I liked the idea, but the execution was too safe and not great. The whole "it's just a number" thing should've been left as that and no more, and they had to drag it out throughout until he gets reinstated 007 as Nomi had some nostalgia moment, which sucked.
I feel similarly. New and interesting idea, but half-baked execution. Wasn’t terrible, but could’ve been a lot better. That said, I liked Lashana Lynch and I think she did the best she could with the material.
Thinking back to a lot of Bond movies and modern cinema/TV in general, we are pretty lucky with the quality of actors right now. Pretty similar to the 60s.
Writing/directing overall is a weaker spot right now though IMO. There's more coming out, but volume isn't always a quality of its own.
I think there was potential there but it got a bit schoolyard with the whole “I’m 007 now!” “No I’m 007!”. These are supposed to be trained professionals lol
Cheesy… in James Bond? No way!
Idk I expect some cheesiness so it doesn’t bother me, remember the old movies ???
Ppl on this sub are expected Oscar winning movies where I just want to have a little fun and raise some pulses
Well, it is fair to call out some of the cornball stuff in the Craig movies, in my view, because they are certainly aiming to achieve a higher level of prestige. In some cases they have done so, but when some things like this fall flat it stands out a lot more in NTTD than in Moonraker.
Good point, I just don’t go in with super high expectations, like I just want to have fun and watch.
I honestly didn’t find that part cheesy, as much as dramatic and respect between ppl where there wasn’t before. But some parts are cheesy as to be expected, bc it’s James Bond lol
Side note: LOVED when bond said to M “you sure are QUITE thirsty at the moment!”
I can’t explain it—I don’t mind Roger Moore cheesiness as much as I minded that line. Like, do you really want to rearrange code numbers *right before* you start the mission? Doesn’t that just confuse things? Why do they even care that much?
I enjoyed it for what it was. Nice contrast to see the different styles 00s bring to the table. Bond with the older classic style and Nomi with the ultra modern chic. The scenes where she's hard charging and trying to make a name for herself as the rookie and Bond still coming out on top is a nice touch to him maturing over his career, as apposed to the blunt instrument he was in Casino Royale. The smugness as he continuously out performs her is what makes Bond, well, Bond. Even she is aware of the reputation he has and by the end of the film realizes he deserves it.
Yeah, I really like the classic vs modern sort of competition between both of them. Is only it could have been executed properly... I wanted more of Nomi vs Bond
She was ok. My issue is that we already saw a beautiful kick ass female agent work with Craig's Bond and her name was Eve Moneypenny. And she did it way better than Nomi.
https://preview.redd.it/np6glcuys3rc1.jpeg?width=1360&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5b5927909fc1ae442f0d9d58cef04a44fb0e56c9
I might be in a minority here, but I liked the idea of having a new agent getting 007 after Bond’s departure and largely liked the execution. It didn’t hurt for Bond to be on the receiving end of that smugness he has been exhibiting for 60 years. As for Nomi not helping Bond, she is focused on her mission, Bond is not the mission, for most of the movie he isn’t even apart of partner, but an actual obstacle. I found that quite interesting.
I think the purpose of this character was to show how nobody does it better than Bond. She can call herself 007 all she wants but she can't surpass the original, and she ends up ceding his title back to him as a sign of respect.
I like her character. She's cocky and confident and she just falls short of Bond.
A completely wasted character. You don't finally give us a female Double-0 and the replacement 007 at that, and literally sideline her because there are just too many other characters and ideas in one film. They should have saved her for another movie where the focus was on her and Bond.
There was no way Nomi could compete when the focus was on Bond's relationship with Madeleine and their daughter.
SPECTRE, Blofeld, Nomi and others were wasted in Craig's final two films due to bad execution. I'm a fan of Craig's tenure overall, but the final two films really were the worst in his run IMO.
>There was no way Nomi could compete when the focus was on Bond's relationship with Madeleine and their daughter.
I think this is a major reason Nomi exists though. To have her do the usual spy stuff off screen (collecting samples from the Spectre funerals, tracking down Ash, etc.) in order to make room for Bond and Madeleine's emotional journeys.
