Bond films to watch and in what order.
Cast
Daniel Craig as James Bond
Rami Malek as villain Lyutsifer Safin
Christoph Waltz as iconic Bond bad guy Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Léa Seydoux as Dr. Madeleine Swann, Bond’s love interest
Lashana Lynch as Nomi, another 00 agent
Ben Whishaw as gadgetmaster Q
Ralph Fiennes as M, Bond’s boss
Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny, M’s secretary
Jeffrey Wright as CIA agent and Bond’s longtime pal, Felix Leiter
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