Does NO TIME TO DIE have the best ending in the franchise?

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  • BirdlesonBirdleson Moderator
    Posts: 2,161
    Yes, LALD is pretty great, from the moment they board the train onward makes for a fine ending.
  • Posts: 12,242
    Tee-Hee is under-appreciated, so having a great fight scene on top of all the rest is very nice. That one just sticks out as one of the more interesting endings of the “traditional” endings.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 8,245
    LALD has seriously shot up in my eyes. Well inside my top 10. Moore really did a great job creating his own version of James Bond and he was more than damn fine in this film.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 7,888
    FoxRox wrote: »
    Tee-Hee is under-appreciated, so having a great fight scene on top of all the rest is very nice. That one just sticks out as one of the more interesting endings of the “traditional” endings.

    SPECTRE could have given a tip of the hat to this ending , and that of FRWL, by having Bond defeat Blofeld at his crater lair; after checking in with M he and Madeleine slip away to a secluded , romantic, location for some R&R only to encounter a very pissed of Hinx, who is now wearing a cool looking metallic, henchman, neck brace. A epic battle ensues

  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    edited December 2022 Posts: 40,368
    peter wrote: »
    LALD has seriously shot up in my eyes. Well inside my top 10. Moore really did a great job creating his own version of James Bond and he was more than damn fine in this film.

    It's dropped a little bit for me over the last few years but still one of the most unique and atmospheric films in the series.
  • DenbighDenbigh UK
    Posts: 5,834
    It would be a good idea for a future elimination game if it hasn't already been done. Each film's ending.
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    edited December 2022 Posts: 7,518
    talos7 wrote: »
    FoxRox wrote: »
    Tee-Hee is under-appreciated, so having a great fight scene on top of all the rest is very nice. That one just sticks out as one of the more interesting endings of the “traditional” endings.

    SPECTRE could have given a tip of the hat to this ending , and that of FRWL, by having Bond defeat Blofeld at his crater lair; after checking in with M he and Madeleine slip away to a secluded , romantic, location for some R&R only to encounter a very pissed of Hinx, who is now wearing a cool looking metallic, henchman, neck brace. A epic battle ensues

    This is basically my dream ending to Spectre.
    Denbigh wrote: »
    It would be a good idea for a future elimination game if it hasn't already been done. Each film's ending.

    I was pushing for "best scene where the film's title is (first) mentioned by a character", I think that'd be a fun and unique elimination game.
  • I was pushing for "best scene where the film's title is (first) mentioned by a character", I think that'd be a fun and unique elimination game.

    That would be interesting. NTTD was one of the worst though - "do you know what time it is?".

  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts: 7,518
    I was pushing for "best scene where the film's title is (first) mentioned by a character", I think that'd be a fun and unique elimination game.

    That would be interesting. NTTD was one of the worst though - "do you know what time it is?".

    It's definitely not my favourite.
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 13,879
    I feel like they missed a step by having Valdo respond to that question with "What?" instead of "No."

    "Do you know what time it is?"
    "No."
    "Time to die!"
  • I cringed through that bit.
    Mi6 agent kills a defenceless baddie in cold blood because he said something racist. Brilliant.
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts: 7,518
    I cringed through that bit.
    Mi6 agent kills a defenceless baddie in cold blood because he said something racist. Brilliant.

    I mean, he did a great number of terrible things. But it’s true it was in cold blood. Didn’t feel unjustified though.
  • It felt completely shoehorned in to me, like much of her character.

    I think the best 'serious' ending to the series is CR, and the best silly ending is TSWLM. When you compare them, it's hard to believe they're from the same franchise.
  • SIS_HQSIS_HQ At the Vauxhall Headquarters
    edited December 2022 Posts: 3,382
    OHMSS and Skyfall are the tops for me (the bests), but I would also give Octopussy and TLD a credit for a good ending.

    I though liked Octopussy as after Bond saved the day, we have Bond and Octopussy having some honeymoon inside her boat, then it sails through the sunset.
    The same for TLD, I also liked this, After Kara performed in her concert, she's not hoping that Bond's coming, but there are two martinis and Bond jingled the bell, as he pulled her, and they've kissed, and it ends with 'If there was a man'.

    Both are romantic endings.
    I cringed through that bit.
    Mi6 agent kills a defenceless baddie in cold blood because he said something racist. Brilliant.

