Mission: Impossible

Ebert gave MI3 2-1/2 stars, which is like zero from a critic with actual standards.

http://filmexperience.blogspot.com/2006/05/history-of-missions-impossible.html

http://nypress.com/19/18/film/ArmondWhite.cfm

J.J. Abrams
Director - filmography
(In Production) (2000s) (1990s)

Star Trek XI (2008) (announced) (attached)
The Good Sailor (2007) (pre-production)

Mission: Impossible III (2006)
... aka M:I-3 (USA: promotional abbreviation)
"Alias"
- Authorized Personnel Only: Part 1 (2005) TV Episode (minor segments) (uncredited)
- Authorized Personnel Only: Part 2 (2005) TV Episode (minor segments) (uncredited)
- The Telling (2003) TV Episode
- Almost Thirty Years (2002) TV Episode
- Truth Be Told (2001) TV Episode
"Lost"
- Pilot: Part 2 (2004) TV Episode
- Pilot: Part 1 (2004) TV Episode

"Felicity"
- Todd Mulcahy: Part 1 (1999) TV Episode
- Friends (1999) TV Episode

i like how they dispensed with that in the first one but they've really painted themselves into a corner

No Barbara Bain, no cred

I really liked the first one and have seen it a few times, wasn't bothered about the second one and saw a wee bit of tit when it was on the telly once, not really interested in the third one and don't mind whether I see it or not

(lotsa reviews say PSH doesn't get much meat in this)

Did anyone ever watch the 2nd one more than once? is there a point?

too true - cf. Malkovich, Dennis Hopper, tons of others.

(exception = Pacino in Dick Tracy!)

Terence Stamp?

I liked Malkovich in that Eastwood pic.

Kneel Before Zod = teh classic, of course.

for example, (ignoring the plot) Timothy Dalton & Robert Davi in License to Kill.

xpost Warner is classically trained, right? Also did outstanding voicework in Baldur's Gate 2 as the villain.

also, Peter Cushing in SW

(OK, how about solid actors who get to use more than 5% of their chops playing big baddies? I think Brandauer and Malkovich qualify here.)

we can pretty much rule out sharon stone.

X-Men movies are great, kingfish otm for why too. (next one's gonna BLOOOOOOWWWWWW)

re: Philip's question, it's intentionally vague about what they'll be able to do once they use the key. it's still pure macguffin territory, left open for the next movie. I'm assuming they're using "source code" in the 90s hacker movie genre way and not the literal way

Esai Morales's character was left similarly vague. I don't think we ever have learned what Ethan Hunt did before he was recruited to the IMF, and now we know he was involved in something with this mysterious Gabriel, and Gabriel killed a woman Hunt cared for (in the way he cares about women, as high value mission partners that he must protect)

vanessa kirby is canonically vanessa redgrave's daughter

and that wasn’t even stated in the other movie she was in


sean you’ll definitely be fine, McQuarrie gives you everything you need to know in any given movie — ppl who care about the characters and lore have extra stuff to enjoy if they do remember, but first-time viewers are fully brought on the ride

vanessa kirby is canonically vanessa redgrave's daughter

what lol

does this mean all Vanessas are related

what lol

In the Fastandfuriousverse, she is not only Helen Mirren’s daughter, she is Jason Statham’s sister and they grew up together

There's a short "what do I have to know" here:

https://www.polygon.com/23790296/mission-impossible-series-catch-up-explainer-white-widow-gabriel

i didn't think motorcycle parachute cliff jump would hit as hard as it did since they basically showed it in the trailer (i even saw a special trailer once--maybe as a preview to top gun?--that was like a mini behind the scenes doc about the making of the stunt) but it hit soooo hard i was screaming. tom cruise is definitely going to die soon

i thought this started off slow... some of the dialogue/set up felt like... wait is this one of these AI scripts that was gently touched up by a human right before production? but i thought the big set piece scenes really delivered. not sure i've ever seen the massive police chase thru the heart of a european city thing done before w/ two ppl handcuffed together. and i watched the derailed train scene thru my fingers w/ gritted teeth. loved seeing them avoid falling objects in the kitchen car. that whole sequence was really well done, the way the camera messes w/ your sense of gravity. i really don't think this plot is strong enough to carry a sequel -- "it's an insidious self aware computer virus that can do anything to anyone to anywhere!" is like, ok i need a bit more here...... -- but, you know, i'll be there.

the jumping from car to car part of the dangling train scene was masterclass.

