No Time to Die goes the extra mile to give us a ton of outstanding automotive action, but it comes at a price.
With franchises like Fast and Furious muddying the waters with comic-book-like action, No Time to Die gives them all a good run. In nearly every single James Bond film (this is the 25th), there usually is a car chase, granted. This one has two major car chases. Scratch that — I would rather call them automotive combat sequences.
I’m going to go into all the film’s details here.
This is NOT a full film review. I will hold off on ruining the film with a ton of spoilers. Or, if you want a full take and have someone else ruin it, there are plenty of reviews out at this point. Besides, I’m not a movie critic, per se. I’ll give you the basics, and a whole lotta automotive juice to boot. This film pays tribute to three eras of James Bond, through the use of automobiles.
You guys already know about the copious use of the old Aston Martin DB5 in this movie. As far as classic Bond cars go, the DB5 was introduced in 1964’s Goldfinger. Here’s a fun bit below. In that movie, too, it truly shines.
The film also put a great spotlight on the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. It debuted in The Living Daylights in 1987. That car represented a return to Aston Martin for the franchise, as Lotus was the primary car used in Roger Moore’s 007 films.
By the way (spoiler, I guess) – I didn’t see any Lotus’ in this movie. Actually, I don’t recall seeing any BMWs either, which dominated the Pierce Brosnan films. I think that might make a few fans happy.
Eventually, No Time to Die works its way up to vehicles like the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, among others. There were a ton of new Land Rover Defenders, Range Rover Sports, Jaguars and motorcycles (Triumph Scramblers) being tossed around in several clips.
Enter — a Toyota?
Out of all of the sexy Aston Martins and other vehicles featured in this film, for me – the biggest star is the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado J90. I kid you not! Sure, the Aston Martin DB5 was magnificent, but there was no real surprise as the trailer showed us what to expect. But the Toyota was a great surprise.
Once again, I’m not going to ruin the whole thing by saying exactly what happens. Suffice to say, the who action sequence featuring the Toyota, and the Defender baddies – it was epic.
YES – BUT, WHAT ABOUT NO TIME TO DIE itself?
This is a long movie. Expect to sit for about three hours with previews. It’s also extraordinarily well shot. The cinematography, the sweeping vistas and beautiful imagery rewards the viewer. Sound, and the soundtrack are damn close to perfect, and most of the special effects look CGI-free, which is refreshing.
The story centers around James Bond as he is retiring. He has a new woman in his life, and they appear to be close. Everything begins to unwind after he learns that she has secrets. Revenge, espionage and double agents abound – and the main baddie begins to creep into the picture… all within the first hour.
The various motivation for revenge made sense to me, but the rest of the baddie’s intent was convoluted. You should be the judge on that one. For James Bond fans, you will see a ton of Easter eggs that are easy to find, and are fairly rewarding. That’s about all I can say without giving it away.
You already know the basics by now. The preview told you plenty. What I liked is the storytelling that was woven in by the copious use of cars.
The price you pay is your gut reaction to the film’s ending.
As for the film itself?
I loved it until the last few minutes – which I didn’t like.
Still, I would see it again – and maybe you should too.
