No Time To Die: Bond 25 - Out Now

[Harsin]

After posting that I thought I'd have a look at how the UK papers reacted to Spectre to see how they compare to this morning's hyperbolic reviews.

 

The Guardian: Daniel Craig has grown into the role of the British spy with flair and sang-froid and this inventive, intelligent and complex new outing showcases him brilliantly.

The Telegraph: A swaggering show of confidence.

 

The Daily Mail: Bond is back - and with a bang - in a movie that warrants ALL the hype with 007 returning to his murderous, glamorous best.

 

The Daily Express: Spectre is the best Bond ever.

 

The Independent: This is as good as Bond gets.

 

The Times: Cool, sleek, powerful: it’s Bond at his best.

 

The Mirror: Bond is back… with a blast. Stirring, soul-shaking stuff.

[gospvg]

Just read the BBC article wow this is a very long film! Almost Bollywood level.

[scottcr]

UK based reviewers seem incapable of giving Bond an impartial review - US based critics seem to be reviewing this very positively though.

[Clipper]

5 hours ago, Hexx said:

I’ll always remember QoS for the insanely dangerous ‘hotel’ that has highly explosive barrels  everywhere like a video game 

is that the one where the hotel inexplicably sinks into water

 

I had no idea that was QoS but I recall it looked a decent set piece til Craig's bond was angsting over it afterwards.

[Clipper]

1 minute ago, scottcr said:

UK based reviewers seem incapable of giving Bond an impartial review - US based critics seem to be reviewing this very positively though.

so did Skyfall and that was bobbins.

 

The lowest metacritic average is QoS and that still gets a 60 ffs.

[scottcr]

I enjoyed Skyfall?  I dunno - is it cool to not like Bond films?

 

 

[Clipper]

3 minutes ago, scottcr said:

I enjoyed Skyfall?  I dunno - is it cool to not like Bond films?

 

 

the idea that I know what is cool or not is amusing.

 

I just think the Craig Bond films are "poor" at best. Overly angsty dull overlong nonsense.

 

If you like one of them that's fine obviously

[Vimster]

8 hours ago, Mawdlin said:

I see Bradshaw's given it 5 stars so my expectations have effectively gone into the minuses.

 

 

My immediate thought as I saw 5 stars. Once again just because a professional critic raves about it that doesn't translate into a film that can be enjoyed by yer average cinema-goer wanting what they normally expect like action, tension, a bit of comedy, intrigue. So yes, it's not looking good. I want to know if it's an enjoyable movie, not how genre-defying it is etc.

[Harsin]

My expectations are at rock bottom because Purvis and Wade are the rot at the heart of these films and until they're booted there's little chance of getting something that isn't turgid overlong tedium.

 

Getting Fleabag to insert some jokes in their script will most likely be putting cake sprinkles on a turd, but we shall see.

[Nick R]

9 hours ago, Festoon said:

I think many forgot that they weren't expecting much from this. The initial trailer was dull as fuck, even 18 months ago.

 

Speak for yourself!

 

Over the last few years, it did sound like the producers and Craig recognised SPECTRE's issues, and were doing all that could to have Craig finish on a high note. Will be disappointed if that's not the case.

 

 

15 minutes ago, scottcr said:

I enjoyed Skyfall?  I dunno - is it cool to not like Bond films?

 

It seems to be in this thread.

[CarloOos]

Skyfall reminds me of Star Trek Into Darkness as a post-TDK film where I recognise all the absolute nonsense in the script, but just don’t really care as I watch it because it’s so confidently made. Of those two Skyfall is much better, though. 
 

Spectre was completely turgid nonsense and the only Craig film I actively dislike. If it wasn’t for the train fight the whole thing would be a total wash-out, it’s in the gutter alongside Diamonds Are Forever/Man With The Golden Gun/Never Say Never.

[Festoon]

10 minutes ago, Nick R said:

 

Speak for yourself!

 

Over the last few years, it did sound like the producers and Craig recognised SPECTRE's issues, and were doing all that could to have Craig finish on a high note. Will be disappointed if that's not the case.

 

 

 

It seems to be in this thread.

 

I like Skyfall! I particularly like how the action starts big but the scenarios keep getting smaller and smaller are the film progresses.

 

Spectre and QoS are the only actually poor Craig films. And Craig himself always elevates them. He's great.

 

I'll never understand what the Broccolis were doing by having Casino Royale as 'becoming Bond' and then quickly jumping to 'Bond's too old/retirement'.

[Harsin]

27 minutes ago, Nick R said:

It seems to be in this thread.

Away with this shit, surprised you didn't sneak a hivemind in.

[K]

I thought this was quite funny in the Guardian's morning briefing:

 

Quote

Show time for Craig’s goodbye – Daniel Craig’s last James Bond film, No Time To Die, has premiered in London, continuing an unbroken tradition whereby the actors who play 007 eventually don’t play him any more.

 

Combination of dry wit, and a sub thinking "fucking hell, what can I possibly say about this photo?"

[Festoon]

1 hour ago, gospvg said:

Just read the BBC article wow this is a very long film! Almost Bollywood level.

 

It's longer than Dune!