I did really expect more of a cliffhanger, I mean I know the main conflict is unresolved, but I didn't expect Ethan to already have the completed key, knowledge of where he's supposed to take it, the main corrupt CIA director dead, and Gabriel going the wrong way in the back of a dumptruck.

Had an action movie catch up over the last few days - had never seen iii onwards, so went GP, RN, Fo, iii. Loved them and nothing really to add to the praise here but also threw in Tenet (between 6 & iii) and the contrast felt so stark - no sense of fun & action sequences dragging or slipping into confusion, even putting backward/forward shit aside. Made me appreciate the clarity of these films even more.

fwiw rank 4≥5>iii>6. Prefer 4's sequences but 5 is optimal cast (Ferguson), also solid villain. 6 still really strong - white loo maybe best hand-to-hand and top masky bits.

i really don't think this plot is strong enough to carry a sequel -- "it's an insidious self aware computer virus that can do anything to anyone to anywhere!" is like, ok i need a bit more her

yeah this had me repeating my gripes about the last few fast & furious movies, having our heroic action heroes fighting the concept of the internet itself, its just v boring & uncinematic to me.

the only time it felt like they were going somewhere cool & interesting with it was the scary bit when the computer was imitating simon peggs voice. could have been a very creepy twist on the franchise obsession with masks - maybe the virus could have somehow infected the little voicechanger computer chips ppl wear on their necks when they're wearing masks in order to make them say things irl that they didnt want to be saying, stuff like that. but they dispensed with it in like 60 seconds when the computer decided to just say "ha ha ha I FOOL U"

overall loved this though, train sequence at the end was top tier.

xpost Yeah having finally seen Tenet earlier this week after my M:I mainline I was all "Well...this is different."

was loving/laughing at the falling train cab sequence. This one, serious moments aside, felt really playful.

I didn't really love the serous stuff to be honest, there was about as much in set pieces as a regular Mission Impossible film, but all of the serious talky stuff in between bored the shite out of me - even when it's just all of the cast turning up at the sex club and glaring at each other. It feels a lot like the Daniel Craig dead end - no-one goes to a Mission Impossible film looking to get into the mythos of Ethan Hunt.

I guess the comparison with Indy is obvious, but this felt even more like prepping Hayley Atwell's character to take over after the death of a Ethan Hunt towards the end of the next film.

i found the shading of hunt's backstory way more tasteful than what they did with bond, but it prob helps that they're not playing around with established mythos

A card you can only play once but I'm kinda impressed they didn't do that until the seventh film.

I do agree with Andrew that I don't really come to this series for pathos and those moments aren't that great here. But they didn't last long enough to bug me too much.

Hunt's backstory is he killed a guy at Blockbuster Video over a dispute over late fees, then the uncle of the guy he killed iced his girlfriend.

Uncle.... Gabriel

There'll be a behind-the-scenes that explains that the flashbacks to first love / Ilsa / Grace before the motorbike jump were because he needs exactly the right angle of sad erection for the stunt to work, aerodynamically.

I'm joking of course, there's nothing sexual about Ethan Hunt, even if for a second it looked like his chaste date with Ilsa ended with him taking her to a sex club.

That's what made 2 feel so out of place. Ethan "Horny" Hunt

You mean #3 (the one that is bad and in which he fucks)

I just saw MI2 yesterday in which he fux and it sux

It also suffers a bit from all the talking about AI and Gabriel's showboating as the true believer - the previous films are spy shit / biotech / biotech / nuclear / spy shit / nuclear and sure it's a bit repetitive but at least everyone gets it, you can get the new guy up to speed quickly and transition smoothly on to jumping off the Burj.

Anyway I hope Luther finds it in the first week and spends the next three months getting stoned.

The key!

The key!

Where’s the key??!?

“We’re on a runaway train!”

“…I know!”

for the first time i felt like Tom Cruise was one of the worst things about this. His meet-cute in the airport with… the thief… Hayley Atwell, was so fuckin choady. It’s supposed to be lightly dangerous and delicious and something you can’t wait to see more of and Tom just doesn’t have it in him. She’s an accomplished thief and he surprises her with the “tap you on the other shoulder” trick?? And then bumps up into her, like kind of physically cornering her? Charming. Smooth stuff, Tom. Hayley tries her gosh darn best to be winsome but Tom delivers his quips like a lead-lined condom. “I’ll scream.” “I hope you do.” Tom that’s supposed to be a sexy line. For the love of God.

The train climax was great, Rome car chase great. The camera work tremendous. Venice satisfyingly claustrophobic. Extremely crunchy soundtrack and solidity to everything.

“The key!!!!!!!”

