Entertainment - Media News Watch originally published at Entertainment - Media News Watch
Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is back in a battle against “The Entity,” a state-of-the-art, self-aware AI that threatens to topple the world’s government. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJVu41HTQB4
PLOT: Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is back in a battle against “The Entity,” a state-of-the-art, self-aware AI that threatens to topple the world’s government. Hunt must recruit his old team and a master pickpocket, Hayley Atwell, to complete his most difficult mission. He is battling an old foe, Esai Morales, for a key The Entity wants. The two are always pushing the envelope and have found a kindred spirit in each other. They both want to deliver the old-school thrills that you don’t get anymore. After watching the latest IndianaJones lose it’s soul in a sea CGI and the superhero movies, Cruise and McQuarrie do real, cutting-edge, practical action with some genuine stakes is a treat. As Cruise’s Ethan Hunt might seem invincible, his abilities are limited. His vulnerability is the key to his likability. His vulnerability is the key to his likability.
What’s always made Ethan Hunt such a likable hero is his moral code, along with the fact that, as always, his life is secondary to those he loves – his friends – even if inevitably being associated with him puts them in danger. Cruise’s Hunt seems more worn out this time, as if thirty years of service are finally weighing him down. The movie begins when he is sent to intercept a deal that involves Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa, who has seemingly gone rogue. The movie is more sombre than previous instalments, but it seems to be building towards a climax for Hunt, even though Cruise has said that this is not necessarily the end of the road for the character. The movie, which is somewhat more sombre than previous instalments, seems to be building towards something of a climax for Hunt, even though, as Cruise has said, this isn’t necessarily the end of the road for the character.
What the movies have always been known for are the action scenes, and there are some spectacular ones here, including a frantic car chase through Rome that puts a similar one in Fast X to shame. Cruise’s motorcycle leap in the climactic sequence of the train is a classic. It culminates in a fight atop a train that seems to be a direct comparison to the ending of
Mission Impossible but done more practically and on a larger scale. Cruise’s stuntwork is amazing, especially the final scene, which I will not spoil. Rebecca Ferguson’s Isla is one of the most powerful action heroines in Hollywood. She deserves her own spinoff. Hayley Atwell, who plays the pickpocket in the movie and becomes Hunt’s foil, is the second leading lady. Pom Klementieff also shines as Paris, a nearly mute assassin, a blonde bleached assassin, who chases Hunt like he is the Road Runner. The payoff, however, is more than expected. Morales’s Gabriel has a very undercooked performance, as he is portrayed as a pure evil character with little else. However, it fits the film’s tone. Pegg and Rhames have a blast as usual, and Shea Wigham is a new agent sent after Hunt. Greg Tarzan Davis is his partner. Both alternately chase Hunt and help him as required by plot. Plus, Vanessa Kirby returns as The White Widow, a beguiling arms dealer who, I noticed, never blinks.Additionally, the movie has an incredible look, especially if you see it on IMAX. Fraser Taggart’s cinematography, which pays homage to adventure films from the sixties like Where Eagles Dare or the early James Bonds, is impressive. The production design is also remarkable. It’s amazing how tactile everything is. You can tell CGI has been used sparingly, if at all. It’s almost indistinguishable. The score by Lorne Blfe is as good as ever, complementing the darker tone of the film by taking on a bittersweet, somber note at times. A movie about a real battle against AI would mainly take place with computers and people. As far as action films go, you won’t see anything as good as this until Cruise, his crew, and Dead Reckoning part two
return. Like
John Wick Chapter 4, it proves that the old ways are always better, with less CGI and more actual stunts.9
Entertainment - Media News Watch originally published at Entertainment - Media News Watch