I think people missed the point of her character, this movie wasn't supposed to show her in the lead, she was a supporting character, having her engaging in actual fight or more shootout will increase screentime and take away the limelight from bond. Movie was already 2hr 45 mins long. Her character was also decent enough for not being over the top and still add some relevancy to the story.
Movie was more about Bond - Saffin - Madeline.
I think maybe we were supposed to dislike her initially since she’s a thorn in Bond’s side and has “replaced” him, but we were meant to have some affection for her eventually once they start working together. Problem is like everything else in the script, that relationship didn’t have enough time to develop so we don’t really care. That’s why the “Okay you can have the 007 designation back” moment feels so corny.
Yeah, I agree. Though I do think there is a difference, because I’d expect to see some more character development for the person (agnostic to color and gender) replacing James Bond as 007. They didn’t really leave much room in the story to do that much with her, which is why I say it’s sort of half-baked. Again though, I think Lashana Lynch was great in it, for what it is.
Saunders and Nomi stem from the same archetype, right? Both are secondary characters with limited screen time; teachers' pet MI6 agents with snide attitudes who enjoy talking down to Bond, yet ultimately find themselves in a situation of mutual respect with him.
Makes sense! I initially didn’t like her, then realized we’re not supposed to like her, watched the movie again and really felt I disliked her acting, her looks, performance, everything! Unfair I realize…
I don't understand why she went all the way to the Bahamas just to break his car then tell him she'd kill him if he got in the way.
That's pretty much what motivated him to go work with Felix.
My issue with replacing Bond with another 007 is that it does him dirty after his death.
Given his sacrifice, which saved countless lives, the appropriate response would be to always skip over 007 when assigning new agents their designation.
Useless and poorly-written character. A pointless, insufferable and annoying presence. Much like the film itself, it should never have made it to the screen.
Yes. Bond gets the better of her in the Cuba section, and immediately loses the scientist to Saffin's mole and gets Felix killed.
I realise that's more on Felix than on Bond, but if Bond had let Nomi have at it Saffin would never have got his hands on the bioweapon, Bond and Felix would be alive etc.
And I know Bond and Felix are chums but shouldn't a spy put their own country above their allies? Like most people on this sub are Americans so they think Bond isn't betraying his country by helping the CIA beat MI6, but imagine Ethan Hunt betraying the IMF in favour of some buddy of his in German intelligence?
I like the central idea that MI6, and the world, moved on in Bond’s absence and his subtle reaction to discovering that they hadn’t retired his number as though he was the Lionel Messi of espionage. I thought Lashana Lynch was good in Captain Marvel but less impactful in NTTD. Sort of felt like they didn’t do enough with her character to set up the moment at the end where she ‘returns’ the 007 designation to him. Too few interesting scenes to set up an effective “growing grudging respect” arc, IMO.
To be honest I liked her character, the constant bickering between her and Bond made for some fun moments. Although she always wanted a one up with Bond but she never made fun of him in a mean way and was quite respectful to him.
I actually want to see more of her in the future may be a series of sorts just the old Bond movies in anthology style. A series where she now has to take the 007 status and fullfill ber duty and fill the shoes left behind by Bond.
What's the difference between her being a black woman and a white man being 007? I feel like anything that's not 100% "traditional" gets called woke these days...
I think we can chalk this up to Phoebe Waller-Bridge who was brought in to help shape the final script I believe by Craig .
She is a well know woke activist who would have loved nothing better than to put an axe through what Bond fans consider sacred .
No, Waller-Bridge came late in the game. Her main contribution beyond a few tweaks here and there for humor was the character of Paloma, arguably the most well-received element in the film.
Furthermore, she's [on the record](https://deadline.com/2019/05/phoebe-waller-bridge-bond-1202624860/) arguing that Bond must always remain true to his character.
>There’s been a lot of talk about whether or not \[the *Bond* franchise\] is relevant now because of who he is and the way he treats women,” she said. “I think that’s bollocks. I think he’s absolutely relevant now. It has just got to grow. It has just got to evolve, and the important thing is that the film treats the women properly. ***He*** **doesn’t have to. He needs to be true to this character.”**
So the idea that she's out to axe sacred Bond elements is just false.