I guess I’m alone in liking the AI, and Gabriel as its avatar. Truly scary when it begins impersonating people.

Oh I loved Atwell’s waistcoats and sleeved shirts. Very “gentleman thief”.

Related: Loved all the knife action. More knifeplay in this than in all the Bonds and Bournes combined probably

Much to my surprise, I didn't really like this one at all. Pretty campy at times, pretty hacky all the time. If someone told me they had changed teams again to a new writer/director I'd believe it. Weird editing, flat comedy, pretty tedious set pieces (motorcycle aside), those two federal agents serving absolutely no purpose, a baddie assassin that seemed like they wandered in from the "John Wick" universe, the movie is constantly telling you what you are watching, and so many Dutch angles!

Another matter related to "Tom Cruise welcomes you back to the movie." I've noticed a couple of theater trends in recent years. The first is that no matter how nice the actual theaters get, in terms of amenities and comfort, they still rarely get the image framing right. I mean, they get it right for the commercials, but it's like they've given up adjusting the screen to suit the aspect ratio of the actual feature. And speaking of commercials, it's bad enough to sit through 30 minutes of stuff before the movie starts, but at least half of the shit is about ... going to the movies. I'm already at the movies! You don't have to convince me that movies deserve to be seen in the theater, just show me another fucking trailer! Like, the trailer for "Killers of the Flower Moon"? Yes, that makes me want to go to the movies. But a PSA just showing people having fun at the movies? Don't remind me that other people are traditionally what has made going to the movies *not* fun.

Anyway, I can never remember these movies after I see them, but I think I'll remember not liking this one enough to keep me home whenever the next one comes out.

those two federal agents serving absolutely no purpose

This was absolutely wild. So much time spent on those two. I kept waiting for the payoff? Literally could have cut all their scenes.

And speaking of commercials, it's bad enough to sit through 30 minutes of stuff before the movie starts, but at least half of the shit is about ... going to the movies.

How delicious that it's Nicole Kidman doing the intro.

“We are.”

Shea Wigham and his partner were just there to serve as another impetus to force Ethan and gang to keep moving. Without them, the standoff in the street in Italy would have been harder to escape.

I knew they'd bungle it the moment they cast Shea Wigham in one of the parts. Nobody's getting apprehended when Shea is in charge

The key!

The key!

was very amused when someone was explaining how the key is the most important thing in the world and no one knows where it is and we need to find it at all costs while nearby there was a computer screen showing an extremely fine-detailed 3D model of the key spinning around. just make a copy of the fucking key! more than once this happened iirc

Didn't the doodad have some sort of magic matching widget in it that made it impossible to counterfeit? Not that details like that even matter in movies like this. I was shocked how many times there would be some 5 minute exposition dump, like, "This Entity is unlike anything we have ever seen. It knows what we have decided before we have decided it. It doesn't even need to watch us because it knows where we are," etc. And then the next scene Simon Pegg or whomever will be using a computer and then be shocked, shocked, when the Entity takes over or breaks it or whatever. They'd probably try to copy the key, and then the computer would melt.

Deus ex Wigham was the last thing Cruise and Co. needed to stay on the move. Just so dumb, these two American agents traversing the globe in plain sight, getting into shootouts, tasing people, etc. So much pickpocketing and talk of pickpocketing and up-close magic in this movie, too. They should have cast David Blaine as the bad guy.

(tight closeup on a serious Cruise): "You don't know this guy like I do. I've seen things you couldn't imagine. I've seen him pierce his bicep with a needle. He's caught a bullet with his mouth. He stood on a block of ice for 63 hours, stood on a pole for 35 hours, held his breath for 17 minutes and was buried alive for 7 days ... just because he could. There is nothing we can do to stop him, which is why we need to beat him at his own game. I need you to freeze me in a block of ice."

"But Ethan, that would kill you!"

"Exactly. It's the last thing he would expect me to do. It will make him let down his guard, and then we can get the key."

"But Ethan, you'll be dead!"

