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Post by DeepArcher on Jul 11, 2023 15:50:32 GMT
Still can't believe they released a film with that title, wowza.
This is great fun, though feels like a gear shift from the past McQuarrie Missions in a way that surprised me. Strikingly less action-oriented than Rogue Nation and Fallout - at least, fist-fights and outrageous stunts are largely replaced with pickpocketing antics, slapstick car chases, convoluted sci-fi stuff, and more. It's really overstuffed and kind of awkwardly paced, especially in the early-going, and certainly frustrating as a Part 1 of 2 that basically outright tells you it won't entirely come together without the other half of the movie. Basically all I've got for now, but I went into a bit more detail in slightly spoiler-y territory on my LB review. I adore this franchise, and still do, but I'm feeling more conflicted about this than I would've thought. But I really respect McQuarrie, Cruise, and the team for not simply re-heating the reliable formula they cracked with the last couple of movies.
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Post by Billy_Costigan on Jul 11, 2023 20:39:01 GMT
No spoilers but I've heard fans will be upset/divided on a certain decision they made so this makes me nervous. Is it something that can be fixed/changed for Part 2?
I've had an idea what it might be for a while but I'll come back this weekend after I see it for myself.
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Post by DeepArcher on Jul 11, 2023 21:17:14 GMT
No spoilers but I've heard fans will be upset/divided on a certain decision they made so this makes me nervous. Is it something that can be fixed/changed for Part 2?
I've had an idea what it might be for a while but I'll come back this weekend after I see it for myself.
Yeah, there's a questionable story choice in there that I have a feeling is a misdirection for some reveal in Part 2.
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Post by Pavan on Jul 12, 2023 9:54:04 GMT
No spoilers but I've heard fans will be upset/divided on a certain decision they made so this makes me nervous. Is it something that can be fixed/changed for Part 2?
I've had an idea what it might be for a while but I'll come back this weekend after I see it for myself.
Assuming we are talking about the same thing, it bugged me but a part of me is hoping that it will be changed in the part 2 as a surprise reveal.
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Post by Pavan on Jul 12, 2023 10:02:48 GMT
A solid entertainer thanks to a relentless Tom Cruise, a couple of grand set pieces, humor and a new addition in Hayley Atwell. She is almost a co-lead that they sidelined the supporting trio for her character. I'm a bit surprised McQuarrie made such a change at this stage. Maybe he thought a fresh face would make the proceedings more interesting. Interesting it did but a certain plot choice bugged me and i hope it will be changed in the sequel. I hope they improve plot device too. Its certainly timely and there are stakes but they are vague and not present in the real sense.
That said it lacks the harmony and edge of the seat thrill of its near perfect predecessor. The villain is sort of weak too- 7/10
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havok2
Junior Member
Posts: 396
Likes: 184
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Post by havok2 on Jul 13, 2023 21:28:03 GMT
This is the closest the series haa gotten to a De Palma maneuver again and I fucking loved it. It won't be nominated for Best Picture and it should be
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Post by Ryan_MYeah on Jul 14, 2023 16:41:45 GMT
So next movie… We’re on a submarine. We just had Avatar where actors were underwater for minutes at a time.
Oh god, Cruise is gonna do something with water, and that sounds terrifying.
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Post by Pittsnogle_Goggins on Jul 15, 2023 1:25:34 GMT
No spoilers but I've heard fans will be upset/divided on a certain decision they made so this makes me nervous. Is it something that can be fixed/changed for Part 2?
I've had an idea what it might be for a while but I'll come back this weekend after I see it for myself.
Yeah, there's a questionable story choice in there that I have a feeling is a misdirection for some reveal in Part 2. Which story choice are you referencing?
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Post by Pittsnogle_Goggins on Jul 15, 2023 1:26:42 GMT
Solid action. Mid villain. Very contrived at times. Unexpected comedy that didn’t really work for me. Enjoyed it but lower tier MI.
