This is the seventh episode in the history of Ethan Hunt and his team, as always there is Luther, Simon and Isla from the last few episodes, to which Grace (Hayley Atwell) is added, and this time the enemy is an artificial intelligence created as a weapon, but then what is left alone has evolved and established its own goals and enemies. The mission of Ethan and his team, with the classic “if he decides to accept it”, is to recover the two parts of the key, which would allow access and control over the entity in which the AI has evolved.
But the treacherous entity also has a human emissary: Gabriel (Esai Morales), an old acquaintance of Ethan with a special desire to make him suffer.
The story moves between Abu Dhabi Airport, Rome, Venice and the Orient Express, and the scenes in these places are truly breathtaking and iconic, from the 500 chase to Trinita dei Monti. But in general, as in the previous films in the series, the action scenes are definitely not enough and they are very exciting.
You may not like the action genre, but the movie, even if it’s not short, has no downtime and maintains the story well with a sequence of events that remains believable even if it’s always extreme.
Junior, do you think this is the first episode you see, if I remember correctly, right?
Mister: Decisively! But Tom Cruise for me is Ethan Hunt: this role is made especially for him, much more than for many others, such as Maverick, Ron (Born July 4th), Jerry (Maguire) and many others. He is Ethan, since Saint Connery will always be 007, Harrison Ford Indiana, Vin Diesel Dom…
It’s true that the show has always tried to pick up the legacy of 007, but we have to admit, as you said, they did a great job and generally found their own style as well.
What I really liked were the scenes in Rome: I think it’s an amazing place for the city, it really makes me want to go back. Much more than Fast & Furious.
Jr: I’m afraid that we have different opinions for Rome, I preferred the episodes on the Orient Express, which are exceptional from a technical point of view. Perhaps even more I appreciated those in Venice, which are very original, although in these cases there is a great risk of falling into a repetition full of twists and turns. Thorns in the side with a snotty nose like Gabriel, although they consider themselves omniscient, sometimes fate has a different opinion and gives him a glorious, well-deserved blow to the teeth. Esai Morales’ obnoxious character, whose interpretation is enviable, very believable and laid-back. In these films, in addition to the action, there is one thing that cannot be overlooked: a pair of jester-characters who invariably improve the film and there are also enough of them here. Benji and Luther (Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames) brighten up the mood with their crazy ideas that you can’t do without.
Mister: Are you saying that scenes in Rome don’t make you want to take a walk? Quurlles on the train are certainly spectacular, but they are also great movie classics like 007, in particular on the Orient Express, sort of a tribute to the spy world!
The secondary characters, both good and bad, are definitely a fundamental part of the film, otherwise it would be flat, and they do a very good job. My favorite is Gabriel, the real villain. In this case, it is always tempting to hint “you don’t know who I am”, the voice of higher intelligence, a kind of new god.
Jr: I really liked Paris, very creepy, more realistic than Gabriel in terms of acting. A ruthless killer, one who will find you, no matter how much you try to sow. She reminded me a bit of Black Widow, she and Natasha are somewhat similar, I’m sure Black Widow is one of my favorite characters so I’m biased. Even if I don’t feel like bringing her up to her level, she’s a well developed character that changes throughout the film. She has that crazy look that vaguely resembles the Joker, a very good Pom Klementieff.
Mister: Of course, very well, I’m afraid that her character, which eventually becomes almost “good”, made me consider her less than Gabriel, who remains bad always and forever. But in any case, both interpretations are excellent, even in the sense that they do not make the characters somewhat cartoonish, in which everything is just black and white. But this is a little of all the characters and, in my opinion, makes the film much more realistic even in an unrealistic plot.
JrA: That the interpretations are excellent is out of the question, perhaps Gabriel is a bit “cartoonish” in my opinion, he runs the risk of being. Let me explain, I don’t mean it’s a bad part or poorly done, but it falls a little bit into the cartoon villain stereotype, evil laugh with background flames aside, it has all the makings. Like everyone else, Ethan is a typical superhero. Both have different nuances that give the characters a lot of depth, and that’s what I think helps make them realistic. On the other hand, it’s a little disappointing for Kittridge, who as a character falls very far into the stereotype of the gray-matter-less cop who gets screwed, nothing to take away from Henry Czerny in terms of acting. My least favorite was the character of Alanna, a naughty and spoiled child who can’t do anything but put her feet on the ground and whimper, to be honest, she seemed to me to be anything but a business woman, if that was my intention. opinion that it failed miserably.
Mister: I’d say you’re right: it worked better for some characters than others, and Kittridge isn’t the kind of character they’ll remember when they leave the theater! As well as Alanna, in which, in my opinion, the typical characterization of Russian characters from American films is of great importance, a bit like mafiosi, who are almost always the same, starting with the dress. It’s kind of part of the rules of the game.
However, as an action movie worth watching, there will be more upcoming releases, you who follow me more than me?
Jr: Tom Cruise Action I’m afraid not. Slightly different genres are coming soon, even if you think of them as action, they are not the same type. When the cinema reopens, we’ll see Barbie or Oppenheimer on August 23rd.
Mister: I think I’ll vote for Openheimer, even if I don’t like films that do “summaries” of historical facts, I almost always find them trivial.
JrA: Low expectations for you, high for me. I’m very curious to look at it, there are some of my favorite actors: Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr and Matt Damon just to name a few!