'No Time To Die' Review

Synopsis: James Bond has left active service. His peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter, an old friend from the CIA, turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.

Runtime: 163 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for sequences of violence and action, some disturbing images, brief strong language, and some suggestive material.)

Who should see it? Fans of Daniel Craig's James Bond.

Daniel Craig's 15-year tenure as 007 has been rather interesting. Craig was reluctant to accept the part and went on record saying he'd rather slash his wrists than reprise the role. Though it's worth noting these comments followed a grueling shoot on Spectre in which Craig had broken his leg. But Craig's back one last time and clarified his comments were disingenuous. His series began amidst a widespread tonal shift for espionage thrillers and the action genre as a whole. Craig's films were more grounded than his predecessors and serialized in the wake of Jason Bourne and Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy. The reception to his films has been admittedly uneven. I enjoyed the odd-numbered entries (Casino Royale and Skyfall) over the others, and fortunately, No Time To Die followed suit. 

Over the last few years, we've seen series conclusions that either respectfully acknowledged all that had come before or found themselves with selective memory. No Time To Die thankfully falls in that first camp, building on the foundation laid by all four preceding entries, warts and all. Bond actors traditionally have chosen to hang up their tux after their last outing. No Time To Die breaks the mold, with an intentional ending for Daniel Craig's 007. It was long believed Spectre would be his last, but I'm glad Craig had one more film left in the chamber because it proved to be his very best. 

Craig's films have accumulated a stable of respected talent over the years, and No Time To Die director Cary Fukunaga proves to be no exception. This is Fukunaga's first true blockbuster, but that's not something you'd glean from the screen because he has a deft handle on things. Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge contributed to the script alongside Fukunaga, keenly interested in deconstructing James Bond as they bid Daniel Craig a fond farewell. Fukunaga and company brave uncharted waters for the franchise, but they do so with an admirable assuredness. No Time To Die is nearly three hours long, but the time breezes by thanks to show-stopping set-pieces and an especially intriguing plot. I'd be remiss not to mention Daniel Kleinman's exquisite title sequence, Linus Sandgren's gorgeous cinematography, the exceptional stuntwork, booming sound mix, and Hans Zimmer's propulsive score. All of these elements coalesce for one of the most exciting action movies I've seen since Tenet.

Yet, No Time To Die is not simply a show of spectacle. It swells just as often as it explodes. Thanks to the groundwork of the four prior films, plenty of emotional weight lingers behind Daniel Craig's final mission. Here, character is just as essential as the action. The all-encompassing nature of this film permits Craig to go out on a high note with his best performance among the five 007 films in which he starred. As the plot unravels, audiences are shown new sides to his Bond. Despite any comments he may have previously made, he's devoutly committed to this material. 

The supporting cast features a mix of familiar faces and newcomers. Reprising her role of Madeleine Swann, Léa Seydoux remains a compelling love interest for Bond as more light is shed on her past. The dynamic between Seydoux and Craig is fascinating to watch, and I found myself much more invested in their relationship this time around. I'll leave it at that for the sake of not spoiling anything. Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, and Christoph Waltz stepped back into their roles with ease, while Billy Magnussen, Lashana Lynch, and Ana De Armas were thrilling additions to the cast. I particularly enjoyed the rapport between Craig and both Lynch and De Armas. It was amusing to see Craig and Lynch butt heads as Bond met his successor. Ana De Armas's Paloma only appears in the Cuba sequence but is impressionable due to her charisma and comic timing. It was interesting to see her act opposite Daniel Craig in such radically different roles than their previous collaboration in Knives Out. 

Regarding Rami Malek, I was taken aback by his villainous performance as Lyutsifer Safin. Safin is a genuinely evil foil to Bond, and Malek plays the part, channels an unsettling aura anytime he appears onscreen. It's impressive how Craig's antagonists have varied so much in personality from film to film but remain convincing threats to Bond. 

It's become increasingly rare for franchise films to be driven by bold storytelling choices, but when one comes along, I can't help but admire it... No Time To Die draws the Daniel Craig chapter to a close in an unexpected fashion, albeit delivering an appropriate ending for this iteration of Bond. Contrary to how James Bond prefers his martinis, Craig's swan song is an emotionally-stirring conclusion to his 15-year run as 007. Not one that was haphazardly shaken. 

Film Assessment: A+

'Captain Marvel' Review

Synopsis: Captain Marvel is an extraterrestrial Kree warrior who finds herself caught in the middle of an intergalactic battle between her people and the shape-shifting Skrulls. Living on Earth in 1995, she keeps having recurring memories of another life as U.S. Air Force pilot Carol Danvers. With help from Nick Fury, Captain Marvel tries to uncover the secrets of her past while harnessing her special superpowers to end the war with the evil Skrulls.

