Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

No Time to Die Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 9, 2021

Much has been made of No Time to Die as the closing the chapter on Daniel Craig's tenure as James Bond, and the star goes out with a bang in the latest cinema installment of the Ian Fleming-created series, this one directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga (Jane Eyre, Beasts of No Nation). No Time to Die is every bit the quintessential modern Bond film, following the qualities and characteristics for the edgier yet also more human side of the 007 coin established with Casino Royale which introduced Craig's Bond and a new era for the storied franchise. This film serves as something of a bridge to the future, introducing a new 007 alongside Craig's character who comes out of retirement to once again save the world but also save a piece of his soul.

James Bond (Daniel Craig) has retired from service and is trying to put a life together with his longtime love Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux). His plans are interrupted when his old friend, CIA agent Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), alerts him to a new and dangerous enemy wielding unspeakable power from the microscopic level: nanobots with the ability to deliver deadly disease to specific genetic markers. Designed as a powerful weapon for targeted assassination, it has now been reengineered into a weapon of mass destruction. Aided by the newest 007, Nomi (Lashana Lynch), Bond reenters service only to face off against a powerful new villain, Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek), whose agenda will push Bond's body and soul to its limits.

The plot is deeply tied to the story developed within the larger Craig Bond canon, and audiences familiar with those films will be the most richly rewarded with No Time to Die, but the script is well enough put together that even newcomers to the franchise or anyone who simply missed that film will still get a mostly full picture story. It helps that No Time to Die is pretty standard stuff in terms of structure, at least within the new Craig-era Bond, anyway, to the point that much of the film becomes new window dressing rather than revolutionary workmanship. But that's OK, because even for all of its familiar components -- and Bond has always been built on the backbone of the familiar -- it works in enough new dynamics, character details, and dramatic surprises to offset the various standard issue odds and ends. The movie is really like the latest gadget Bond uses in the series; what's new is cool, what's familiar has proven its worth, and it's a winning formula.

Of course the film's technical expertise carries it through much of the essential ebb and flow, elevating the experience through sheer force of cinematic excellence as much as story detail and character exposition. The picture is a work of art for the modern Bond and Spy genre, offering everything from action to intrigue with superior craftsmanship that builds a top-flight sort of 21st century big budget film experience. Audiences would be forgiven for believing that Cary Joji Fukunaga was a veteran of the franchise or at least the genre rather than a man making his first truly gargantuan picture. He doesn't miss a beat in crafting a quintessential modern Bond film that is sure to be amongst the fan favorites of 2021.

No Time to Die Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Universal brings No Time to Die to Blu-ray with a visually resplendent 1080p transfer. While the companion UHD offers the superior image, the Blu-ray is wonderful in its own right and reaches format zenith for textural definition and color reproduction excellence. The picture is razor-sharp, supremely clear and clean, and efficiently encoded; even approaching three hours in length there's not a trace of encode artifacts to be found. The picture is free of any source anomalies, too; the picture could not be more perfect in this arena. It's tack-sharp as well, revealing complex skin and clothing textures with faultless accuracy. The varied environments are likewise the beneficiaries of the image's elite clarity, from dense jungles to complex urban areas. Color reproduction is spot-on as well, yielding intensely bright and brilliant primaries. Bond's blue eyes dazzle, blue skies and waters delight, natural greens are full and rich, and various examples of bright clothing pack quite the tonal punch. Whites are bright and crisp and blacks are deep and honest. Blu-ray doesn't get much better than this; this is every bit the perfect picture audiences should expect of a new release from a top studio of one of the year's biggest films. No surprises here.

No Time to Die Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Dolby Atmos soundtrack may not shake the theater to its core, but it will certainly stir up some excellent audio cues. The track does offer aggressive bass, but also balanced bass, offering wonderfully complimentary depth to music and action effects alike. The opening theme has never sounded so rich and lush, perfectly tuned and completely saturating through the entire stage. It's 007 score bliss. Action scenes are a delight for intensity and full stage engagement. When a car is peppered by gunfire partway through the film, the barrage of bullets emanates from every corner of the listening area and the impacts hit bulletproof glass with incredible depth and power. Every action scene follows suit for intensity and clarity, for full stage engagement and low end support. Atmospheric effects are richly realized and seamlessly integrated. The top end is used more in support rather than as a vehicle for a steady diet of discrete effects. A few such discrete delights are heard throughout, like a helicopter flying overhead in the 111 minute mark, but expect the track to offer more of a balanced approach to top layer integration. Dialogue is clear and well prioritized, flowing from a natural front-center position.

No Time to Die Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Universal only delivered the 4K UHD release of No Time to Die for review. That is a two-disc set with the UHD and Blu-ray feature film discs. There are no supplements on the Blu-ray, so I can only presume that all of the extras from the UHD, minus a lone UHD exclusive, are included on a second Blu-ray disc. Below is a list of what should be included on that bonus disc; if there is incorrect information please let me know.

• Anatomy of a Scene: Matera (1080p, 11:32): Exploring the making of a key pre-title action sequence that involves everything that makes a modern day Bond action set piece: a great car, wonderful scenery, and exceptional choreography, here rooted in an emotional pairing between Bond and Swann.
• Keeping It Real: The Action of No Time to Die (1080p, 6:15): Looking at making the practical action sequences in the film.
• A Global Journey (1080p, 7:50): In the Bond tradition, No Time to Die travels the globe to build its story. This piece features cast and crew interviews and beautiful footage to look at the globetrotting story that unfolds in the film.
• Designing Bond (1080p, 11:04): Exploring the sets and costumes seen in the film.

No Time to Die Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

No Time to Die exemplifies the modern Bond epic. It's got everything, from adrenaline charged action to intimate character drama and all of the grittiness and teeth audiences have come to expect from the Daniel Craig franchise films. Universal's Blu-ray is likewise very good, yielding excellent video and audio presentations as well as a smattering of supplements. Highly recommended.