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Post by countjohn on Jul 15, 2023 2:38:51 GMT
This was more solid than anything else. Tons of exposition and the story is even more bonkers than usual, a sentient computer virus and a Senator operating an Alex Jones tier conspiracy. Feels like the kind of thing where this is the set up and the second part is the real movie, so hopefully we get one more classic MI movie with the next one. The set pieces all kind of fall into the "pretty good" category for me too, didn't have the one that blows me away the way you do with all the other ones. Cruise's "flying" motorcycle stunt is as good as advertised though and they saved it to the end so you can look forward to it the whole time. The cast is definitely the highlight, Cruise and Rhames are pros of course and Pegg has really grown into the Benji role after five films and (believe it or not) nearly 20 years. Also loved having Kittridge back and I wish he could have been the boss in all the movies. Like the dynamic he has with Cruise where you can simultaneously tell they respect and can't stand each other, a bit like Connery's Bond and Bernard Lee. Atwell is probably the highlight though. She and Cruise had immediate chemistry and if they wanted to have Ethan ride off into the sunset with somebody I'd buy it. She struck the right balance between mischievous and believably inexperienced. And damn @ her butt in those pants. As a side note was wondering if the Senator was supposed to be Matthew Modine from the first movie but apparently it's Cary Elwes who has aged into looking a lot like Modine over the years apparently. I also think they should have used mocop for the brief flashback. In no small part because that guy looked nothing like Cruise at all. That would be one thing if the franchise had started in 2010, but the flashback was stated as being in 93, three years before the first movie. Unless it's going to be revealed Ethan's been wearing a mask this whole time. And yes, definitely the potential for underwater scenes with where the plot is going in the next movie and you've got to think Cruise's next big stunt will involve that. Remember to stay safe TC As for what the questionable character choice was I'm going to guess it's- Either killing off Ilsa or revealing that Ethan used to be a criminal in the flashbacks. I had a feeling Ilsa was getting the ax right from the beginning with Atwell being second billed and Ferguson sixth or seventh. They seemed to be setting Atwell up as his new love interest and honestly the chemistry is better.
As for Ethan's past, I buy it to be honest. He's more of a rule breaking bad boy in the first couple films and he just aged into being the responsible mission focused guy since the series has gone on so long Anyway, I think a 7/10 for this. As with the first part in a lot of two part films it feels like the appetizer so hopefully the second part really brings it home and is back up to an 8 or 9.
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Post by Billy_Costigan on Jul 15, 2023 3:39:03 GMT
Yeah, there's a questionable story choice in there that I have a feeling is a misdirection for some reveal in Part 2. Which story choice are you referencing? Ilsa on the bridge
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Post by Billy_Costigan on Jul 15, 2023 3:50:58 GMT
I agree with the sentiments here. This was solid fun. There's a lot to like but it's probably the messiest Mission Impossible film since MI2. Great action and set pieces but a weak villain and complicated storyline. I get that it's a timely plot but AI is not as interesting as the previous villains. Still it's only Part 1 of a larger story so I'm hoping we can get a tighter conclusion in Part 2. Overall 7/10. As for the questionable choice .. This is about Ilsa on the bridge. I'm not really sure why people are that surprised. McQ talked about killing a member of the team and said it could never be Benji or Luther. This felt inevetible as soon Atwell joined the cast.
It's possible it is misdirection but we'll see. I don't really have a problem with them doing it but the execution felt rushed and there wasn't much of an impact. It's still part 1 though so I hope they don't gloss over it in part 2. They need to make a point to go back to it regardless.
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Post by countjohn on Jul 15, 2023 4:15:41 GMT
I think the sequel will have a "this time it's personal bent" so Ilsa will loom over it. That was already going on here with Cruise being so quick to try and cut his throat on the train when he isn't usually like that and the guy has so much value alive.
