Culture, Renegade Pop Culture. A No Time to Die Discussion! - Renegade Marquee #15
Tonight, on a globe-trotting episode of Renegade Marquee, Captain Kaye and the Streamin' Demon are joined with Matthew Kearns to discuss the final Daniel Craig Bond film: No Time to Die!
How’s it going, fellow Renegades? We’ve got a helluva romp ahead of you as we dive head first into the latest installment in the legendary 007 franchise. We’ve got old and new comers alike for this episode! Did we like it, did we hate it? Did we love to hate it? Hate to love it? You’ll have to put on your best tux and give it a listen to find out!
Without further adieu, I’ll kick it over to Kaye: Captain Kaye! (A WORD OF WARNING, this film WILL SET OFF your bi-panic. You have been warned!)
NO TIME TO DIE (2021)
What made this movie such a rewarding experience was getting the chance to revisit and re-evaluate the entirety of Craig's tenure before going to the theater. Sure, on its own merits it's still a fantastic action blockbuster, a great showcase for what Fukunaga can accomplish when given a $250 million budget, as well as a great showcase for Lashana Lynch and Ana de Armas as future action heroines in their own right. However, this movie, even more so than SPECTRE, relies heavily on one's emotional attachment to the franchise at large. Unlike SPECTRE, I felt as if this did a better job at calling back to previous events, including given Jeffrey Wright's Felix Leiter one more moment to shine. In fact, one thing I've enjoyed about a lot of Craig's tenure evolved naturally into ensemble films, which adds a little variety to both the dialogue and the action sequences. Speaking of the action, you can clearly see where all that money was spent on screen, and it all looks great captured by cinematographer Linus Sandgren. As for the story, it's hard to say much without delving into spoilers, but what I can say is that I commend this team for determining the best way to put a bow on Craig's arc. My one criticism with the villain isn't necessarily Rami Malek himself, but his relationship to one of the characters. The performance was great, but his casting requires a certain suspension of disbelief. Last thing I'll say for now is that I loved Hans Zimmer's score. Sometimes it can be a touch repetitive compared to his previous works, but I still thought he brought the right bombastic energy to the material. Overall, No Time to Die may not be the best individual film in the Daniel Craig era, but as the culmination of his entire character arc, I thought it was a phenomenal send off!” - Captain Kaye
Well, we’ll drive our Aston Martin into the sunset to end this installment of Marquee! Thanks to Jacob for editing this episode, keep an eye on your martini’s, and we’ll see you in the next podcast!