[BitterToad]

46 minutes ago, scottcr said:

I enjoyed Skyfall?  I dunno - is it cool to not like Bond films?

 

 

I absolutely love Skyfall. The plot may not hang together 100% and the shower scene is BAD but aside from that it's a very beautifully shot belter of a blockbuster. I fucking hated Spectre and I think No Time To Die might be worse. Interested to see what the "jaded hive mind of rllmuk" think of it. 

[Monkeyboy]

59 minutes ago, scottcr said:

I enjoyed Skyfall?  I dunno - is it cool to not like Bond films?

How is it possible to like all Bond films? I think we can all agree the filmography is a mixed bag. There are a few Bond films I’m happy to watch again and again. The rest, not so much. I enjoyed Skyfall btw.

[Ran]

1 hour ago, Harsin said:

 

The Independent: This is as good as Bond gets.

 

To be fair this is an incisive and accurate review if you read it as sarcasm. 

[Ork1927]

I'm amazed at the amount of screenings for this in Cineworld.  I know Bond is popular, but from Thursday morning in Cardiff they are showing it 31 times from 9am and those numbers/showings continue over the weekend and on Monday and Tuesday.

 

 

[Steven]

The telly was on last night minus sound and there was coverage of the premiere on the news. Craig was wearing a really small jacket and on further inspection It dawned on me that he is actually having to leave because he will have fully morphed into Norman Wisdom by the time the next film starts shooting.

[Festoon]

Reviews of this can't be trusted because in Britain it's good because it's Bond: Best of British, and in America it's Bond: Good for cinemas that need our support right now.

 

Irish Times review: It's alright. Middling. Bit long.

[Vimster]

24 minutes ago, Ork1927 said:

I'm amazed at the amount of screenings for this in Cineworld.  I know Bond is popular, but from Thursday morning in Cardiff they are showing it 31 times from 9am and those numbers/showings continue over the weekend and on Monday and Tuesday.

 

 

You like to think this is because they think it's going to be mega-popular, but it smacks of a desperate attempt to make as much money as possible before reality sets in. They've had to keep the hype up for 18 months or so, got to go in with a bang.

[Protocol Penguin]

2 hours ago, Festoon said:

I'll never understand what the Broccolis were doing by having Casino Royale as 'becoming Bond' and then quickly jumping to 'Bond's too old/retirement'.

That’s down to Casino Royale being written for a younger actor playing Bond (Henry Cavill was the studio’s original choice).

[Nick R]

1 hour ago, Harsin said:

Away with this shit, surprised you didn't sneak a hivemind in.

 

I haven't counted and compared the number of positive/negative posts, but I genuinely have got the impression that whenever Craig's Bond has been discussed on the forum in recent years, the posts complaining about his films being dour/joyless/overlong/etc, and pessimistic about NTTD, have felt like the most prominent ones. I'm not claiming that that's any specific reason for that - such as that there's some "hivemind" that'll shout down anyone who dares say they like his films - just that it's a trend that I've noticed.

 

This isn't the only place online where people are vocal about being critical of his films, but as this is the place where I spend a lot of my time online, with a relatively low number of regular posters, it seems more prominent here.

 

 

 

Anyway since I wrote my earlier post, three people have posted to say they like Skyfall.  Cracks are appearing in the hivemind!

 

[Gabe]

I actually liked Quantum of Solace. Skyfall and Spectre are absolute rubbish though, so I don't really have any expectations for this.

 

I think Craig certainly played the character in a different way to anybody else, so in that respect - whether you like them or not - at least his Bond is distinctive and keeps up that tradition of each actor bringing a different take on the role.

 

It is a shame though that, in the main, the promise from Casino Royale was squandered with awful scripts in those later films. 

[Vimster]

QoS had the spark of classic Bond, it had a megalomaniacal baddie, even if his motivation was a bit more subtle compared to the crazier villains of old, there were fights and not so much introspection, as I recall. The tone was still typical of the Craig-era Bond and there was considerably less camp, but at least it felt like a return to the old formula.  Oh and it was 1h 46m.

[footle]

Casino Royale

Skyfall (yes, it’s a ridiculous nostalgia trip - but it knows that and leans into it)

 

many unplumbed depths

 

Quantum of Solace (something in a desert)

Spectre (can’t remember anything)

[Sidewaysbob]

There is no way that late Craig Bond films are worse than late Brosnan Bond films. 

 

"The World is not enough" and "Die another day" are absolute turds.  As for all of Daltons joyless films, the less said the better.  As least Craig looked the part in the sharp suits and has that murderous edge to his character.

[Hexx]

3 hours ago, Clipper said:

is that the one where the hotel inexplicably sinks into water

 

I had no idea that was QoS but I recall it looked a decent set piece til Craig's bond was angsting over it afterwards.

isn’t that Casino Royale when vesper dies?

 

Im talking about the worlds most explosive hotel 

 

 

[GwiDan]

5 minutes ago, Sidewaysbob said:

There is no way that late Craig Bond films are worse than late Brosnan Bond films. 

 

"The World is not enough" and "Die another day" are absolute turds.  As for all of Daltons joyless films, the less said the better.  As least Craig looked the part in the sharp suits and has that murderous edge to his character.

You take that back, Dalton’s films are amazing.