Mission: Impossible

take a shot every time they say "The Entity"

i did love this i decided but want to see again. it was fun in true IMAX, but wanna give a go at 4DX

For a movie that stops any momentum to have it re-explained every other minute, they kind of handwaved over exactly how they can use the sub-AI to kill the ableton live plug-in antagonist (re: LOTR, do they have to drop the core into a supercomputer volcano or something?), and they also bizarrely left most of Cruise's nemesis backstory blank despite intercutting a lot of context free flashbacks.

Is the recruit at the beginning someone significant or just a prop?

finally saw MI2 and MI3. 2 was fun, but so hilariously Woo that it sticks out like a sore thumb - why does he love doves so much?. story a bit light but tbh that wasn't a dealbreaker.

enjoyed 3 a ton, but it is kinda funny that the PSH extraction sort of became a thing that appeared in almost every action movie of that decade (there's a similar one in the movie The Kingdom!). yeah I know it was Abrams and of course there was a GODDAMN MAP to find the Rabbit's Foot but w/e.

now to rewatch teh newer ones again.

I can never remember any of the mythos/plot of these things. What do I need to know/remember before seeing the new one, or is there a (very) short YT i should watch?

1) a people are being dishonest
2) plans backfire
3) the world is in mortal danger

-a

I can never remember any of the mythos/plot of these things. What do I need to know/remember before seeing the new one, or is there a (very) short YT i should watch?

― sean gramophone, Monday, July 17, 2023 9:12 AM (thirty-four minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

the only thing i had to struggle to remember is that vanessa kirby is canonically vanessa redgrave's daughter. otherwise the new one pretty much works on its own

but, like, i don't remember who any of these characters are except that tom cruise is a super soldier

i think that's enough

great!

yeah these movies come out so far apart that by the time I see the next one I have forgotten the previous one (since I don't do rewatches much) but that hasn't hampered my enjoyment much.

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