James Bond – very much alive

 The much-delayed James Bond movie ”No Time to Die” has premiered to rave five star reviews (mainly) with a sparkling Royal send off in London. It is Daniel Craig’s fifth and last as 007 and the 25^th in the series since the original Dr No with Sean Connery.

“It’s better than good. It’s magnificent. A huge thundering epic. Extravagant, satisfying and moving. An epic barnstormer. Startling, exotically self-aware, funny and confident, and perhaps most of all it is big: big action, big laughs, big stunts.”

Though rousing cheers may not be enough to bring in the box office with audiences still wary and lockdowns/and or social distancing still in place.

  Reception for Dr No when it first launched in 1962 was muted, though it made a profit and grew in popularity over the years. The London premiere on 5 October 1962 had a Libra Sun trine Saturn in Aquarius and sextile a ‘leadership’ Leo North Node; with a confident Jupiter opposition Pluto Uranus in Virgo.  

 It suited Sean Connery, 25 Aug 1930, with his Sun Neptune in Virgo and his quirky Venus in Libra opposition Uranus sitting on the ‘Do No’ Sun. And his successor Roger Moore, 14 October 1927, with his Libra Sun Mars and Venus in Virgo. Pierce Brosnan, 16 May 1952, brought a softer emphasis with his Taurus Sun and Venus opposition the ‘Dr No’ Venus Neptune.

  Daniel Craig, 2 March 1968, was born at the end of the Uranus Pluto conjunction in Virgo which spawned the series and his Mars Saturn conjunction in Aries opposes the original movie Libra Sun so he might seem an edgier fit. But he resonates with Ian Fleming, the novelist, 28 May 1908, who had Saturn in Aries square Mars in Cancer. The all brought their own take on the iconic character.

  Both the original producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman had their Jupiter in Virgo to boost its chances of success. Barbara Broccoli, 18 June 1960, who picked up the mantle and is now the organizational face of the franchise has her Pluto and North Node in Virgo. She’s not looking too ecstatic over the next two or three years with a frustrating tr Pluto square her Mars in 2022/23 followed by an undermining tr Neptune square her Gemini Sun Venus opposition Jupiter.

  Daniel Craig was reluctant initially to take on the role in 2005 because of the fame baggage that went with it and kicked against the physical toll the stunts imposed on him when the tr Uranus square tr Pluto was grinding down his Mars Saturn through the previous decade. Now he’s free to pick and choose his performances ahead though he may have a fallow several years before hitting his stride around 2025 when tr Uranus squares his Jupiter.