James Bond Movie Review: ***** No Time to Die: (2021)

 James Bond (Daniel Craig) is back, after taking a long hiatus.  He is with Madeleine (Léa Seydoux) until he feels like she betrayed him, and puts her on a train.  We then pick up the story some five years later.  The CIA recruits James Bond to investigate the Project Heracles, a bionic weapon that can be manipulated through DNA to attack only select people.  Bond agrees.  He attends a party in Cuba with Sceptre, who has stolen the virus and the scientist Valdo Obruchev (David Dencik) who created the virus.  Sceptre thinks the virus will kill Bond, having his DNA.  However Obruchev has switched the DNA signature.  When Bond is suppose to die, all the Sceptre operatives die instead. Bond escapes with Obruchev.  He had been helped by CIA operative Paloma (Ana de Armas).  He delivers Obruchev to the CIA aboard a sail boat.  Bond is betrayed by one of the CIA agents, Logan Ash (Billy Magnussen).  Ash kills Bond's CIA friend Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) and blows up the boat they are on and escapes via sea plane with Obruchev.  Ash and Obruchev are double agents for Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek) who has it in for Sceptre because they killed his family and left him scarred with their poison.

Somehow Blofeld (Christoph Waltz) the head of the CIA attended the meeting in Cuba from prison.  Bond is determined to visit him.  Blofeld insisted he would only talk to Madeleine, so Bond sees her after five years and discovers she has a baby.  She comes with Bond to see Blofeld, but also brings the virus with Blofeld's signature.  Blofeld dies.  Bond is now again working with MI6, M (Ralph Fiennes).  M and MI6 was involved in the Hercales virus.  He also encounters Q (Ben Whishaw), Moneypenny (Naomie Harris), Tanner (Rory Kinnear) and a new 007, Nomi (Lashana Lynch).  

Bond while protecting Madeleine and her daughter is attacked by men of Safin.  Bond is able to kill most of them, including Ash, but not bfore the kidnap Madeleine and her girl.

They determine Safin intends to kill millions with the virus as he has many DNA signatures.  They determine he must have his manufacturing operation on his family island.  Upon arrival they discover he also has a rocket to deliver the virus.  He has a large scale manufacturing operation.  Bond and Nomi attack the facility, but only a large scale bombing will butn off the toxins.  Bond has to open the doors so the bomb will be effective.  They rescue Madeleine and the daughter (who is actually Bond's daughter.  Nomi takes them to safety while Bond confronts Safin he is able to kill him, but not before being infected with a strain of the virus that would kill those he loves.  He orders the missles to strike the island, and doesn't get off.  We assume he has perished.  

This is the last, and I think the bet of all the Bond films.  The action is intense, as are the emotions.  When Bond allows a truck to crush Ash he reminds him that his brother was Felix who Ash had killed.  We also have a complicated love relationship, and a Bond baby as a result.  

In Theaters: *****Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

I don't think I have enjoyed a movie as much as Alita in a very long time.  The character Alita, with her computer enhanced eyes fascinates me.   As does the idea of having a human brain and core on a cyborg body. In this movie, many of the characters have their own brains while being implanted on a different body with fighting characteristics and strengths.  Alita (Rosa Salazar) is discovered in a trash heap, at least her head and heart.  She is put onto a body by Dr. Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz).  Ido suspects Alita's origins are thought of an ancient technology no longer available.  Her heart is very powerful, and she is trained in the fighting techniques of the Martian warriors.  Slowly, especially during conflict, Alita remembers her past and her mission.  She and those who fought with her failed to conquer Sky City and now 300 years later another quest begins.


Famous lines, I am not impressed.”  “I do not stand by in the face of evil.”  Can a cyborg person fall in love with a human, and be loved by that human in return.  Can someone change their attitude such that they help those who are in need, rather than go after her goal which she now finds unfulfilling?  And can an old man redeem himself by being a hunter warrior and catch bad people.  The bit about Alita being over 300 years old and a Martian Warrior just enhances the plot. 

Movie Review: ****The Legend of Tarzan (2016)

Here is a movie where the good guy wins, and the evil man, scheming to rape the land and its people is left in the ocean.  There is plenty of action, and the use of animals in this film is incredible.  The fight between Tarzan and the lead gorilla is very violent.  To be honest, Tarzan didn't have a chance.
This movie stars Alexander Skarsgård as Tarzan, Margot Robbie as Jane, Samuel Jackson and Tarzan's side kick, Christoph Waltz as the bad guy.  This movie is very enjoyable.  The character played by Waltz, Leon Rom has a wicked necklace which he uses to choke people.

James Bond Movie Review: ****^ Spectre (2015)

James Bond (Daniel Craig) delivers a punch.  Before M died she asked him to kill a man, and then attend the funeral.  Which he does, and there starts to find the vast organization.  He first goes to the widow, Lucia (Monica Bellucci) who has been marked by the organization for death.  She does not defect with Bond, givres him information about the organization.  Even when headquarters goes silent because all spy agencies have been compromised by Spectre which is putting dummy people in charge of the world's intelligence.  M (Ralph Fiennes) says Bond is on his own.  One major act, blowing up many towns, and they will be in.  The 007 program will be deleted.  C (Andrew Scott) is a major part in this, as he is a double agent.  

But Bond is on the trail after seeing an old nemesis, Mr White (Jesper Christensen) a member of Spectre he killed years prior.  How could that be?  Because of this lapse Bond goes to the psychiatrist, Madeleine (Léa Seydoux) the daughter of Mr. White for examination.  He tells her of her father's death, but she does not want to help him.  He is humiliated, but when he sees the psychiatrist being kidnapped he rescues her.  She blames him for her trouble.  However she is helpful.  Her father was in Spectre.  She agrees to go with him to discover what happened to her father.  They finally meet the head of Spectre, Blofeld (Christoph Waltz).  He makes her watch the suicide of her father.  There is a terrible scene of Bond being tortured, with the girl and Bond's bomb watch saving the day.  This time Bond needs help.  There is a vast spy satellite network which is to go online and replace all spying agencies.  This is controlled by Spectre, and C is a big part.   M and Q (Ben Whishaw) and Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) must tackle the new intelligence web and stop the bombs by hacking their computer system. C falls to his death in a fight with M.  

Bond confronts Blofeld, but can't get to him.  He discovers he has to save Madeleine.  He is able to save her and then he chases Blofield in a boat while Blofeld is in a helicopter.  The helicopter crashes with Blofeld inside.  He is arrested, rather than killed.

I think this Bond movie is very well done, with a good balance between action and intrigue.  Of course Spectre has a strongman.  Hinx (Dave Bautista).  At one time he pokes someone's eyes in.  But he is often chasing Bond and usually coming out on the best end of the fights.  

Updated after new watching of the DVD 12/11/2025