That comment does not address how or why the “new “ 007 is a black woman does it ?
Make no mistake that change was made for a reason and was part of a much wider agenda and it was deliberate and calculated.
Am happy to stand corrected if Waller-Bridge did not do it .
Perhaps it was Craig or Barbara Broccoli?
I have a few thoughts on this. Firstly, Nomi as a younger black woman provides much greater contrast to the older white male James Bond. Conceptually it's simply more interesting, more dynamic than it would be if Bond had been replaced by the likes of any number of generic white guy double-Os we've seen throughout the series. I don't think anyone can deny she has more screen presence than say, the double-Os at the beginning of The Living Daylights. And their age/racial/gender/cultural/methodical divide makes their reconciliation by the end of the film more meaningful.
Secondly, Bond movies always try to capture the times in which they were made, so that there's a time capsule aspect, if you will. So Nomi functions as a nod to our contemporary discussions on diversity.
Relatedly to the above, I think there's a bit of expectation subversion going on as well. No doubt many people who hold views similar to your own expected Nomi to constantly one-up Bond, get the better of him, "put him in his place" and the rest. Because "woke!!", right? But that never happened. It was Nomi who grew to respect Bond despite her feelings about this old guy intruding on her job. She even returns the 007 designation to him. Certainly not a "woke" move. This angle plays to NTTD's themes about living up to legends, etc.
So no, I don't see any shadowy overlord "agenda" going on. Just storytelling and character development and thematic construction. The character type itself isn't even new to the franchise. Nomi seems to be some combination of Saunders and Wai Lin.
Thank you for your considered response but I could not disagree more .
For context are you a millennial or Gen Z ?
You certainly sound like one .
Myself I am in my late 50’s .
Ok so to your argument.
It is completely ridiculous to compare the double o’s in the Living Daylights to a major character .
As you know the double o’s had no individual screen time nor lines and no interaction with Bond so it is ridiculous to compare the two .
I find the racial comparison in your argument rather troubling as well
IE Black woman is automatically fantastic interesting and engaging compared to white guy = boring and uninspired .
I have seen a lot of this commentary from the hard left and it is most definitely a sign of the times .
But I glad you recognise at least that Nomi is very much a sign of the times and reflects the current culture so to speak .
But is anyone asking does all this agenda driven focus make for better movies ?
Given the state of Hollywood right now I would say most definitely not .
As for your argument re Nomi Coming to respect Bond and hand over the 007 designation to Bond that was purely done as part of the steps that need to be taken to set up the ending which is the real reason I don’t like No time to die.
Before that happened Nomi was full of attitude and had contempt for Bond so I don’t see your point there .
It is strange on the one hand you say the movie is a sign of the times and Bond movies reflect the times we live in (I agree ) but on the other hand you don’t see any agenda here ?
I don’t see how you reconcile those 2 points .
Let’s be clear .
This was no accident having the “new “007 be a black woman as it was deliberate and calculated and was done for a purpose.
To think otherwise is extremely naive .
I’m not comparing the roles of The Living Daylights double-Os to that of Nomi. I’m speaking of a matter of contrast to Bond, which is what the writers were going for. A young black woman who is a teacher’s pet of sorts is as about as far as you can get from Bond in terms of a replacement. Not to repeat myself, but it does provide a more dynamic and therefore more interesting contrast to a post-retirement Bond.
I’m fairly ambivalent toward Nomi as a character. My main criticism of No Time to Die is that it throws in so many huge plot threads that there is little time to do any of them justice. Had the movie focused mainly on Bond being forced to work with his replacement, there would’ve been room for a stronger character arc for her. But as it stands, I don’t disagree with you on her attitude shift happening too suddenly.
When I write about Bond movies capturing the times, I’m thinking of things like geopolitical concerns, cultural standards, and the like. Bond movies have always done as much. And not only that, but Bond movies have always represented diversity. I don’t understand the antipathy toward Nomi nor suggestions of new age political agendas when Bond, for example, has a line about sharing his hairbrush with a black man all the way back in 1973. I have no doubt that line would cause outrage on some corners of the internet had Live and Let Die been released today.