    I mean, he did a great number of terrible things. But it’s true it was in cold blood. Didn’t feel unjustified though.

    It's well deserved for me, Valdo is really annoying, that when Nomi decided to kill him, I've really cheered! That guy's really annoying and irritating, I don't even liked his facial expressions, he's weird in a bad way.

    He's funny in the Cuba sequence, but he did gets annoying in the final act.
  • George_KaplanGeorge_Kaplan Not a red herring
    Posts: 539
    I was pushing for "best scene where the film's title is (first) mentioned by a character", I think that'd be a fun and unique elimination game.

    That would be interesting. NTTD was one of the worst though - "do you know what time it is?".

    It's definitely not my favourite.

    Almost as bad as "what a view... to a kill!"
  • edited December 2022 Posts: 988
    MI6HQ wrote: »
    It's well deserved for me, Valdo is really annoying, that when Nomi decided to kill him, I've really cheered! T

    A lot of things were done to placate current sensibilities in the Craig era, and that's fine, but I did feel the killing of Valdo was a bit too obvious for comfort.
  • Personally I love FRWL’s ending. That final shot of Istanbul mixed with Matt Monro’s song was a great way to end the film.
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 5,921
    I cringed through that bit.
    Mi6 agent kills a defenceless baddie in cold blood because he said something racist. Brilliant.

    Umm, he was going on about genocide before he was killed. Not the same thing.

    And she does have a licence to kill.
  • echo wrote: »
    Umm, he was going on about genocide before he was killed. Not the same thing.

    If I remember it right, he says something about "I could wipe out your entire race". I don't really want to get bogged down in the whole 'woke' thing, but I felt it was a pretty obvious attempt to cater for the current moral zeitgeist. And if you saw it different then that's fine too.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 8,245
    echo wrote: »
    Umm, he was going on about genocide before he was killed. Not the same thing.

    If I remember it right, he says something about "I could wipe out your entire race". I don't really want to get bogged down in the whole 'woke' thing, but I felt it was a pretty obvious attempt to cater for the current moral zeitgeist. And if you saw it different then that's fine too.

    Oh wow. Boogeymen around every corner....
  • Posts: 2,400
    I'd say, probably. That ending is the reason I think NTTD is the greatest Bond film, so it would logically follow that I think it's the best ending as a result. I do think a few of the other films have had really stunning endings though, especially Casino Royale, so it's not quite the easiest call as it would seem.

    To me, it suits the character to perfection. James Bond is a man defined by the loss of his family at a young age. It informs every single other facet of his character. The idea that he would sacrifice himself to save the only family he's found since rings absolutely true to me. It's also true that I expected, should the character have ever died, to have had it be a very matter-of-fact type of way, a stray bullet the likes of The Killing of a Chinese Bookie or Children of Men, the latter of which of course has some parallels re: the significance of his death and what it is in service of. But then again, I would have bet on Bond dying on screen long before I would have ever bet on him having a child, so that's probably why I wouldn't have expected something so grandiose before NTTD. Of course, though, he would give his life for his child. His parents were the most important people in the world to him and no one - not Vesper, not Tracy, no one - ever usurped that. I view that as the thing that directly informs his sacrifice.
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts: 7,518
    I'd say, probably. That ending is the reason I think NTTD is the greatest Bond film, so it would logically follow that I think it's the best ending as a result. I do think a few of the other films have had really stunning endings though, especially Casino Royale, so it's not quite the easiest call as it would seem.

    To me, it suits the character to perfection. James Bond is a man defined by the loss of his family at a young age. It informs every single other facet of his character. The idea that he would sacrifice himself to save the only family he's found since rings absolutely true to me. It's also true that I expected, should the character have ever died, to have had it be a very matter-of-fact type of way, a stray bullet the likes of The Killing of a Chinese Bookie or Children of Men, the latter of which of course has some parallels re: the significance of his death and what it is in service of. But then again, I would have bet on Bond dying on screen long before I would have ever bet on him having a child, so that's probably why I wouldn't have expected something so grandiose before NTTD. Of course, though, he would give his life for his child. His parents were the most important people in the world to him and no one - not Vesper, not Tracy, no one - ever usurped that. I view that as the thing that directly informs his sacrifice.