"Just leave that part to me."

lord this was fun except when it slowed down to give us the meaning (in either sense of the word)

the exact type of total nonsense i like and im p sure it knows it

had anyone (ned) said AI of Sauron yet?

i have no idea who gabriel is or why he has been chosen or what his link to the sentient superpower is nor what the sentient superpower wants but as usual that stuff really, really does not matter.

its a series about doing stuff secretly under deadline and looking amazing and honestly i just really identify with that

had anyone (ned) said AI of Sauron yet?

idk but I kept thinking "AI morals, see?" whenever he appeared

loved this but it did feel stupid in a way the other McQ ones haven't (or maybe i just need a rewatch), they definitely pulled a "write an enemy so powerful you don't know what to do with it," didn't really come into play at the end. benji putting his trust in a self-driving car was tense until you realize they weren't going to do anything with it. hunt pickpocketing the key seemed like one thing THE ENTITY should've been able to predict. nothing as interesting as benji's voice being hacked. it's already hard to take ROGUE AI seriously as a threat knowing how bad midjourney is at drawing hands.

i was certain that the gabriel flashbacks were clips from one of the first 3 movies, now that i know they're brand new they actually seem clunkier than exposition in fast and the furious movies. just totally unnecessary to do it that way. the less i know about ethan hunt the better.

really dug this!

hayley atwell was great, and pom should be a baddie in more stuff she was awesome, and esai morales rules

the set piece in the little yellow car was so great

also trains are my favorite :D

https://i.imgur.com/WaL40ox.gif

Lol

big fan of this one. getting this out of the way, i thought the Ethan/Ilsa romance which was only hinted at maybe didn't work, only because when she died it didn't feel heavy enough for someone that close to him, and while i don't want that type of heaviness for this story since it becomes an albatross on the narrative in these types of films (see: latter Craig Bonds), it felt a bit muted as far as a moment. She was a fantastic character who arguably revived the series as much as McQuarrie, maybe she deserved a bit better. but maybe they were just coming to a dead end with the part and maybe Ferguson was done playing that role and had other things she wanted to commit her time to. i suspect that might be the case. which is cool, she's a fantastic actor.

Cruise did his usual Cruise stuff and as the solid center of the franchise he's both likable and clearly insane to do what he does IRL. i appreciate his commitment to the craft. There's not much more to say about him.

Hayley Atwell is great, i also give a shoutout to her wardrobe and generally the duplicitous nature of the character really serves the narrative well, it's less about protecting her but protecting her while keeping an eye on her because she's liable to both escape and steal everything from you while doing so. which works to keep the chase going through various countries and setpieces the entire time. the car chase was particularly excellent, maybe not quite as impactful as the Ilsa pursuit in Rogue Nation but more gleefully demented.

Speaking of demented, i'm guessing Pom Klementieff really appreciated being given a shot to play a character completely the opposite of Mantis. she was clearly having a great time there, my kid's favorite part was her cackling while driving that armored vehicle over and through various obstacles. It's a very Xenia Onatopp type role. i also liked the brutality of the twist involving her, where Gabriel's deduction is correct but perhaps from the way the story plays out we can also deduce he played himself and caused what he correctly thought would occur to actually happen in the end.

Esai Morales was a good choice for the Gabriel part, he's a very good actor who never tips over into absurdity despite this being a potentially absurd role, and i also just like to see an underrated performer being given a juicy part along these lines, going mano a mano with Tom Cruise on top of a train, knife fighting his way across Europe, etc. i feel like perhaps Gabriel didn't need to be a guy from Ethan's past, that was a bit too "Silva in Skyfall" to me, but this film fortunately didn't turn into a therapy session, it just kept moving.

it was nice to see Czerny back in that role, with some good callbacks to his part in the first film. Vanessa Kirby was good too. everyone was good!

gonna be psyched to see how the story wraps up. from what i've read, there was the thought that MI:8 would wrap the franchise up, but it seems like it'll continue on for a bit longer. I hope so, it's probably the only ongoing action franchise i have confidence in as far as consistent QC, the Abrams entry aside.

i almost forgot about it in the midst of the rest of the film, but the opening scene with the Russian submarine is a great one, with such a bleak and haunting final shot.

Yeah as a grim miniadventure it was pretty great (and the actual final shot of the film appropriately fucked up and ominous).

Pom Klementieff

Was not really a fan of this movie, but particularly didn't like her character, tbh. Of course these movies are innately ridiculous, but I'm trying to think of other instances/characters that were as outright cartoonish. She reminded me, yeah, of a few colorful Bond henchpersons (Onatopp, May Day), but also a particular strain of eccentric movie assassins, not just like you may find in the heightened (sur)reality of "John Wick," but, like, Sam Phillips in "Die Hard 3," Lucy Liu in "Payback." Kind of took me out a bit.

"Mission: Impossible: Part Seven: Part 2" bumped to 2025! The future!

I don't know, something like that can't even begin to bother me in this type of movie. They are sort of the American Bond films at this point, to an extent. The outlandishness will periodically come with a territory, and it's all in good fun. I've never been taken out of any of these movies by anything other than III being mostly bad.

xpost -- Ah that sucks but the longer the SAG strike goes on...