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No Time to Die has had its world premiere in London, as well as several early screenings around the globe. As you might expect, a wave of reactions to Daniel Craig’s swan song as 007 have washed up on the shores of social media and we’ve collected the best ones so far – with spoilers kept to a minimum.
Total Film were among the lucky few to attend the world premiere at the Royal Albert Hall. On the film, editor-in-chief Jane Crowther said, "No Time To Die has balls. It’s not as good as Casino Royale and Skyfall but better than SPECTRE and Quantum. When you see it you’ll have a LOT to discuss."
News editor Jordan Farley was similarly mixed on his response: "No Time to Die is a mid-tier Craig mission for me, with some terrific set-pieces (Matera and Cuba rock) but a messy, ineffective villain. Takes some admirably huge swings you won’t want spoiling. Loved Paloma, on the fence about Nomi. Didn’t dig Zimmer’s Bond-mix-tape score."
Elsewhere, critics have touched on everything from the use of Rami Malek’s villainous Safin to the near three-hour runtime.
"No Time To Die is everything I wanted & more! A great farewell to Daniel Craig but honestly I wanted more Rami Malek!" Rotten Tomatoes’ Tessa Smith said. "Immensely satisfying, this feels both like a classic Bond movie and deeply personal," says critic David Howat.
Zavvi’s Emily Murray also enjoyed No Time to Die – with some caveats: "It’s definitely funnier and having more fun than previous films - Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s influence is clear. In fact when it gets more serious about the villain is when it becomes less compelling. Loved Nomi and Paloma - shame the latter is criminally underused."
Observer’s Brandon Katz praised the direction of Cary Fukunaga, while commending how it ties together Craig’s near 15-year run as 007, "No Time to Die is absolutely brimming with action set pieces and credit Cary Fukunaga for never letting it feel overdone or slogging. It may be a bit too long and strays far away from the extremely grounded nature of Casino Royale. But it’s a nonstop ride that completes the tale."
Former 007 actor George Lazenby, who appeared in only one Bond movie – On Her Majesty's Secret Service – even got in on the act. While his initial reaction didn’t give too much away, he did make pointed reference to the “interesting choices of music.” Make of that what you will.
Our own No Time to Die review says the movie is stuffed with classic Craig, while also being held back in places by the typical Bond formula: "After such a long wait, you certainly get a lot of bang for your buck (it’s 15 minutes shy of three hours), and for fans of Craig’s run as the character, there’s plenty here to satisfy. Yes, it largely adheres to the formula that’s the franchise’s blessing and curse: you get spectacle galore in terms of action set-pieces, incredibly shot locations and attractive characters wearing the hell out of killer costumes."
No Time to Die is set for release in the UK on October 30 and in the US on October 8. For more from everyone’s favorite secret agent, check out our ranking of the best James Bond movies.