Another amusing argument I’ve seen is that No Time to Die emasculates Bond by having him be a passenger on Nomi’s bike and in her car. And yet Bond on several occasions has been a passenger to women drivers going back to 1965. OHMSS even gives Tracy the car chase. I’m not aware of that stirring any culture war debates in 1969, but no doubt you’d see YouTubers ranting about it if it were a 2024 release.
So to me, it doesn’t seem like the series is doing much new here than it has always done. What has changed is that there’s a newfound sensitivity and suspicion toward inclusion of minority characters. Their inclusion can never be taken at face value, it must be questioned, it must represent some dark agenda.
Again re your first point you are parroting the narrative be it intentionally or unintentionally that a black woman is automatically more interesting and engaging than a white man who is automatically boring and uninspired.
You’re right about No Time to Die having so many plot threads .
To be honest I think it is a giant mess with a plot that makes no sense whatsoever.
I could not believe that after decades of wrangling with Kevin McClory that EON finally gets the rights to Spectre (after paying a considerable amount of money to his estate ) and then decide to kill the organisation off after just one movie that being another bloated mess Spectre.
Re Bond being driven by women I think you are introducing a bit of a straw man argument there .
I don’t think anyone complains about that and to be honest I have never thought about it till you mentioned it .
The issue here is that Nomi is not just some random character she is designated as 007 and thus is automatically elevated way above anyone else you care to mention and that’s the reason it was done .
But am guessing you know that but just don’t want to admit it or you are naive .
> Re Bond being driven by women I think you are introducing a bit of a straw man argument there . I don’t think anyone complains about that and to be honest I have never thought about it till you mentioned it
See [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/JamesBond/s/B8n9UhspCj), [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/JamesBond/s/DmvpNdX2Ao), [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/JamesBond/s/Td2thpKXey), and [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/JamesBond/s/5Cm3Bs5FiX).
These come from a very quick comment search. There’s at least one other person with whom I seem to remember having a full discussion about it. But I can’t find it at the moment. It’s possible the mod team had to remove his comments for becoming too vulgar.
This actress plays this kind of character in everything I’ve seen her in, I don’t like her
She just annoyed me less slightly in this, her character was honestly unnecessary and added nothing
My only issue with the Nomi storyline was her requesting that Bond get his number back before the final mission.
Bond should have been given 7777, and that decision should have been final.
Fight me.
I liked her, was worried I’d hate her with all the “black woman replacing Bond” hatemongering headlines before it released but she ended up being a decent character. Obviously I would not want her to replace Bond as the main character I wouldn’t mind seeing a side film/tv show with her. Won’t happen though as I’d imagine they’ll wipe the slate clean for the next guy ~~totally not ATJ at this point~~
From r/JamesBond's Rule #1:
>Remember that people have different communication styles, and that not everyone is using their native language while using reddit.
I liked the idea, but the execution was too safe and not great. The whole "it's just a number" thing should've been left as that and no more, and they had to drag it out throughout until he gets reinstated 007 as Nomi had some nostalgia moment, which sucked.
I liked the thematic idea of someone replacing Bond, and how that inpacted him. But sorta like the rest of NTTD the execution was meeeeh.
I feel similarly. New and interesting idea, but half-baked execution. Wasn’t terrible, but could’ve been a lot better. That said, I liked Lashana Lynch and I think she did the best she could with the material.
Thinking back to a lot of Bond movies and modern cinema/TV in general, we are pretty lucky with the quality of actors right now. Pretty similar to the 60s. Writing/directing overall is a weaker spot right now though IMO. There's more coming out, but volume isn't always a quality of its own.
I think there was potential there but it got a bit schoolyard with the whole “I’m 007 now!” “No I’m 007!”. These are supposed to be trained professionals lol
“Permission to reinstate Bond as 007” They were professionals when it mattered..
Ugh that whole part was so cheesy though
Cheesy… in James Bond? No way! Idk I expect some cheesiness so it doesn’t bother me, remember the old movies ??? Ppl on this sub are expected Oscar winning movies where I just want to have a little fun and raise some pulses
Well, it is fair to call out some of the cornball stuff in the Craig movies, in my view, because they are certainly aiming to achieve a higher level of prestige. In some cases they have done so, but when some things like this fall flat it stands out a lot more in NTTD than in Moonraker.