    Nice, and I agree.
  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 4,904
    Best ending of a Bond movie? Not for this fan. I would give that honour to (in no particular order) GE, SF, TSWLM, OHMSS, and QOS.

    The producers want to kill off Bond, no problem. Fleming himself wanted to kill off the character numerous times and in the case of FRWL almost did it. But it has to make some logical sense. This is to me where NTTD fails. It makes no sense given all the character has gone through that he would simply stand there and watch the missiles fall.

    The nanobots seem to be a contrived device where the writers make them impervious to EMP, nothing can cure you once they are in you. ummm okay. Then we have the ending, where Bond sends off another double-o agent so that he can take on the baddies alone. After you set up Nomi has this strong character, we are now supposed to believe that she would meekly accept Bond's orders instead of staying and finishing the mission?

    Then we have the ending, where these mysterious ships are approaching the island. The plan is to blow up the island? Not send the fleet after the boats? Not to do anything else, but blow up the island?

    Too many leaps of logic for me. I would have accepted Bond dying but the circumstances needed to be right. Would have much preferred an ending where it was a missing but presumed dead. Not a he's dead and gone. The stakes didn't seem to warrant this character dying.

  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,368
    I wouldn't agree that Bond sacrifices himself to save his family; they already escaped the island and were no longer in danger, whereas Bond was too injured by his wounds to escape in time and was going to die anyway. The whole "you're infected and you'll never be able to touch them again" inclusion is only meant to heighten the emotion of the situation, but regardless, he wasn't going to make it back to them.

    I do find it funny how Nomi takes command to help them escape instead of staying behind to finish the mission and letting Bond personally handle the rescue of his own family. It comes off as backwards and illogical to me.
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    edited December 2022 Posts: 7,518
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I wouldn't agree that Bond sacrifices himself to save his family; they already escaped the island and were no longer in danger, whereas Bond was too injured by his wounds to escape in time and was going to die anyway. The whole "you're infected and you'll never be able to touch them again" inclusion is only meant to heighten the emotion of the situation, but regardless, he wasn't going to make it back to them.

    I do find it funny how Nomi takes command to help them escape instead of staying behind to finish the mission and letting Bond personally handle the rescue of his own family. It comes off as backwards and illogical to me.

    I disagree here; it would have been well within the reality of a Bond story to have him escape the island. If he had escaped, though, it's not only that he would never be able to see his family again, it's that by the nature of the virus, it would inevitably work it's way to them and kill them (Mathilde waxing poetic about mosquitos in the back of the SUV alludes to this inevitability).

    If Bond had escaped the island, Madeleine and Mathilde would certainly have died.

    Bond staying behind on the island rather than escorting his family away and letting Nomi finish the job would have sort of been antithesis to the character of Bond, who always wants to see things through, I think.
  • SIS_HQSIS_HQ At the Vauxhall Headquarters
    Posts: 3,382
    Maybe it would have worked to this if nobody lives..... :))
    All of them were dead..... Just imagine.....
  • thedove wrote: »
    Then we have the ending, where Bond sends off another double-o agent so that he can take on the baddies alone.
    This has always been one of my biggest gripes with the ending. The 50-some year old, 5 year retiree is being sent to complete this critical mission, while the current, young, capable double-O leaves to accompany his love interest and daughter to safety? And Nomi herself is okay with this?

    Outside of "it's a Bond film so it has to be Bond finishing the mission" and "we wrote this backwards from the ending and we need him dead" it doesn't really hold up to me. I don't even mind the idea of Craig's Bond dying in theory, but this execution is way too contrived for me.
  • Posts: 725
    It always bothered me that the man to end Bond and be such a super villain threat to the world wasn’t Spectre and Blofeld, but just some ……geek. It sort of underscores the fact that their wasn’t a grand plan, and they (Eon) sort of just made stuff up as they went along.
  • Posts: 2,742
    It always bothered me that the man to end Bond and be such a super villain threat to the world wasn’t Spectre and Blofeld, but just some ……geek. It sort of underscores the fact that their wasn’t a grand plan, and they (Eon) sort of just made stuff up as they went along.

    To be fair Waltz's Blofeld was pretty lame too, so I don't think an alternate version of NTTD with him killing Bond would have been any better in that area.
  • Posts: 725
    At least the story made sense and there was a cumulative “final boss” effect. Here it’s just some side character that comes outta nowhere.
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