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It's the best one of the Craig era and the best one since GoldenEye, I'll compromise on that 😉
It would appear that NTTD is the Cloud Atlas of Bond films: some hailing it as a glorious achievement and others seeing it as a complete mess. LOL.
What accounts for this, I think, is the individual perspective on Bond, as a character.
For those who tend to view Bond as action hero, as blunt instrument, as killing machine with a bit of flair and sophistication, this ending is unacceptable. And understandably so.
For those who view Bond more as mythic hero, as a modern form of Archetype, as a psychological ideal, then this ending is perfect, as Bond has entered the realm of "heroic death."
I fall in line with the latter, and each time I see the film (now around eight times) more and more of it makes sense. For instance, the myth of Heracles; the trident as symbol of botany and of Britannia; the use of sunbeams by CJF as a symbol of dying light; as with QoS, water takes on extreme importance in this film (anyone notice the shot approaching the island that eerily similar to MF's opening shot in QoS?); young Madeleine's nanopet as foreshadowing...as is her discussion with her mother about her father being a killer. And there's more.
The first Bond film I saw in theaters was TSWLM. To me, it was epic and memorable, even in a summer dominated by Star Wars. What stood out to me about TSWLM was the way in which different settings created different small films: from the PTS (a snowy mountain top) to the Egyptian desert to the Mediterranean, I felt swept away. Yes, Bond films tend to have that sort of sweeping across the globe, done to full effect. But to me, no film did it better than TSWLM. Until NTTD.
To me, NTTD is epic, in the truest sense. In 2037, when we're talking about the 75th anniversary of Bond (at least, I hope I am still here to do so), my guess is that NTTD will rank quite high on the list of Bond films. Time will be its friend.
Just look at the insane legs of this film. People are liking it and the WOM is excellent.
But in the fan community it looks to be about ... a 50/50 "love it or hate it" reaction.
Really? That's not the impression I've had. I've seen the same names come back here and say they hated it. The divisive thread was quite telling too...
That's my impression (and it's just an "impression") from not only what I read here, but the many fan podcasts & YouTube channels. Maybe it's only the ending that my imagined 50% truly hates. And maybe it's just in the nature of contemporary pop-culture fandom to spend more time critiquing something that it ostensibly loves rather than celebrating it.
But a lot of aficionados have grown tired of Craig-Bond (not me) ... the personal stakes, etc., especially after doubling down with NTTD. I thought it interesting that on a recent NTTD discussion on Zaritsky's YT channel, all four of the participants spent more time criticizing the film, which all agreed was at least "good," rather than talking about why they thought of it as a "good" film in the first place.
It's a great point. I am with the franchise where a lot of people may have been after A View To A Kill. Yearning for change. Something else. Something better. A sea change. Tired of a particular formula.
No Time To Die is, to the point he goes to the house in Norway, a good film. I'm one of Craig's biggest critics and not a fan of his arc but I loved the Cuba scene (Palmoa is excellent by the way - one of the whole franchise best supporting agent cameo I'd say). I just am tired of these type of draining movies and glad Craig is leaving the role.
Can't wait for what comes next! More AVTAK than NTTD anyhow.
Being depressed can mean many things, of course. But NTTD - which I love and I do value the ending this film gave us - has such an emotional, moving, stunning ending. It is one that has not been even approached before, not realistically. So for all people who go to a Bond movie expecting anything BUT that ending, it is a shock. We will react individually, and I respect those who say they were depressed. I simply hope they get past that feeling quickly.
I was not depressed greatly when I saw the movie for the first time. But I was stunned, somber, and just trying to take it all in. I immediately bought my next ticket. I enjoyed the film thoroughly but the ending took me into another realm of emotions, for sure.
My 2nd and 3rd viewings helped cement my love for the film, enabled me to enjoy it more fully, and I do recommend seeing it again if the first viewing of NTTD left you feeling down. Maybe wait for the DVD release, which is finally confirmed as before Xmas (thank goodness!). But I think you owe it to yourself to view it at lease once more.
I do treasure this film, and I will be returning to it over the years as I keep Craig's Bond set aside. And I find NTTD to be a damn near perfect Bond film, with everything I want done so superbly; just with a unique, fitting, but emotional ending. I don't have anything to truly criticize about this movie.
I'm very much looking forward to Bond 26. And I hope Cary and Linus return. Meanwhile, I hope we can all appreciate that a full range of emotions comes into play with NTTD; more than any other previous Bond film, in my opinion. And everybody's individual reactions are valid.
