Displaying items by tag: Tom Cruise

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: THE FINAL RECKONING

US, 2025, 169 minutes, Colour.

Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Henry Czerny, Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, Nick Offerman, Hannah Waddingham, Trammell Tillman, Angela Bassett, Shea Whigham, Charles Parnell, Mark Gattis, Rolf Saxon, Cary Elwes.

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie.

The grand finale.

The spin-off from the very successful television series, with its pounding score and the messages disappearing after five seconds, the first Mission Impossible, the introduction to Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, was released in 1996. Cruise was 33. Now, 2025, the eighth film in the franchise, and here is Cruise in his early 60s, athletic, doing all his stunts, very serious saviour of the world.

There is something of a complex background to this finale, an AI development called The Entity and the danger of its overcoming the human race, and setting off a nuclear holocaust. Luther, Ving Rhames from the past films, is here developing a mechanism to counteract The Entity. But, arch-villain, Gabriel (Esai Morales) wants to conquer the world and has the other piece. The President of the US, Angela Bassett, surrounded by advisers (several British character actors, including Janet McTeer and Mark Gattis) is relying on Ethan Hunt to save the world.

There are various characters who have worked with Ethan in the past, especially Benji, Simon Pegg, and a reunion with Grace, Hayley Atwell. The first part of the film is setting the scene, Hunt building up his team (and some mask removing action scenes). In this film there are quite a number of references to the action in 1996, especially an angry character, Briggs (Shea Whigham) whose father was killed by Hunt (with some flashbacks from the original and Jon Voight). Briggs is working with Kittredge, Henry Czerny, Hunt’s sometime control. But, especially with killer, Pom Klementieff rescued from prison, the team is ready.

The second part of the film has Ethan Hunt underwater most of the time, and some extraordinary stunt work, as he dives into a sunken vessel in the Behring Sea, the difficulties of the depth, compression, breathing, an narrow tube which means that he has to strip down to his boxers! and survive and reach the surface. Ultimate success (but perhaps some realists in the audience wondering about meals, sleep, toilet stops! None of which are shown.)

The last part of the film is action adventure, stunts and CGI, making mission impossible, Mission Impossibler, in fact, Mission Impossiblest. And, with some instant travelling from Europe to Africa, beautiful mountain and valley African locations for the finale, especially with Hunt pursuing Gabriel in light planes, and some ultra-gymnastics as Hunt leaps, dangles, climbs on to Gabriel’s plane, overcomes him, takes the connection to destroy the Entity, tension with the time coming down to the splittest of seconds to save the world.

In the American presidential control room, enormous relief, then a final puzzling scene in Trafalgar Square, Ethan Hunt, each member of his team approaching him, looking knowingly, then turning away… And we wonder actually if he is dead and this is the final tribute to his world saving achievement from his team…