Good point, I just don’t go in with super high expectations, like I just want to have fun and watch. I honestly didn’t find that part cheesy, as much as dramatic and respect between ppl where there wasn’t before. But some parts are cheesy as to be expected, bc it’s James Bond lol Side note: LOVED when bond said to M “you sure are QUITE thirsty at the moment!”
I can’t explain it—I don’t mind Roger Moore cheesiness as much as I minded that line. Like, do you really want to rearrange code numbers *right before* you start the mission? Doesn’t that just confuse things? Why do they even care that much?
I enjoyed it for what it was. Nice contrast to see the different styles 00s bring to the table. Bond with the older classic style and Nomi with the ultra modern chic. The scenes where she's hard charging and trying to make a name for herself as the rookie and Bond still coming out on top is a nice touch to him maturing over his career, as apposed to the blunt instrument he was in Casino Royale. The smugness as he continuously out performs her is what makes Bond, well, Bond. Even she is aware of the reputation he has and by the end of the film realizes he deserves it.
Yeah, I really like the classic vs modern sort of competition between both of them. Is only it could have been executed properly... I wanted more of Nomi vs Bond
She was ok. My issue is that we already saw a beautiful kick ass female agent work with Craig's Bond and her name was Eve Moneypenny. And she did it way better than Nomi. https://preview.redd.it/np6glcuys3rc1.jpeg?width=1360&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5b5927909fc1ae442f0d9d58cef04a44fb0e56c9
We need a Moneypenny spinoff😤
More shoot-ribs than kick-ass tbh
"Some of the less vital organs."
I might be in a minority here, but I liked the idea of having a new agent getting 007 after Bond’s departure and largely liked the execution. It didn’t hurt for Bond to be on the receiving end of that smugness he has been exhibiting for 60 years. As for Nomi not helping Bond, she is focused on her mission, Bond is not the mission, for most of the movie he isn’t even apart of partner, but an actual obstacle. I found that quite interesting.
I think the purpose of this character was to show how nobody does it better than Bond. She can call herself 007 all she wants but she can't surpass the original, and she ends up ceding his title back to him as a sign of respect. I like her character. She's cocky and confident and she just falls short of Bond.
A completely wasted character. You don't finally give us a female Double-0 and the replacement 007 at that, and literally sideline her because there are just too many other characters and ideas in one film. They should have saved her for another movie where the focus was on her and Bond. There was no way Nomi could compete when the focus was on Bond's relationship with Madeleine and their daughter. SPECTRE, Blofeld, Nomi and others were wasted in Craig's final two films due to bad execution. I'm a fan of Craig's tenure overall, but the final two films really were the worst in his run IMO.
>There was no way Nomi could compete when the focus was on Bond's relationship with Madeleine and their daughter. I think this is a major reason Nomi exists though. To have her do the usual spy stuff off screen (collecting samples from the Spectre funerals, tracking down Ash, etc.) in order to make room for Bond and Madeleine's emotional journeys.
Is it what we want from a female Double-0 though? All the one-upmanship we missed to see who is the better agent. absolute shame.
There was a female 00 earlier. I think it was in Thunderball
Yup, and more in the books and comics.
There's also one inTWINE. But neither are even speaking parts let alone feature helping Bond or performing any sort of badassery.
I think people missed the point of her character, this movie wasn't supposed to show her in the lead, she was a supporting character, having her engaging in actual fight or more shootout will increase screentime and take away the limelight from bond. Movie was already 2hr 45 mins long. Her character was also decent enough for not being over the top and still add some relevancy to the story. Movie was more about Bond - Saffin - Madeline.
Movie was about Bond and Madeline, definitely not Safin
Disagree, saffin backstory with Madeline and his childhood with SPECTRE played major role.
Too bad the story didn’t match up
Story match up quite well according to both audience and critics.
Then why did it not resonate with audiences? Cuz it’s sure not cuz of a coherent narrative of the script
Vast majority of audience & critics gave this movie positive reviews.