Runtime: 124 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and brief suggestive language)

Who should see it? Marvel fans of all ages.

Carol Danvers is finally making her cinematic debut in Captain Marvel a month before the long-awaited Avengers: Endgame. Co-directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck with a script from Boden, Fleck, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Nicole Perlman, and Meg LeFauve, Captain Marvel is the twenty-first entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the first female-lead feature from Marvel Studios. Thus far, I'm getting the impression that the film is being held to a higher standard by certain critics and audience members than most Marvel-fare due to this and outside controversies. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, bless your hearts as you've done well avoiding the toxic discourse. 

Getting back on track, the Avengers: Infinity War post-credits scene teased that a powerful ally would soon be joining the Avengers to help defeat Thanos and reverse the ensuing chaos which resulted from the dreaded snap of the Mad Titan's fingers. Therefore, Captain Marvel had the responsibility of introducing Danvers as someone whom audiences would consider a powerful asset for Earth's mightiest heroes. I'd go as far to say it exceeded my expectations in that regard. While it may come at the cost of audience members slinging the dreaded words "Mary Sue" and "over-powered" towards the titular character, Boden and Fleck fulfilled their duty for the most part. I believe those specific criticisms towards the character could have been avoided if she'd faced more powerful adversaries though. This isn't to say that she didn't struggle at all over the course of the film, but I wish the villains had been in the same league as her concerning her powers. Carol needs a suitable opponent, but I suspect Endgame will rectify that issue.

Though the action was somewhat standard for Marvel, the cinematography, visual effects, and production design were visually-appealing when rooted in the cosmic aesthetic established by Guardians of the Galaxy. I particularly liked the stark contrast between the dark environments and Carol's bright display of her abilities. Otherwise, I was very engaged in the core-narrative and taken aback by some surprising plot twists. It was quite refreshing that the story didn't unfold as expected. Since this is a spoiler-free review, I'm steering clear of story details, but I'd like to highlight a few aspects I appreciated. I particularly liked the narrative framing device, approach to showcasing memories, and I felt the film's female-empowerment angle was incorporated tastefully. While there were undoubtedly characters and story threads that could have been expanded upon, the script serves its purpose and the charming cast wins you over.

Leading the charge, Brie Larson captures the go-getter, spunky attitude of Carol Danvers incredibly well while we see an unfamiliar, free-spirited side to Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury who's twenty-five years younger thanks to some remarkable de-aging CGI! In their shared screen time, Larson and Jackson have an effective rapport that's best described as a delightful buddy-cop dynamic. Clark Gregg is also de-aged to reprise his role as familiar S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson, albeit with substantially less involvement than Fury. I really wish he'd been in it a bit more!

Filling out the supporting cast, Lashana Lynch and Akira Akbar play the mother-daughter pair of Maria and Monica Rambeau as Annette Bening takes the form of the Kree's Supreme Intelligence. Lynch and Akbar's mother-daughter duo are endearing additions thanks to their connection to Danvers while Bening seems not to be used to the fullest. 

Concerning "key" Kree characters, I was underwhelmed by Jude Law's Yon-Rogg and the militant Seal Team 6-esque Space Force as a whole. They're absent for large chunks of the film, so when they're suddenly pivoted as being more important, it's not an effective shift. Law plays the mentor role as best he can, but lacking screen time and development cripple the character. I held out hope there'd be exciting developments and much-needed backstory surrounding the return of Lee Pace's Ronan the Accuser and Djimon Hounsou's Korath who were last seen as the bland baddies in Guardians of the Galaxy, but alas, they were hardly onscreen for maybe ten minutes. On the contrary, Gemma Chan's Minn-Erva had some cool moments of action as the Space Force's sniper though.

It's almost impossible to discuss the Skrulls at length without spoilers, but I'll say that Ben Mendelsohn's Talos is surely a stand-out character. Caked in make-up, Mendelsohn chews up the scenery like no-one else, and it's quite glorious! I also really appreciated that the Skrulls were more complex characters than the trailers would have you believe. 

Lastly, Goose is a stand-out in its own right, with the feline providing much of the film's levity. Since Captain Marvel is set in the '90s, there's also plenty of opportunity for connective narrative tissue and nostalgia, so keep an eye peeled for references, easter eggs, and familiar characters. Not to mention Stan Lee, who gets a lovely tribute at the start of the film in addition to another trademark cameo. And there are two post credit scenes, so stick around afterward! 

Captain Marvel's unique spin on Marvel's origin story formula also serves as a satisfactory introduction for Marvel's most powerful superhero. It's not a genre game changer, but did it really need to be? I don't think so, and I give it a glowing recommendation nonetheless. Higher, further, faster baby!

Film Assessment: B+