1. Popular 30 year franchise? The television series (and the continued use of the musical theme)? The character of Ethan Hunt, saving the world? Tom Cruise, his presence, performance, stunts, hero-saviour?
2. The development of the character of Ethan Hunt over the decades, this film using flashbacks to the original film, to past films? Tom Cruise at 30 something then 60 something?
3. The locations, Washington and the President, the vast security headquarters? The Arctic, the Behring Sea, underwater photography, the long sequence exploring the submerged vessel, the transition to Africa, the beauty of the scenery, London, Trafalgar Square? The background musical score, sense of excitement, tension, amplified?
4. The explanation of the basic situation about The Entity? Control of the human race? The nuclear danger? The role of Gabriel, wanting power? President of the US, her response, her advisers, the reliance on Ethan Hunt? Those dissenting? The short time to DEFCON, the focus on the clock?
5. Re-introducing Ethan Hunt, his reputation, his achievements, Kittredge, the explanations of his achievement, dangers, deaths, the presence of Briggs, the flashbacks to his father and Hunt causing his death? Refusing to shake hands? Kittredge and Briggs working together, building up to a confrontation? Then a reconciliation?
6. Luther, his presence in the previous films, technical skills, getting older, facing The Entity, the preparation of material for the capture of The Entity? His death? His final message after the achievement and exploding after five seconds? Seen in flashbacks?
7. Benji and Grace, their characters, in the previous films? The team, Grace, pickpocketing, her skills and timing, the relationship with Ethan? Benji, technical skills? The recruiting of Paris, going to the prison, as guards, the masks, the shootout, Capt Bledsoe, the guns, the fight? Paris, her character, killer, speaking in French?
8. The explanation of the strategy, the team possessing Luther’s capture, Gabriel, the confrontations, arrogant personality, his troops, the escape, his possessing the other part of the capture? The explanation of the timing, the split second timing?
9. The background of locating the sunken vessel, the issue of the key, who had the keys? The compass points, the technology, the submarines, Hunt and the various ships, the explanation of the dangers, the cold, compression, revival? The captain of the ship, getting the information, the code? The Admiral supervisor, the collaboration?
10. The team, going to St Matthew Island, the discovery of William Donloe, his wife, his presence 30 years earlier, his achievement on the island? The arrival of the Russians, the buildup to the fight, Don and his transmitting the code, his wife and Grace with the compressor for revival?
11. The long sequence of Hunt underwater, the dangers, the depths, tunnel and his having to remove his clothes, going to the top, unconscious, the revival, Grace and Donloe’s wife?
12. Washington, the dilemmas for the the president, the personalities of her team, the timing, her reliance on Hunt? Different advisers, the decision about bombing the American city, the advisers with the gun, his being shot, the general killed?
13. The tension with Hunt, Gabriel’s arrival, confrontation, his men the shooting, Gabriel and the plane, Hunt in pursuit, the beautiful scenery, the range of highflying stunts, possible or impossible? The battle in the sky, overcoming Gabriel, getting the peace for controlling The Entity? Parachuting down?
14. The fight, Benji wounded, Donloe and his collaboration, Benji giving the directions for the wires, Grace waiting to cut when the signal came through? Down to the final second? The achievement?
15. The president, her decision, not to destroy the town city, the power going off, coming on again, the world saved, her going to inspect the troops, her son?
16. The team, the achievement, Benji and his wound, care, Grace and Hunt?
17. The final sequence, Trafalgar Square, the world saved – did Hunt survive or was this a symbolic death sequence, his meeting once again the significant people in his team?

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING PART 1

US, 2023, 163 minutes, Colour.

Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Henry Czerny, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Pom Klementieff, Cary Elwes, Charles Parnell, Mark Gattis.

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie.

Action, and more action! And this is only Part One. It is all more or less as trailers and promotions lead us to expect, only more so. And then more!

At this stage of movie box office, Tom Cruise is at the top of the world. After the enormous success of Top Gun: Maverick, even 36 years after the original, here comes the next Mission Impossible saga. And we are quickly reminded that it is almost 30 years since the first film in the franchise. And, we are also reminded that a message will self-destruct after five seconds. And Tom Cruise does wear a mask and suspense fully remove it. And, all the while, especially intense during all the stunts in action, Lalo Schiffrin’s original and very familiar score for the television series.

Watching this episode of Mission Impossible, it is almost impossible not to become excited. It is amazing to see Cruise, turning 61 in the week of its release, still maintaining his success as an action star, his energetic sprinting (many times here), being seen, as so often, speeding with his motorbike, involved in fights, struggles on the top of a speeding runaway train, and the famous stunt of his riding his bike over a high cliff and parachuting down to the runaway train (which happens later in the film rather than earlier – and the film goes for 2 ¾ hours). In fact, in terms of stunts and effects, the train crash, the exploding bridge, the extended suspense of each carriage individually coming loose and dropping into the River, Cruise and Hayley Atwell trying to crawl up to safety is certainly worth waiting for.

With the espionage issues of the 1990s and the earlier films, we are now in the age of AI, AI as a potential villain, AI and its power to turn on the human race. This is demonstrated in the opening sequence, eerie, a Russian submarine, a torpedo, the enemy appearing and disappearing… And the language of the villain is The Entity. Which means that in this episode and Part 2 to be released 12 months later, there is a quest to find the keys which, literally, unlock the power of The Entity. The CIA and its unofficial agents, led by Ethan Hunt, Cruise’s character, are on the quest. (Not that you can trust all of the official American authorities.). A sinister villain from the past, Gabriel, a solid role for Esai Morales, is unscrupulous and merciless in his pursuit of the key. Vanessa Kirby is a British femme fatale who is employing agents to recover the key. And, it could all come to grief with the intrusion of a very successful thief, pickpocket, Grace, played enthusiastically by Hayley Atwell. And, into the bargain, after Ethan Hunt’s ride in the desert, the rescue of his old ally, Ilsa, Rebecca Ferguson. Not to forget Luther and Benji (Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg) with their extraordinary electronics continually communicating with Ethan. And, to cap it all off, there are two gung ho CIA agents who are determined to take down Ethan. Barely a time for pausing – and not a sign of any of them ever having a meal or having a night’s sleep!