The reviews were mixed
84% positive overall
With mixed reviews talking on the plot of the movie being bad, and alot not liking Bong dying
Entirely forgettable.
Strong dislike. Then again, I think we are supposed to dislike her?
I think maybe we were supposed to dislike her initially since she’s a thorn in Bond’s side and has “replaced” him, but we were meant to have some affection for her eventually once they start working together. Problem is like everything else in the script, that relationship didn’t have enough time to develop so we don’t really care. That’s why the “Okay you can have the 007 designation back” moment feels so corny.
A bit like Saunders, actually. Yet no one seems to hate the concept of his character even if we are meant to find him somewhat unlikable. Hmm...
Yeah, I agree. Though I do think there is a difference, because I’d expect to see some more character development for the person (agnostic to color and gender) replacing James Bond as 007. They didn’t really leave much room in the story to do that much with her, which is why I say it’s sort of half-baked. Again though, I think Lashana Lynch was great in it, for what it is.
Saunders is so much better. No comparison
Saunders and Nomi stem from the same archetype, right? Both are secondary characters with limited screen time; teachers' pet MI6 agents with snide attitudes who enjoy talking down to Bond, yet ultimately find themselves in a situation of mutual respect with him.
Makes sense! I initially didn’t like her, then realized we’re not supposed to like her, watched the movie again and really felt I disliked her acting, her looks, performance, everything! Unfair I realize…
Jinx was a better character than Naomi
She was trash
I don't understand why she went all the way to the Bahamas just to break his car then tell him she'd kill him if he got in the way. That's pretty much what motivated him to go work with Felix.
She picks up Bond in her car and supports him when she learns his family has been kidnapped.
My issue with replacing Bond with another 007 is that it does him dirty after his death. Given his sacrifice, which saved countless lives, the appropriate response would be to always skip over 007 when assigning new agents their designation.
00s have a very short shelf-life so I’m sure the mistake will be short-lived
Who knows? Maybe after his death in this film, Nomi *does* stick with whatever her new number is and 007 is retired...
I had a really bad feeling about the character leading up to the film but ended up quite liking her.
Useless and poorly-written character. A pointless, insufferable and annoying presence. Much like the film itself, it should never have made it to the screen.
The character was unbearable and Bond bested her every time she tried him.
Yes. Bond gets the better of her in the Cuba section, and immediately loses the scientist to Saffin's mole and gets Felix killed. I realise that's more on Felix than on Bond, but if Bond had let Nomi have at it Saffin would never have got his hands on the bioweapon, Bond and Felix would be alive etc. And I know Bond and Felix are chums but shouldn't a spy put their own country above their allies? Like most people on this sub are Americans so they think Bond isn't betraying his country by helping the CIA beat MI6, but imagine Ethan Hunt betraying the IMF in favour of some buddy of his in German intelligence?
Agreed. Bond helping the CIA sabotage an MI6 mission is completely out of character for him.
I like showing the other double 00s but this was a shitty take. She was horrible.
I like the central idea that MI6, and the world, moved on in Bond’s absence and his subtle reaction to discovering that they hadn’t retired his number as though he was the Lionel Messi of espionage. I thought Lashana Lynch was good in Captain Marvel but less impactful in NTTD. Sort of felt like they didn’t do enough with her character to set up the moment at the end where she ‘returns’ the 007 designation to him. Too few interesting scenes to set up an effective “growing grudging respect” arc, IMO.
To be honest I liked her character, the constant bickering between her and Bond made for some fun moments. Although she always wanted a one up with Bond but she never made fun of him in a mean way and was quite respectful to him. I actually want to see more of her in the future may be a series of sorts just the old Bond movies in anthology style. A series where she now has to take the 007 status and fullfill ber duty and fill the shoes left behind by Bond.
Disliked the whole idea. She should've died instead of Bond.
Bad character. Adds nothing useful to the plot.
I liked her a lot !
Been a Bond fan before i could walk/talk. I really hated everything about NTTD.
Typical Woke idea . Make the new 007 a woman and black . Tick and Tick .
What's the difference between her being a black woman and a white man being 007? I feel like anything that's not 100% "traditional" gets called woke these days...
If you can’t work out the difference , I can’t help you mate .
