There’s been an awful lot of hype about the new Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and I was a little surprised last week to read that Disney’s live action remake of Lilo & Stitch made around £1 million more than the latest Tom Cruise action juggernaut in its opening weekend.
Billed as Cruise’s final big screen outing as IMF agent Ethan Hunt, it’s a solidly respectable entry into the Mission Impossible franchise, albeit at least twenty minutes too long.
The jury is out on whether we needed the ‘greatest hits’ montage in the overlong opening sequence (described by a friend as ‘narcissistic’). If I wanted to go back through almost 30 years’ worth of Mission Impossible movies and rewatch them in order to get ready for this one, I would have done (I toyed with the idea, but I figured I probably couldn’t find a spare 932 hours).
With tighter editing, I might have scored this more than 8 out of 10, but having got that gripe out of the way, there are some awesome stunts in this film. The twelve and a half minute wing-walking sequence is incredible, with Tom Cruise looking more like a human wind sock. I read that he trained for months on the ground with big fans and wind machines, and it really is him clinging to the underside of a small, garishly painted aircraft. The water scene was also spectacular, but at the same time I was willing Cruise to come to the surface.
Simon Pegg provides some welcome flourishes of humour as always, and whilst the plot is not particularly original (defusing bombs and secret keys is hardly breaking the mould), the huge action sequences definitely make up for it. It really feels like this is the last outing for Ethan Hunt, almost three decades after the first film, when reviewer Sarah Vincent wrote: “If anyone but Cruise was behind “Mission : Impossible” and in front of the camera, there would be no sequels”.
I can’t really argue with that. He is clearly a genuine lover of the big screen experience, and one of cinema’s greatest A-list stars. This message will self-destruct in five seconds.
It’s a shame a little blue alien and Tom Cruise battling The Entity have somewhat overshadowed Karate Kid: Legends. Whilst it’s not been a hit with critics, audiences are scoring it highly on Rotten Tomatoes, and I’m with them. Jackie Chan is brilliant as Mr Han, channelling the spirit of Mr Myagi, and Ralph Macchio returns as Daniel LaRusso, teaming up with Chan to train Li Fong (Ben Wang) for an ‘ultimate karate’ contest in his new home city, New York. I found myself rooting for him in the final showdown (I don’t think it’s much of a spoiler to reveal he makes the last two), and at a tight 94 minutes, the film never outstays its welcome. Jacket on... jacket off. It’s the best one since the 1984 original! “Two branches, one tree.” Enjoyable stuff.
