Going out with a bang.

Despite its ups and downs, let it never be forgotten just how much Daniel Craig’s Bond changed the game. When Pierce Brosnan handed in his tux and Aston Martin after seven inconsistent years in the role, the entire Bond series was in dire need of resuscitation.

And then along came Craig.

Cutting loose from the tropes that had slowly eroded the series and reinventing Bond as a grittier, less refined version of himself, 2006’s Casino Royale rewrote the 007 playbook. With as much in common with The Bourne Identity than any of its predecessors, the film portrayed Daniel Craig’s Bond as a man who goes down when punched and cracks bones when falling, all while retaining that iconic style.

This was a new Bond for a new world and an unabashed reinvention of the entire franchise. But that was fifteen years ago, and with Craig’s time as James Bond nearing its end, No Time to Die arrives with a clear message that it’s time to move on while inviting us to reflect on just how momentous the last decade and a half have been.

Off the grid and enjoying the tranquil life in Jamaica, the past soon catches up with James Bond (Daniel Craig). With his peace short-lived, Bond is pulled back into the game when old friend Felix (Jeffrey Wright) turns up asking for help. When the mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than anticipated, Bond is lead onto the trail of the mysterious Safin (Rami Malek), who appears armed with potentially world-shattering technology.

While his long-anticipated goodbye seems to have gone on forever, Daniel Craig’s extended retirement party has only worked to make No Time to Die all the more impactful. It’s been six years since Spectre hit cinemas and, even accounting for pandemic-based delays, the will-he-won’t-he nature of Craig’s continuation and various director shenanigans have caused the gap to feel like an eternity, however, all this has worked in the film’s favour as the long wait compounds its emotional impact.

As send-offs go, No Time to Die is a truly fitting one. Remarkably, the film offers the kind of closure we rarely receive from a Bond movie, as it ties up Craig’s story and his character’s arc while offering standalone thrills and encompassing many of the elements that have marked his 007 iteration out from the crowd.

Despite his many assertions over the years that he’s done with Bond, there’s absolutely no evidence here that Craig is sleepwalking his way out the door. Giving it absolutely everything he’s got, Craig puts in a performance of blood, sweat, and tears to remind us just how good of a James Bond he has been and just how big the shoes are that’ll need to be filled by whoever comes next.

Pulling together all the elements that have made his Bond tick over the last decade and a half, Craig is in inspired form, and while I’m sure he’s relieved to finally see the back of these films, there’s a clear sadness in his eyes as he says goodbye to a role that’s taken up such a large chunk of his career. He is, as ever, a commanding and charismatic presence, yet, like any good Bond, No Time to Die’s success stems just as much from those around its hero.

Tagging along for the ride once again, Craig-era mainstays like Ben Whishaw, Naomi Harris, Ralph Fiennes, and Jeffrey Wright are as comforting a presence as ever and work well to add some pop to the film’s poignancy, however, No Time to Die keeps its eye firmly on the future, as its newer faces make the biggest splash. Of these, it’s the film’s women who shine the brightest, with the returning Léa Seydoux operating as the story’s emotional core and Ana de Armas ripping it up in a storming – if all-too brief – appearance, while Lashana Lynch absolutely steals the show as the new “00” on the block.

Opposite them, Rami Malek offers a suitably creepy presence as the film’s villain, with a subtle, softly spoken approach full of unnerving menace, however, his Safin doesn’t quite have the impact you’d hope. Lacking the sheer malevolent presence of Bond villains past, Malek’s rather diminished screen time and clichéd plans mean he never quite fulfils his potential.

Around this ensemble is a story that’s about as emotional as a Bond film gets, with No Time to Die clearly determined to send Craig off in style. Armed with the knowledge that this is Craig’s last rodeo would be enough to inject poignancy on its own, however, the film does well to lean into this factor as much as possible while never overly relying on it.

Neatly balancing its emotional beats with the desire to give us a good time, the film’s writing layers up the sentimentality while never taking its eye off the action. Helped along nicely by Hans Zimmer’s score, which builds from classic Bond notes to the composer’s patented brand of rousing, the film hits the sweet spot as well, if not better, than any of its predecessors.

It’s a well-calibrated balance that manages to pull No Time to Die through, even as it’s overlong runtime and pacing issues begin to drag it down the rambling rabbit hole the worst Bond efforts often stumble into. As it is, the plot just about stays afloat, as the finite manner of the story, the immediacy of its emotions, and the sheer impact of its action keep things on track.

Let’s be honest, a large part of a Bond film’s draw is its action and, in that respect, No Time to Die delivers. Offering the crunch and bruises of the Bourne films with the polish of the Sam Mendes years, No Time to Die may not be wholly original, yet it makes sure to give us the kind of stylishly brutal action we’re looking for.

As a major factor in this success, Cary Joji Fukunaga brings the kind of gritty and grounded style that served him so well with True Detective and Beasts of No Nation, as he lets his filmmaking personality come through in a franchise not particularly renowned for allowing directorial expression. With bruising hallway punch-ups and bruising close-quarters combat mixing it with your more expansive action fare, Fukunaga makes No Time to Die as much his own as he possibly can as he allows Daniel Craig the best possible platform from which to bow out on.

While it’s certainly not the perfect Bond film, No Time to Die is nevertheless the perfect swansong for Daniel Craig and a fitting conclusion to his 007 tenure. Although it sags in places and offers little in the plot and action departments that we haven’t seen before, No Time to Die brings together all the elements that have made the Craig-era such a game changer while packing the kind of emotional punch you rarely see from a Bond effort. With the slate now wiped clean, it’s impossible to say where things go from here, however, if the success of this curtain call is anything to go by, it’s going to be a blast finding out.