Wouldn't mind killing Benji in the sequel either to give it some weight since it's the last one. Leave Luther alive so he and Ethan can still be bros when he goes into exile on some tropical island with Atwell.
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Post by Billy_Costigan on Jul 15, 2023 4:39:25 GMT
Note: Nobody has confirmed Part 2 is the last one. It sounds like there could be more after Part 2.
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avnermoriarti
Badass
Friends say I’ve changed. They’re right.
Posts: 2,391
Likes: 1,274
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Post by avnermoriarti on Jul 15, 2023 5:37:20 GMT
This is my M:I Fallout. Pretty much loved it and looks like it's becoming a tradition for the anual Tom Cruise movie to be a commentary on new technology vs. analog, let the last true movie star be face of that... Maybe there's an unstoppable amount of exposition in the first act but from then on almost works just in terms of the images, each new M:I goes bigger, the idea of an intanglible enemy is baffling and convoluted so the movie leans on the physical, alive and real. Agreed on the Brian de Palma homage, always welcomed but what about Kubrick ? he's the one I was constantly thinking of.
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Post by Pavan on Jul 16, 2023 6:39:37 GMT
This was a better on a rewatch.
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Post by stephen on Jul 16, 2023 20:17:06 GMT
It's not as watertight as either Rogue Nation (my favourite in the series) or Fallout, but it's still a damn good flick and it had great plotting and pacing. Atwell was a fine addition to the cast. Klementieff was a great henchwoman and I'm glad to see Henry Czerny back. Also, I totally got incepted into thinking that the Esai Morales stuff was from the first movie and I had forgotten all about it.
Also, Tom Cruise is totally going to Abyss himself for the next one, right?
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Post by mhynson27 on Jul 17, 2023 10:06:07 GMT
Gabriel might be the most evil villain yet, just for making someone have to chose between Rebecca Ferguson and Hayley Atwell. What a sick son of a bitch.
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Post by The_Cake_of_Roth on Jul 17, 2023 11:59:13 GMT
A slight step down from McQuarrie’s last two, but this is still damn good action cinema. The train sequence alone is utterly spectacular and one of the best set pieces in the franchise. The car chase in Rome is also terrifically staged (no easy feat to make a car chase still exciting in a series with so many of them). Long movie, but didn’t feel the runtime at all, and the sound/score is incredible in IMAX. Too talky overall though (the huge exposition dump at the CIA with every character saying one line at a time was kind of comical), and I agree that as a villain, Morales isn’t as memorable as Sean Harris or even Cavill. Like others, I wasn’t thrilled about killing off Ilsa but I went in expecting it since it was spoiled for me ahead of time. Also, Hayley Atwell. Yum. My ranking: 6>5>4>7>1>3>2
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Post by stephen on Jul 18, 2023 13:31:43 GMT
The more I process it, the more I realize it's a fusion of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Uncharted 2. And that is a high fuckin' compliment.
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Post by Pittsnogle_Goggins on Jul 18, 2023 14:27:34 GMT
Which story choice are you referencing? Ilsa on the bridge Yeah, no way that was a misdirect or is being undone.
