No Time To Die (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)

No Time To Die marks the end of an era…at least for Daniel Craig as James Bond.  I’m bittersweet about it because while I know the titular character of 007 James Bond will live on again actor Daniel Craig was my most favorite Bond.  I have mad respect for the 007 lore and fandom, but I’ll admit to not being the biggest James Bond fan.  2006’s Casino Royale changed all of that for me.  And while the Daniel Craig films have been hit or miss I’m still very sad to call this an end of an era.  Anyone that has interest can see how I ranked and scored the rest of the Daniel Craig 007 Bond collection of films in my 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of the set HERE.  However, for now and the rest of the review, let’s be concise and focus our proverbial spotlight on the December 21st Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Disc release of 007’s No Time To Die.

Film 

Make no mistake about it No Time To Die is now officially Daniel Craig’s last stint as the legendary 007 secret agent James Bond.  The filmmakers have seen to that and that’s all I’ll say on the matter.  Well that and the fact that it’s hard to watch No Time To Die a second time now because I know it’s inevitably means the conclusive end to Daniel Craig’s time as James Bond.  However, fret not as James Bond will return to the big screen and on your favorite viewing device in a few years or so.  And who knows the next 007 incarnation could always be bigger and better.  That’s at least exciting to think about that and all the possibilities this franchise could go to.  

Cary Joni Fukunaga is in the director’s chair this time working off a screenplay written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and also Cary.  I spent a lot of time up above going on and on about Daniel Craig, but there’s other stars in this one too.  In addition to everyone’s favorite secret agent we are pleasured with performances by Rami Malek, Lea Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Ben Winshaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Christopher Waltz, Ralph Fiennes and all too short, albeit hella fun, visit from Ana de Armas.  This time out the film’s title song is performed by Billie Eilish, which I personally find unmemorable and instead choose to hum the Spectre song while this one is playing.  It sounds the same anyway.  And oh yeah!  There’s the man Hans Zimmer providing the musical score throughout.  So now that we got that all the way what do you say we talk about what all goes down here or as much as we can while staying spoiler free.  

Before all hell breaks loose in this feature we find James Bond living retired life in Jamaica with his honey from the previous film.  However, when his old buddy Felix shows up things go belly up.  Bond not only has to return to service and save the world again from a dangerous scientist hell bent on destroying the world with some evil technology, but he also has some serious woman problems to contend with.  Can he trust his newest squeeze?  Is she who she says she is?  That’s for you to find out.  For a more in-depth breakdown of No Time To Die check out Peter Paras’ movie review of it all HERE.

Looking back now at all five Daniel Craig Bond films I would have to rank them in order as follows: Casino Royale, Skyfall, No Time To Die, Quantum of Solace and Spectre.  I enjoyed No Time To Die a lot, but be warned it is a long movie.  However, if you’re a fan of these films, you probably won’t even notice the near 3-hour runtime.  It’s the thrilling and explosive conclusion to Daniel Craig’s run at playing James Bond and I don’t think anybody can argue with that fact.  Enjoy!

Video 

Let’s talk in detail a little bit about what the 4K UHD transfer brings to the table in the video department here.  Just as a side note there’s also a 1080p Blu-ray included in this set with the main feature presentation on it too.

• Encoding: HEVC / H.265
• Resolution: 4K (2160p)
• Dolby Vision HDR: Yes
• HDR10+: Yes
• Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
• Size: BD 100
• Clarity/Detail: I popped in the Blu-ray to quickly proof it before inserting the 4K Disc into my UHD player of choice.  I got to say while the Blu-ray looked amazing the 4K UHD Disc looked even more incredible.  This is by far one of the best transfers I have seen all year long on the 4K UHD Disc format.  There is no shortage of fine detail or clarity abound throughout here.  Every texture whether rock, stone or clothing is brilliant rendered with the utmost in clarity, detail and realism.  I even love the way snow looks (and I hate the cold) or metallic surfaces resonate and reflect in this one.  The cinematic feel is both bountiful and beautiful. It is said that the HEVC H.265 encode was accumulated from a combination of traditional 35mm, 65mm and IMAX cameras, which were later mastered to this incredible looking 4K digital intermediate.
• Depth: Depth of field is everywhere you look at here from the gorgeous Italian landscapes to the freezing white snow-covered ones.  The exceptional clarity, detail and shadow delineation separates the foregrounds from the backgrounds opening up your viewing experience here with the utmost of vastness.
• Black Levels: The black levels are spot on with everything in check and looking natural.  The blacks are deep and thick, but we never lose anything in the tiniest of shadows here.
• Color Reproduction: This is a very vibrant and bright presentation thanks in part to the Dolby Vision HDR.  Contrast is the king here producing rich dynamics and lively environments.
• Flesh Tones: The skin tones all look natural and healthy throughout.
• Noise/Artifacts: This 4K UHD presentation is free and clear of any source or encode noise.  Things look picture perfect throughout.