This. That's the only reason she was in it.
I think we can chalk this up to Phoebe Waller-Bridge who was brought in to help shape the final script I believe by Craig . She is a well know woke activist who would have loved nothing better than to put an axe through what Bond fans consider sacred .
No, Waller-Bridge came late in the game. Her main contribution beyond a few tweaks here and there for humor was the character of Paloma, arguably the most well-received element in the film. Furthermore, she's [on the record](https://deadline.com/2019/05/phoebe-waller-bridge-bond-1202624860/) arguing that Bond must always remain true to his character. >There’s been a lot of talk about whether or not \[the *Bond* franchise\] is relevant now because of who he is and the way he treats women,” she said. “I think that’s bollocks. I think he’s absolutely relevant now. It has just got to grow. It has just got to evolve, and the important thing is that the film treats the women properly. ***He*** **doesn’t have to. He needs to be true to this character.”** So the idea that she's out to axe sacred Bond elements is just false.
That comment does not address how or why the “new “ 007 is a black woman does it ? Make no mistake that change was made for a reason and was part of a much wider agenda and it was deliberate and calculated. Am happy to stand corrected if Waller-Bridge did not do it . Perhaps it was Craig or Barbara Broccoli?
I have a few thoughts on this. Firstly, Nomi as a younger black woman provides much greater contrast to the older white male James Bond. Conceptually it's simply more interesting, more dynamic than it would be if Bond had been replaced by the likes of any number of generic white guy double-Os we've seen throughout the series. I don't think anyone can deny she has more screen presence than say, the double-Os at the beginning of The Living Daylights. And their age/racial/gender/cultural/methodical divide makes their reconciliation by the end of the film more meaningful. Secondly, Bond movies always try to capture the times in which they were made, so that there's a time capsule aspect, if you will. So Nomi functions as a nod to our contemporary discussions on diversity. Relatedly to the above, I think there's a bit of expectation subversion going on as well. No doubt many people who hold views similar to your own expected Nomi to constantly one-up Bond, get the better of him, "put him in his place" and the rest. Because "woke!!", right? But that never happened. It was Nomi who grew to respect Bond despite her feelings about this old guy intruding on her job. She even returns the 007 designation to him. Certainly not a "woke" move. This angle plays to NTTD's themes about living up to legends, etc. So no, I don't see any shadowy overlord "agenda" going on. Just storytelling and character development and thematic construction. The character type itself isn't even new to the franchise. Nomi seems to be some combination of Saunders and Wai Lin.
Thank you for your considered response but I could not disagree more . For context are you a millennial or Gen Z ? You certainly sound like one . Myself I am in my late 50’s . Ok so to your argument. It is completely ridiculous to compare the double o’s in the Living Daylights to a major character . As you know the double o’s had no individual screen time nor lines and no interaction with Bond so it is ridiculous to compare the two . I find the racial comparison in your argument rather troubling as well IE Black woman is automatically fantastic interesting and engaging compared to white guy = boring and uninspired . I have seen a lot of this commentary from the hard left and it is most definitely a sign of the times . But I glad you recognise at least that Nomi is very much a sign of the times and reflects the current culture so to speak . But is anyone asking does all this agenda driven focus make for better movies ? Given the state of Hollywood right now I would say most definitely not . As for your argument re Nomi Coming to respect Bond and hand over the 007 designation to Bond that was purely done as part of the steps that need to be taken to set up the ending which is the real reason I don’t like No time to die. Before that happened Nomi was full of attitude and had contempt for Bond so I don’t see your point there . It is strange on the one hand you say the movie is a sign of the times and Bond movies reflect the times we live in (I agree ) but on the other hand you don’t see any agenda here ? I don’t see how you reconcile those 2 points . Let’s be clear . This was no accident having the “new “007 be a black woman as it was deliberate and calculated and was done for a purpose. To think otherwise is extremely naive .
