Dan Hutchins

Overlong and overwrought, "No Time To Die" is an inexplicable way to end Daniel Craig's run as 007, which has been a high water mark for the Bond franchise. For me, this film started out well, but became increasingly difficult to sit through. Bond films aren't known as fine cinema, but rather well-executed pulp adventures that allow one to escape their worries for a few hours. As this installment advances, the usual sense of excitement and fun one has come to expect from a Bond film begins to dissipate. Two thirds of the way through I began regularly checking the time. By the time the film ended, I was glad it was over, but also disappointed with how they chose to leave Bond. The villain was also two-dimensional and virtually unexplained. I have never said this about a Bond film before, but what a waste of an afternoon.