Audio 

There’s the same Dolby Atmos surround track found on both the 1080p and 4K UHD presentations across both discs in this package so needless to say we’re tackling the same audio track down below.

• Audio Format: English (Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital 2.0 for bonus content), French European (Dolby Digital 7.1), Latin American Spanish (Dolby Digital 7.1)
• Subtitles: English, French Canadian and Latin American Spanish
• Dynamics: Like I said up above in the video section the Dolby Atmos surround track here is also one of the best of the year I have encountered on the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format.  It’s quiet, it’s soft and it’s wide throttle open!  You can hear every single thing and best of all nothing gets lost in the shuffle of it all.  Everything feels so spacious here with more than adequate breathing room…even the Hans Zimmer score.
• Height: Helicopters, explosions, debris falling, ambiance/discrete effects and more rain down on you in this Dolby Atmos spatial surround track.
• Low Frequency Extension: This one gets pretty action packed and make no mistake No Time To Die‘s Atmos track packs a serious wallop from the fight scenes, gun shots, car chases and so much more!  There’s an overwhelming sense of heftiness in the bass department carrying things throughout here.  Things get quite aggressive and intense!
• Surround Sound Presentation: Like I said up above in the dynamics field, the rears do their absolute best to keep up with every roar, gunshot whizzing by, helicopters, vehicles, explosions, environmental moments and so much more.  This one engulfs you in all the zaniness.  One of my favorite moments is when Jame’s car is getting hit by an onslaught of bullets and things are spinning around with the action unfolding onscreen.
• Dialogue Reproduction: Impeccable!  Every voice is loud, well prioritized and clear above any of the action or intense moments.  You won’t have any trouble hearing this one, not one at all.

Extras 

The 4K UHD Disc of No Time to Die features the four featurettes found on the Blu-ray plus an exclusive Daniel Craig Bond retrospective, which originally aired on Apple TV.  And as I stated up above already this 4K UHD set includes a Blu-ray copy of the feature film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code.  So while there’s not much to dissect here I do at least encourage you to watch the featurette titled “Being James Bond.”  That was 45-minutes well worth my time.

• ANATOMY OF A SCENE: MATERA (4K, 11:32) – In true Bond fashion, there is an incredible pre-credit sequence featured in No Time To Die.  It’s a chase shot in Matera that starts on foot, then motorcycle, then car.  Not just any car either – the iconic Aston Martin DB5!  Through interviews with Daniel Craig and director Cary Joji Fukunaga, plus on-set interviews with key members of the crew, we discover how the filmmakers shot this breathtaking sequence.  Consider this your making of the film’s opening action sequence.
• KEEPING IT REAL: THE ACTION OF NO TIME TO DIE (4K, 6:15) – In a world full of CGI-heavy action films, the Bond franchise proudly stands out from the crowd for always shooting practical stunts, without the use of special effects.  In this piece we see how No Time To Die continues with this tradition with its amazing action sequences.
• A GLOBAL JOURNEY (4K, 7:50) – Exotic locations are synonymous with all Bond movies and No Time To Die is no different. As well as returning to Bond’s spiritual home, Jamaica, for Daniel Craig’s final outing, we also go on a global journey taking in Italy, Norway and Scotland. We’ll hear from Daniel Craig, Cary Fukunaga, other key cast and filmmakers, on what it was like filming at these spectacular locations.
• DESIGNING BOND (4K, 11:04) – Production designer Mark Tildesley and costume designer Suttirat Anne Larlarb, along with cast and other filmmakers, discuss the inspiration, challenges and trials of concepting and making such remarkable sets and costumes for the iconic Bond franchise.
• BEING JAMES BOND (HD, 46:39) – In this special 45-minute retrospective, Daniel Craig candidly reflects on his 15-year adventure as James Bond.  Including never-before-seen archival footage from Casino Royale to the 25th film No Time To Die, Craig shares his personal memories in conversation with 007 producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, in the lead up to his final performance as James Bond.  This originally aired on Apple TV prior to this film’s release.  I remember checking it out the day before I saw No Time To Die and this got me really pumped for the movie!

Summary 

Don’t get lost in the shuffle.  Don’t miss out.  In other words run don’t walk to your newest retailer (or order it via the link below) and grab on 4K UHD Disc the explosion conclusion to Daniel Craig’s run as the legendary secret agent James Bond in No Time To Die.  Rest assured too that 4K UHD enthusiasts will welcome this December 21st with arms wide open because of its perfect audio and video presentations as well as over an hour of supplemental extras to boot.  Enjoy yourselves and Happy Holidays from my family to yours!  Thanks for reading!

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DISCLAIMER: This 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review was judged and graded using the following 4K certified Ultra HD Premium television set found here and player here.  Make sure to check out all our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray reviews archived here.

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No Time To Die

Concludes Daniel Craig’s Journey

on 4K UHD Blu-ray

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