No Time to Die (2021)

I saw this with a friend who watched the original "Dr. No" (1962) at the time, and who proclaimed at the end of this 2¾ hour marathon that this just isn't "James Bond". My first "Bond" film was some fifteen years later but i was forced to agree with him. This isn't.I have never been the biggest fan of Daniel Craig - he completely lacks charisma on screen. There is no glint in his eye! Add to that the grim determination of the producers to rob the character of his flaws and foibles; to politically correct every aspect of the storylines and to generally sterilise what was always, essentially, a charming tale of light weight male chauvinism with espionage, shameless patriotism, gadgets, double entendre and a damn good theme tune.Here, Craig has precious little chemistry with either of his female co-stars and the baddie features so sparingly (though that maybe because he was double-jobbing for Lord Lloyd Webber at the Opera) that even by the end there just wasn't a sense of accumulated tension, peril or danger - indeed I just felt really quite underwhelmed.Of course, it is a fabulous looking film: the old Aston Martin makes a welcome return - as does the divine Louis Armstrong's "All the Time in the World" but I wonder how many of us will recall this film once the dust has settled. It has a role right now; it may well single-handedly rescue cinema from the horrible effects of lockdown, and for that is must be congratulated, but speaking as a lifelong Bond fan, I'd implore those at the helm of the next one: can we please get back to what Bond is entertaining at, what Ian Fleming designed him to be and stop imposing wafer-thin stories on equally thin, undercooked, characterisations and hope that nostalgia and John Barry et al will dupe us into thinking it is great?I don't care if the next 007 is gay/girl/coloured/one legged - but please can we get back to a story laced with humour and personality with a script that allows for nuance, sarcasm and charm. Otherwise, perhaps Bond has just served his purpose, it's time to move on? Sorry - I was really disappointed.