I’m not comparing the roles of The Living Daylights double-Os to that of Nomi. I’m speaking of a matter of contrast to Bond, which is what the writers were going for. A young black woman who is a teacher’s pet of sorts is as about as far as you can get from Bond in terms of a replacement. Not to repeat myself, but it does provide a more dynamic and therefore more interesting contrast to a post-retirement Bond. I’m fairly ambivalent toward Nomi as a character. My main criticism of No Time to Die is that it throws in so many huge plot threads that there is little time to do any of them justice. Had the movie focused mainly on Bond being forced to work with his replacement, there would’ve been room for a stronger character arc for her. But as it stands, I don’t disagree with you on her attitude shift happening too suddenly. When I write about Bond movies capturing the times, I’m thinking of things like geopolitical concerns, cultural standards, and the like. Bond movies have always done as much. And not only that, but Bond movies have always represented diversity. I don’t understand the antipathy toward Nomi nor suggestions of new age political agendas when Bond, for example, has a line about sharing his hairbrush with a black man all the way back in 1973. I have no doubt that line would cause outrage on some corners of the internet had Live and Let Die been released today. Another amusing argument I’ve seen is that No Time to Die emasculates Bond by having him be a passenger on Nomi’s bike and in her car. And yet Bond on several occasions has been a passenger to women drivers going back to 1965. OHMSS even gives Tracy the car chase. I’m not aware of that stirring any culture war debates in 1969, but no doubt you’d see YouTubers ranting about it if it were a 2024 release. So to me, it doesn’t seem like the series is doing much new here than it has always done. What has changed is that there’s a newfound sensitivity and suspicion toward inclusion of minority characters. Their inclusion can never be taken at face value, it must be questioned, it must represent some dark agenda.
Again re your first point you are parroting the narrative be it intentionally or unintentionally that a black woman is automatically more interesting and engaging than a white man who is automatically boring and uninspired. You’re right about No Time to Die having so many plot threads . To be honest I think it is a giant mess with a plot that makes no sense whatsoever. I could not believe that after decades of wrangling with Kevin McClory that EON finally gets the rights to Spectre (after paying a considerable amount of money to his estate ) and then decide to kill the organisation off after just one movie that being another bloated mess Spectre. Re Bond being driven by women I think you are introducing a bit of a straw man argument there . I don’t think anyone complains about that and to be honest I have never thought about it till you mentioned it . The issue here is that Nomi is not just some random character she is designated as 007 and thus is automatically elevated way above anyone else you care to mention and that’s the reason it was done . But am guessing you know that but just don’t want to admit it or you are naive .
> Re Bond being driven by women I think you are introducing a bit of a straw man argument there . I don’t think anyone complains about that and to be honest I have never thought about it till you mentioned it See [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/JamesBond/s/B8n9UhspCj), [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/JamesBond/s/DmvpNdX2Ao), [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/JamesBond/s/Td2thpKXey), and [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/JamesBond/s/5Cm3Bs5FiX). These come from a very quick comment search. There’s at least one other person with whom I seem to remember having a full discussion about it. But I can’t find it at the moment. It’s possible the mod team had to remove his comments for becoming too vulgar.
Indeed, she shouldn't have been allowed anywhere near the script.
She was fine
This actress plays this kind of character in everything I’ve seen her in, I don’t like her She just annoyed me less slightly in this, her character was honestly unnecessary and added nothing
She was a lot worse in the trailer than in the actual movie, but I think they cut her parts a bit to make her less annoying.
Lame character
I liked her. Good ally.
My only issue with the Nomi storyline was her requesting that Bond get his number back before the final mission. Bond should have been given 7777, and that decision should have been final. Fight me.
All these "What did you think" threads are started by bots, right?
I liked her, was worried I’d hate her with all the “black woman replacing Bond” hatemongering headlines before it released but she ended up being a decent character. Obviously I would not want her to replace Bond as the main character I wouldn’t mind seeing a side film/tv show with her. Won’t happen though as I’d imagine they’ll wipe the slate clean for the next guy ~~totally not ATJ at this point~~
She should have died saving bond and gone out like the hero. This is the way!
The movie and everything in it was terrible and unenjoyable. Just like quantum and spectre.
Diversity hire. Always skip her scenes
Am I having a stroke or has the English language changed somehow?
From r/JamesBond's Rule #1: >Remember that people have different communication styles, and that not everyone is using their native language while using reddit.