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Jul 21, 2023 2:27:27 GMT
hard film to digest. A pretty solid and entertaining actioner relative to similar fare. Some cool action, some clever twists, I laughed several times, but relative to my super high expectations on the basis of how enjoyable the 3 previous McQuarrie MI films have been, this was frustrating at best and in its worst moments just a straight kick to the stomach. It definitely has the part 1 syndrome with the plot and villain being incredibly murky and the ending being really unsatisfying, but the devil's in the details -- and there are so many. Lots of annoying things that keep adding up and adding up. I guarantee on rewatch the problems with the AI plot are going to be so easy to pick apart. The Entity is too powerful and this actually should be an impossible mission lol, but AI nevertheless can't make up for obvious and potentially fatal scenarios like how that whole scene on the bridge wouldn't have even happened if Ilsa had brought a gun to Gabriel's knife-fight or had taken pickpocketing into account when you're dealing with an actual pickpocket. Several pacing issues too. This is the first McQuarrie MI film that feels draggy, and multiple scenes go on too long like the hopping dangling train cars platformer sequence or the comic relief Rome chase which is probably the weakest chase in the franchise. And tonally it was off. Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation were on the sillier side, action movies you could relax and have a laugh with that were still cleverly-written and put together with eye-popping stunts, and Fallout struck a more delicate balance between the franchise's typical comedy and higher emotional stakes that built on the previous film's narrative while being even more fun. This one's all over the map. Inherently an escalation of stakes from Fallout while also being a lot sillier and lighter on its feet despite the length. The worst thing this movie could do is make you wish that the franchise had stopped with the previous film and I did start feeling that way towards the end of this one. It doesn't add to Fallout's narrative or legacy. If anything it kind of undoes it with how it handles that particular scene. It's simultaneously too silly and too serious. And speaking of that scene... Fuck off with that decision. No seriously, this was my Glenn getting baseball-batted-in-the-face moment. I'm not entirely opposed to a team member's death on principle (even though this really isn't the franchise for that shit tbh, the McQuarrie MI films were never the Craig-era Bond movies), but the way they did it and how they involved Atwell's character was so fucking bad. Firstly, that Grace is even framed as someone as important to Ethan as Ilsa (this woman he's known for five hours who's double-crossed, pickpocketed or left him for dead repeatedly), and then how everyone just moves on one scene later like their pet goldfish died. This comes back to the tone problem, the movie's both willing to go there but also not willing to explore it like at all. The MI team dynamic in the McQuarrie era has always been that family is everything, that all of these people would give their lives for each other, and then one of the team finally dies and everyone immediately moves on. Maybe Part 2 rectifies that somewhat but they can't un-poison the well, and this movie should be able to stand on its own. As problematically, Atwell's presence in the story going forward into Part 2 is doomed to live in Ilsa's shadow because of how this movie equates their significance. I was wondering why they were spending so much time building up this new character, and don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Atwell's not super charming or fun to watch -- she is. What I'm saying is that she now has the impossible (heh) task of filling Ferguson's shoes. She's the Ilsa replacement when we didn't need one. From now on when I look into Hayley Atwell's face, all I'll see are the cold dead eyes of Ilsa Faust staring lifelessly back.
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Jul 21, 2023 2:36:13 GMT
I think the sequel will have a "this time it's personal bent" so Ilsa will loom over it. That was already going on here with Cruise being so quick to try and cut his throat on the train when he isn't usually like that and the guy has so much value alive. I read that as Ethan faking trying to kill Gabriel so he could pickpocket the key. They all seemed to get over Ilsa pretty damn fast lol
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Post by countjohn on Jul 21, 2023 2:47:42 GMT
I think the sequel will have a "this time it's personal bent" so Ilsa will loom over it. That was already going on here with Cruise being so quick to try and cut his throat on the train when he isn't usually like that and the guy has so much value alive. I read that as Ethan faking trying to kill Gabriel so he could pickpocket the key. They all seemed to get over Ilsa pretty damn fast lol Ethan promised him he'd kill him if her hurt either her or Atwell so he's on his list. He's probably going yo kill him in as brutal a fashion as they can get away with in the next movie. Hopefully a "mano a mano" fight like in MI II where he kills him with his bare hands
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Post by JangoB on Oct 12, 2023 0:30:04 GMT
This movie understands two very important things and uses them to perfection:
1) that Brian De Palma's M:I was the best one and had to be paid homage to 2) that trains are cinema
I absolutely loved it. To my surprise, this big tribute to the first movie ended up actually topping it, thus becoming my favorite of the entire franchise. The convoluted story, the setpieces, the silliness, the endless Dutch angles, the actual sense of stakes and danger - every ingredient of this king-sized cocktail fit just right. A total blast.
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