Warning: Spoilers Ahead
First things first, this is not the final Bond. However, it is the end of the old Bond, the end of the Aston Martin driving, martini drinking, world-saving, man we have come to know and love over the 14 books, 25 movies, and 58-year franchise. This is made very clear throughout the movie with main characters such as M saying, “You’re a sexist, misogynist dinosaur – a relic of the Cold War.” But unfortunately, it is a necessary moment in order to continue the franchise. The most recent movie, No Time to Die was a perfect ending to the old 007 while still providing a solid foundation to the more modern era of the franchise that is soon to come.
This movie starts much like Skyfall. We flashback to a young Madeleine Swann, (a major character in Spectre and the daughter of Mr. White) tending to her mother who is drunk and doing drugs on the couch. Unfortunately, her mother is gunned down by a man wearing a white ski mask. But Madeline survived the encounter after being saved from falling through the ice on a freezing lake by none other than the ski mask dude who she just watched kill her mother.
The flashback ends when she surfaces from a dive while swimming in the ocean. Then James Bond arrives in his Aston martin. He picks her up and heads into Matera. One Romance scene later, Bond leaves and heads to the grave of one of his former lovers, Vesper Lynd. Then Spectre assassins blow up the grave and an intense chase starts. Bond however thinks that Madeleine betrayed him (much like Vesper did in a previous film), and being the romantic person he is, he saves her but then promptly shoves her on a train and tells her to go away and that he never wants to see her again. The story jumps ahead five years, and after a quick lunch scene and the kidnapping of an MI6 scientist named Obruchev. A lethal bioweapon is now in the hands of the bad guys and the world is in danger. However, to figure out what happens next. You’ll need to go watch it, I’m not trying to spoil the whole movie.
It is common knowledge at this point that the old Bond as we know it is in need of a new look. While there are many reasons for this, the main reason is Bond itself. Bond has a history of abusing women and then glamorizing that behavior. He has set a bad example for many people over the years, and the prominence of #MeToo and BLM doesn’t really make the rich white man, who has a questionable history, look too good.
It is important to note that this is also Daniel Craig’s last movie playing Bond. Craig has been the longest tenured Bond in series history. He initially refused to play Bond for the latest movie, saying that he’d rather “slash his wrists” than return the character and if he did, it would only be for money. But he ended up coming back for one final outing. And boy did he do it well.
Disregarding all of the Politics involved with the Bond movies. This is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. It follows all the typical Bond movie styles, with fast car chases, intense fight scenes, and a slow moment here and there. It is a beautifully filmed movie, and I would highly recommend it to just about anyone.
MOOSE PRINTS 