I made exactly that point earlier on here. It's when he goes to Maddy's house is where the film starts to unravel for me. I called the the Ice Palace moment.
I think this may have been the case if they hadn't had a Bond Girl / Daughter angle to the story. Bond surviving with these elements still in play wouldn't work imo.
Yep. Absolutely bang on the money. Couldn't agree more.
This is not Kingsman, not films you forget after one viewing.
I'm not sure what point you are making here? The thread is about first reaction to NTTD. It's a game of opinions. Some people will love it and love Daniel Craig others will hate it. You may find that tough as a lover of the movie. I love Octopussy and Roger Moore. When I see people slagging it off, it bothers me. But that's the beauty of the forum. No one's opinion is right or wrong.
The Cuba scenes were the best of the film. Nomi/007 was fantastic and as I said above, has Bond had a better agent than Paloma? Better than Leiter for sure as a franchise character
Then she had a shock, obviously, when they blew him up.
She's a one-shot, cameo character, and perfect that way.
I’m not resistant to emotive or nostalgic filmmaking. One of my favourite movies is The Big Chill (yes, I know).
The problem I have with NTTD is certainly thematic, but I also think the story isn’t executed very well.
The pre-credit sequence is a case in point. I look to the history of pre-credit sequences in the franchise and hope for a thrilling, tightly-edited showcase. NTTD had me feeling numb throughout the Madeleine flashback. What a boring, inert way to start a Bond movie.
I feel NTTD doesn’t have legs in the rewatch stakes. For starters, The turgid drama surrounding Bond may appeal to the once-only general audience, but will be heavy going for the fans in years to come.
Secondly, everything about Safin is taken from the Silva playbook (link to the past, shadowy, elusive, a creepy spectre over all) without nailing motivation, narrative logic, charisma, memorable dialogue. The only thing they get right with Safin is the wonderful lair.
This, I think, is what renders the film a complete misfire for me. If we are going to double down on Bond as mythic hero and see him out in a blaze of glory, anchor him in an engaging spy thriller. NTTD cannot deliver on this, thus devolving into soggy melodrama.
At least NTTD has heart. I’m just looking forward to the next instalment focusing on the sinewy mechanics of a international espionage in exotic locations. Without the baggage.
Not holding my breath that such movies exist anymore.
Not to mention all the spin-offs: Eve (about Moneypenny). Mallory. Q. Tanner.
I would have Bond politely reject Paloma, this would be a rare thing in Bond and it would cement his love for Madeline. It would be a correction on the Tracy romance from OHMSS perhaps
Also a smaller tweak, would be I'd have Bond fall off the balcony with the bad guy, instead of running him off in a clumsy fashion. Finally I'd have Bond get up cooly and perhaps fix his cuff (which would be a call back the Skyfall PTS)
Very minor nitpicking on my part
But two things pissed me the hell off.
1) Given the ending as written, a simple close up of Bond looking up to the sky, then down to the ground with a one-sided smile making itself visible just before the explosions would have had us wondering if he was somehow at peace with his fate, of if he had conjured a way to save himself somehow at the last second. Then just show the island blowing up in the wide shots. That's all I'd have needed. Some ambiguity. The shot with Bond in the midst of the explosions leaves no room for interpretation. The rest of the movie could have ended as it did.
2) All The Time In The World on the end credits? REALLY? As has been mentioned before, it's a slap in the face to OHMSS. Or at best a sloppy homage to past loss, or an awkward comment on his offspring.
These two things ruin the perfection of the film for me.
And honestly, it left me wanting to watch DAD again real soon.
No, man, SPECTRE is where Dan's Bond ended for me, off into the sunset with his new & true love.
As for not getting over Vesper, neither did Fleming’s Bond, who was visiting her grave annually. In Craig Bond’s case, that’s his first time (and likely last) visiting her grave.
Just rewatch the Craig era.
I thought SPECTRE was too much soap opera Bond for my liking, but little did I know how far they were going to take it!
I wish they'd have stopped with SP too. At least it will stop there on my DVD shelf.
I think NTTD and specifically Bond says he’s over Vesper when he tells Madeleine that he doesn’t regret a single moment of his life that brought him to her. That includes Vesper dying. After realizing he was so damaged that he rejected the person who truly loved him for who he was, he pretty much says that after previously living a lifetime full of regret, he’d now relive the whole thing to find her again.