I decided to watch all the existing MI movies to prepare for enjoying the most current in a theater. Amazon has them for about $4.
One of the hallmarks of so many good stories is the overcoming of the impossible. The hero is somehow more intelligent, stronger of will, motivated by principle, and supremely self-confident.
What I deduced, watching all of these in a few days time, is the impossibility of the solutions. Sure, we can overlook the implausible underwater breathing tank in James Bond Thunderball, as conceptually possible. In MI, though, the many amazing action sequences all are truly impossible. From having spy equipment stashed in canal boats to being able to hack into and control and see inside buildings...impossible. Every bit of spycraft equipment also seems utterly outlandish. There are also thematic impossibilities, such as dying and being revived.
I appreciate Mr. Cruise's approach to movie-making, his incredible stunts, his desire to advance the art of visual theater.
I just wish his art had some believable application of technology, to support the hero in the quest to overcome the impossible.
------- Trying to simplify my life...
July 29, 2023, 06:07 AM
Patriot
If the impossible is simply possible, then it wouldn’t be impossible. For the impossible to be made possible, the solutions need to be impossible. Get it?
Congratulations, you deduced the meaning of the series.
_____________________________ Pledge allegiance or pack your bag! The problem with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money. - Margaret Thatcher Spread my work ethic, not my wealth
July 29, 2023, 12:35 PM
Sacramento Johnson
The series takes 'willing suspension of disbelief' to a whole new level; one I really can't get to. I might add, the majority of the stunts are comic book nonsense which defy human physiology limits. Things can be seemingly impossible but turn out to be rather implausible but still do able. I wish the series leaned more toward that instead.
July 29, 2023, 01:27 PM
Lord Vaalic
I love how a mask can change your body type and size, your skull shape, etc. At least in the first one they used Cruise in bad make up as the original guy so when he dressed up as him it matched, but then it went extra silly.
I've never been a big fan of the MI series, but like John Wick or the Expendables or James Bond, you have to turn your brain off and just watch it for what it is.
Don't weep for the stupid, or you will be crying all day
July 29, 2023, 06:22 PM
Fdan
Just saw latest offering in IMAX today. TOTAL, Non-stop action but 90%+ (if not 98%+) totally unrealistic and unreasonable. If you like action and don’t care if is almost cartoonish, probably worth seeing. For me, I thought it was so unrealistic as to be stupid. YMMV.
___________________________________________ The annual soothsayers and fortunetellers conference has been canceled due to unforeseen circumstances.
July 30, 2023, 01:07 AM
iron chef
quote:
The series takes 'willing suspension of disbelief' to a whole new level; one I really can't get to.
I'm going to do you guys a favor and tell you to steer clear of the Fast & Furious franchise and its spin-offs... except for maybe the first one.
quote:
I love how a mask can change your body type and size, your skull shape, etc.
It bothered me in the latest installment how they had the most dangerous people in the world and government agencies w/ the most advanced technological resources look for them using facial recognition software throughout the movie, yet Ethan Hunt's crew didn't bother to wear sunglasses or facial hair, never mind the masks they had that would completely bypass facial recognition technology.
July 30, 2023, 12:15 PM
4MUL8R
Thanks for guidance on the present IMAX opportunity.
Maybe I’ll watch Oppenheimer instead. At least I know his invention is actual.
------- Trying to simplify my life...
July 30, 2023, 03:40 PM
Sigmund
quote:
Originally posted by Lord Vaalic:
...you have to turn your brain off and just watch it for what it is.
Nailed it!
July 30, 2023, 03:51 PM
erj_pilot
Well...the Tom Cruise MI series ain't exactly a documentary. Enjoy it for what it is...Entertainment Value. Just sayin'.....
"If you’re a leader, you lead the way. Not just on the easy ones; you take the tough ones too…” – MAJ Richard D. Winters (1918-2011), E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil... Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel." - Isaiah 5:20,24
July 30, 2023, 06:37 PM
iron chef
This marble drop is more memorable for me than the whole movie.
August 11, 2023, 07:45 PM
Sigmund
Speaking of impossible, what if musicians played the theme music while in free fall?
Just watched it, found it entertaining, funny, and thought provoking (the AI). I enjoyed the car chase even.
January 27, 2024, 06:47 AM
mojojojo
As director Tony Scott (Top Gun) said to the F-14 pilots when they complained about the realism of the dogfight scenes, "We're making a movie, not a documentary."
Icarus flew too close to the sun, but at least he flew.
January 31, 2024, 05:55 PM
egregore
I know this is a totally different movie, but implausible - i.e., comic book superhero shit impossible for ordinary humans - action scenes are why I disliked Live Free or Die Hard. There were a number of such scenes in that movie, but the one where he was being pursued by the F-35 was just ridiculous.
I think I've seen only one MI movie, on a broadcast channel with commercials, and forgot which one it was, but it had a lot of that same kind of stuff in it.
February 04, 2024, 06:56 AM
Tgrshrk99
I watched Fast X last night and it was the same thing. I enjoyed some of the earlier entrants in the series, but X was just ridiculous.
Just another schmuck in traffic - Billy Joel
February 04, 2024, 09:38 AM
Fly-Sig
We enjoyed watching it last evening. Lots of great action. Imaginative. You have to go into it knowing there are going to be wholly unrealistic aspects.
We did find several scenes went too long. It could have been edited down to 2 hours.
February 04, 2024, 12:26 PM
CoolRich59
quote:
Originally posted by Lord Vaalic: I love how a mask can change your body type and size, your skull shape, etc. At least in the first one they used Cruise in bad make up as the original guy so when he dressed up as him it matched, but then it went extra silly.
As much as I enjoy the MI movies (with the exception of Mission: Impossible II - IMO, Thandi Newton ruined that installment), I agree that the mask gimmick is way past its 'sell by' date and has gotten ridiculous.
I think the worst example was in the latest movie (MI: Dead Reckoning Part One) where the character Grace impersonates the White Widow and manages to flawlessly imitate her looks, mannerisms, speech patterns, etc. fooling her entire security team.
_____________________________________________________________________ “One of the common failings among honorable people is a failure to appreciate how thoroughly dishonorable some other people can be, and how dangerous it is to trust them.” – Thomas Sowell