Christopher McQuarrie has written a great number of films, Oscar for The Usual Suspects, a range of films for Cruise, Valkyrie, Jack Reacher, and three Mission Impossible films. On this evidence, he and Cruise are cinema winners.

So, plenty of plot, plot complications, chases and pursuits in the Middle East, spectacularly and smashingly through Rome, in gondolas through Venice, in and on the roof of the Orient Express through Austria…

And, by the time of the final credits, we have all decided that we really want to know what is going to happen in Part 2.

1.    The popularity of the franchise? From 1996 to 2023 and beyond? In the background of the television series?

2.    Tom Cruise vehicle, his success over the decades, his achievement as Ethan Hunt? Audience response to him? As a performer, his character, the stunts and action?

3.    The background of the original, Lalo Schiffrin score, messages self-destruct in five seconds, the use of masks? Comments on the original, espionage of the 90s, 21^st century and AI and world threats and domination?

4.    The range of locations, the international sense, the US, the Arabian desert, Rome, Venice, the Austrian Alps? The musical score?

5.    The prologue, the introduction of the idea of The Entity? The Russian submarine, the secret powers, the radar and the enemy, appearing and disappearing, the torpedo, destroying the Russians? The submarine and the key to The Entity and its power?

6.    The US, the official meeting, Kittredge supervising, vinegar and his questions, Ethan removing his mask? The issue? The keys? The mission, beyond the bounds of the organisation?

7.    Luther, Benji, from the previous films, their skills, getting on with each other, their equipment, keeping contact with Ethan, at the airport, the CIA agents pursuing, their determination, the crew changing the physical features, the issue of the bomb, the riddles and questions, the threat, the timing?

8.    Gabriel, from the past, at the airport, the issue of the key, power, confronting Ethan? Going to Italy?

9.    Grace, her background, British, thief, pickpocket, the keys, Ethan and the cigarette lighter? The interactions with Ethan, the issue of the key, in pockets, other pockets, skills and deception? Eluding Ethan?

10.                       Rome, the familiar scenes, the chases, the landmarks, the dangers, the narrow streets, crashes, Paris, sinister character, at the airport, the fights, the pursuit in the larger vehicle? Grace and her involvement, the threats?

11.                       Ilsa, from the past, the ride through the desert, Ethan rescuing her, her reappearing, support, her death?

12.                       To Venice, the White Widow, her guard, character, after the key, employment?

13.                       The continued chases, the CIA agents, desperate, eluding them?

14.                       The Orient Express, Gabriel on the train, the White Widow, the plan for Grace, the mask, impersonating, Ethan and his deal, referring her to Kittering, urging her to make a choice?

15.                       In the carriage, with the Widow, the mask and Grace taking her place, the clothes, the interview with Kittering, his promise, the key, her skill at pickpocketing, the transfer the money, the cancelling it? The arrival of the actual widow, the clashes? The CIA agents, Kittering trying to influence them, but his not being officially on the train? The agents relentless in continued pursuit?

16.                       Gabriel, the key, his interventions, brutality? Killing the drivers of the train, the runaway train?

17.                       Luther and Benji, Luther going underground, the equipment, Benji and the contact with Ethan, chasing the train, its not slowing down, on the bike, going up the mountain, the challenge of the fall, the high peak, the parachute, crashing into the carriage, the fight with Gabriel, on the roof of the train? With Grace, the uncoupling of the carriages?

18.                       The explosives on the bridge, the train, the crash, each carriage hanging, Ethan and Grace moving up the carriages, Paris and intervention, saving them?

19.                       The buildup of the action, the tension, the characters, Paris and the information about the submarine? Part two?