“Well, that’s a James Bond trailer, alright.”
At first glance, the initial trailer for No Time to Die aka Bond 25 aka Daniel Craig’s (reported) last film as 007, looks like every other Bond trailer out there.
And that’s not saying that’s a bad thing.
The No Time to Die trailer has all the trappings of a great Bond trailer. The action of the trailer focuses on big chase sequences in exotic locations, and bullets flying all over the place. M (Ralph Fiennes) sets up the film’s mission while we get moments of levity from Q (Ben Whishaw) and Moneypenny (Naomie Harris). We have the main love interest (Léa Seydoux) as well as new mysterious woman (Ana de Armas). And finally, we get the ominous introduction of the film’s big bad (Rami Malek).
Sounds like another day, another Bond film, right?
Well, except it isn’t.
The No Time to Die trailer does a really good job of taking what’s been the strengths of Daniel Craig’s run — gritty, red-blooded action and unflinching looks into the soul and psyche of 007. And if there’s a director I trust to combine the two it’s Cary Joji Fukunaga — the man behind the brilliant first season of True Detective.
There are questions to be had though…
First, why is Léa Seydoux’s Dr. Swann “betraying” James Bond when the whole point of Spectre was how he had found his soulmate and was riding off into the sunset with her? I understand that was initially done because everyone thought Craigh was leaving the franchise. It does, however, feelsa little too convenient, and a bit of a retread of the Vesper storyline. Am I writing this part of the story off based on the trailer? Absolutely not. It’s intriguing for sure, they could just be fooling us, and honestly I’d rather see Swann have an interesting role rather than a damsel in distress.
Second, and another Spectre hangover question — how does Blofeld (Christoph Waltz) fit into all of this? Is he going to become this Hannibal Lecter-esque character who Bond goes to in order to figure out his latest enemy? If so, I’m fine with that.
Third, how are they actually going to conclude Craig’s run as Bond? Because, it actually does need to end. As much as I have loved him as Bond, this story of Bond wanting to leave the business behind and then coming back can only be done so many times. And this should be the last one.
Finally, and most importantly — how does the new 007 fit into all of this? Lashana Lynch’s introduction as the first female 007 sold me into a seat more than Rami Malek’s broken mask and monologue, or any high octane chase sequence. We’re given just a taste of her here as 007, and that taste has me wildly intrigued. The fact Phoebe Waller Bridge wrote this script gives me high hopes for Lynch’s 007. And I really hope she’s given a large role in this film.
While questions remain the No Time to Die trailer has a lot of promise that Daniel Craig’s swan song as 007 could be a great one.
