Originally published on October 21st, 2019.
All signs point to a No Time To Die dud.
I hope I’m wrong. Prove me wrong. Please. From a fan’s perspective, the 25th James Bond movie No Time To Die (2020) – Daniel Craig’s fifth and his last outing as 007 – was plagued from pre-production to its current status as a hopeful blockbuster and worthy entry into the James Bond canon.
Production Issues
Five long years since the last movie. A change in director. A change in release date. A broken ankle for Daniel Craig. Could anything else go wrong? Well, yes, of course it could. And sure, an on-set injury can happen, but I can also see it as a bad omen. The writing is on the wall, so to speak. I guess at least frogs haven’t rained down on-set. They continue to film and haven’t given up, so that’s a good thing.
It’s been a harrowing 5 years of waiting for James Bond fans too, Daniel.
James Bond (Daniel Craig) hits the pool in Skyfall (2012)
Alex Dimitrios (Simon Abkarian) squares off against James Bond (Daniel Craig) in a Texas Hold ‘Em poker game in Casino Royale (2006)
So just how did Bond win an Aston Martin DB5 by beating Alex Dimitrios in Texas Hold ‘Em poker in Casino Royale?
Check out the complete scene above, but let’s break it down below:
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Wow!
Daniel Craig as James Bond during filming for Bond 25
Daniel Craig returns as James Bond, 007 in Bond 25 for his fifth and final movie
Watch the entire press event here:
A synopsis of the movie (and not its title, unfortunately) was released:
Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
Overview of the poker table in Casino Royale (2006)
Want to learn how to play Texas Hold ’em poker?
Check out 888 Poker for the rules and detailed video instructions!
So just how did Bond beat Le Chiffre in the famous final poker game in Casino Royale? Bond had the best poker hand – especially when it mattered most, of course. Let’s break it down:
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Paloma (Ana de Armas) is critically underutilized in No Time To Die (2021) and this 1 minute scene proves it!
Aside from the great chemistry between Paloma (Ana de Armas) and James Bond (Daniel Craig), this ass-kicking fight sequence was awesome! That amazing dress paired with those amazing legs made for an effective visual in the fight in Cuba after the Spectre party. Why on earth didn’t we see more of Paloma?! However, I do concede that the salud/booze shot sequence was a bit contrived and forced – not really sure why that made the final cut…
But despite her short on-screen time, I’d argue that Paloma and Bond’s chemistry rivaled or bested that between Bond and Madeleine Swann. Maybe it’s the dress, her naivete, cuteness, humor or a combination of it all that made Paloma stand out. Dare I say it’d be cool to see her return in a future Bond movie to further develop the Bond/Paloma work/personal relationship? It’d be more interesting than the tired and dreary Swann/child plotline we got from NTTD – Bond (and the audience) wasn’t enthused at the prospect!
Maybe in an alternate timeline as well – Swann is murdered, Mathilde doesn’t exist, Bond seeks his revenge with a Paloma assist and they get together. Kind of like the Vesper plot from Casino Royale (2006) without the backstabbing and the suicide, and a little more meaningful than the Anya Amasova/Tiple X relationship from The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). One can dream…
Paloma (Ana de Armas) and her legs in an awesome fight sequence from No Time To Die (2021)
Timothy Dalton and Daniel Craig side by side as James Bond
Anyone else creeped out by these Bonds’ faces side by side?!
Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) tortures James Bond (Daniel Craig) by making him watch Die Another Day (2002)
