No Time To Die (why was this bad title even approved?) hits theaters in April 2020 and one of the things that has been greatly talked about is the return of criminal mastermind Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Christoph Waltz). At the end of Spectre, Bond managed to capture Blofeld but instead of killing him, he handed him over to the police.
Blofeld is the most recurring character in Bond films and Ian Fleming’s novels. He has appeared in nine films in total. His first appearance came in Thunderball (1961) and from time, he’s been brought back more than Ricky Gervais gets brought back to host the Golden Globes.
He has also been portrayed by seven different actors. But is he really needed in No Time To Die? Rami Malek will be playing the main villain called Safin in the movie. So, why bring back Blofeld? Well, there might be a good reason for that. We’ll have to wait and see. Meanwhile, let’s make some arguments for and against his return.
Great: His Story Didn’t End In Spectre
In the previous not-so-good Bond movie that was Spectre, Blofeld was arrested in the final scene. We’d definitely love to know what happened to him after that. Did he tattoo maps on his body and flee like Michael Scofield? It’s a high possibility.
The most recent trailer for No Time To Die showed him in prison attire. For a devious man like Blofeld, we can bet he won’t be there for long. And if he stays behind bars, will he still be able to control what happens in the outside world? A man like him can never be underestimated so be prepared for anything.
Not Great: His Appearances Have Become Monotonous
Blofeld has appeared in too many Bond movies. Even in most movies where he hasn’t appeared, he is said to have been indirectly responsible for some of the events that took place. Does he have ’no time to rest?’ It’s like the Joker making an appearance every Batman film or controlling every other Gotham villain. It can get boring.
Other villains ought to be given the opportunity to cause havoc on their own without the shadow of Blofeld hanging over them. So, enjoy your prison time Mr. Blofeld. Leave Bond alone. Find an inmate to bully.
Great: Waltz Is Tied To Craig
If Blofeld’s return was to be pushed to a future Bond movie after No Time To Die, it would feel like something is missing. Especially if Waltz would be reprising his role. That’s because Craig won’t be in it. The British actor is making his final appearance as Bond in No Time To Die.
Waltz is already tied to Craig and since Craig is suiting up as the MI6 spy for the last time, it would only be fair to bring Waltz back as well. Let him conclude his business as Blofeld then in the future, another actor can be hired to play the role.
Not Great: It Was One Of Christopher Waltz’s Worst Roles
Despite being a highly decorated actor with two Academy Awards, Christoph Waltz just wasn’t as convincing as Blofeld. He wasn’t the crazy Waltz we saw in the Tarantino films Inglorious Basterds and Django Unchained. He almost looked like he was about to cry for his favorite director.
Many expected him to be even more phenomenal as Blofeld but his appearance in Spectre ended up being one of his worst ever performances. Do we really need him back? Maybe we do. Maybe we don’t.
Great: Two Villains Are Better Than One
The more the bad guys, the more the tough times. There is no denying that in a number of 007 installments, Bond has had it too easy with the bad guys. We don’t expect the same in No Time To Die. We expect him to be brought to his knees before rising up again.
With Bohemian Rhapsody and Mr. Robot star Rami Malek playing the main bond villain called Safin, it would be interesting to see how his character teams up with Blofeld to give Bond hell. Hopefully, Safin won’t end up being a puppet for Blofeld. It would even be better if he disagrees with Blofeld and kills him before stating. “Sorry. There’s only room for one evil mastermind.”
Not Great: The Thing About Critics…
There’s a familiar pattern among film critics. If they like your first few films as an actor, director or studio, they are more likely to like everything else you do. That’s why even highly divisive Marvel movies like Captain Marvel still received praise among critics.
In Spectre, critics loved Craig’s performance as Bond (they always have), but they weren’t convinced by Waltz. This is unlikely to change. Once again the general consensus might be that he just doesn’t fit the Bond franchise. This might affect the film as a whole. No one wants two consecutive Bond movies with bad reviews.
Great: SPECTRE Has To Remain Operational
Most of Ian Fleming’s novels featured the fictional terrorist organization known as SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion). The organization was headed by Blofeld and he used it to cause havoc all over the world.
Blofeld is currently behind bars but the organization has to keep running. The thing about criminal organizations is that they are not like snakes. Once the head is cut off, the body keeps movies. In most cases, a new head grows. So, maybe Blofeld will hand over the management of SPECTRE to Safin.
Not Great: Blofeld Might Look Like A B-Player
There is a possible scenario where Rami Malek ends up being too good in his role as Safin. He’s an extremely talented actor so this is highly likely to happen. And when it does, Waltz might look terrible. As a result, Blofeld won’t come off as the menacing villain he always is.
Consequently, Blofeld will never be seen as the big bad tough guy of the Bond movies again. This isn’t good because Blofeld needs to maintain that Joker and Thanos aura. If another villain outshines him, fans might easily forget about him. That’s why it would have been safer to keep Blofeld out until its time for him to be the main villain in another Bond installment.
Great: Proper Justice
Bond villains normally die hilarious but gruesome deaths. It’s the tradition and there’s a whole lot of creativity involved in them too. Some are dropped into factory chimneys while some are forced to ingest gas capsules, causing them to explode.
Spectre’s ending was anticlimactic because there was an arrest instead of a death. What fans really want to see is Blofeld getting killed. He has done so much harm behind the scenes including Vesper’s death in Casino Royale. Blofeld clearly told Bond, “It was me all along. The author of all your pain.” For all the trouble that Blofeld has put 007 through, Bond deserves to finish him off properly.
Not Great: Longer Running Time
If Blofeld is to have any kind of memorable impact in No Time To Die, he’ll have to be given plenty of screen time. With Safin’s evil masterplan also consuming plenty of minutes, we might end up with a very long movie. Sleeping in the cinema is never fun. Especially when your sleep keeps getting interrupted by gunshots.
We sincerely hope that Scorsese and The Russo Brothers haven’t influenced Fukunaga. Three hours might be okay for The Irishman and Avengers Endgame, but for a Bond movie, this might just be too long.
