The U.S. release of No Time to Die features a slightly different and overall inferior version of the classic James Bond opening when compared to the U.K. release. Daniel Craig’s last 007 outing is full of traditional elements from the franchise’s past, from Bond’s iconic Aston Martin to the obligatory “Bond, James Bond” line. Bond 25 also begins with the famous gun barrel intro sequence, but the U.S. version isn’t as fun as the one seen in theaters in the U.K.
Since the James Bond movies first began with Dr. No in 1962, the gun barrel opening has been a key element. The shot at this point is one of the most recognizable in the history of film – small dots pan across the screen before becoming the barrel of a gun, focused on a walking Bond in the distance. When 007 reaches the center of the screen, he turns and fires his own gun directly into the camera, usually causing a wave of blood to wash down the screen as the iconic James Bond theme music plays in the background. At this point, it’s nearly impossible to imagine Bond starting out a film in any other way.
All versions of Craig's No Time to Die feature some take on the gun barrel opening, but the U.S. release’s is definitely the least interesting. Because the U.K. and international releases are distributed by Universal Pictures, those versions start out with the iconic Universal globe logo, which then transforms into the gun barrel to kick off the opening sequence. In the U.S. release, which is not distributed by Universal, the dots simply appear as normal. While it’s not a huge change by any means, it’s always fun to see what new spin each James Bond movie puts on the opening sequence, and the U.K. version is certainly more creative this time around.
There are some larger changes to the gun barrel sequence in No Time to Die across all versions, the most notable of which is the absence of the usual blood wash that follows the firing of Bond’s gun. Instead, the shot starts to fade to white and zooms in to transition to the first scene of the movie. Near the end of No Time to Die, there is also a scene in which Craig’s Bond fires at the camera down a tube-like hallway, clearly evoking the opening sequence.
Given how many things have changed in Craig’s James Bond era, it’s nice to see so many traditions still alive and well in No Time to Die. The balance of old and new is a big part of why James Bond has remained so popular during Craig’s time in the role, and that balance has never been better than in No Time to Die. There may be bigger changes coming with the next Bond after Craig, but No Time to Die closes out his tenure with due respect to both his own additions and the franchise’s origins.