Liam Patrick returns with his latest film review, in his own words. Ed
Mission Impossible? If only.
When the IMF is implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his new team are forced to go rogue to clear their organization’s name.
Suffocating exposition
It is genuinely feasible that at some point during the conception of this film a group of producers got together to ask the question: Alright what can we get Tom to run from, through, into or out of this time?
The so called spectacular set pieces that you may have read about are unfortunately based around Ethan sprinting away from them. Whether this is from a sandstorm, down a building or more often than not a gigantic, suffocating rock slide of exposition.
There is an unfortunate tendency for the action to lapse into bewildering planning sessions in which the characters are forced into a desperate attempt to explain the plot thus far.
Technological meltdowns
For rogue agents, Ethan and his team have a perplexing array of state of the art gear. In fact they seem better equipped than when they had the support of IMF. It begs the question why they didn’t go into business for themselves long ago, maybe buy a van and drive around solving mysteries.
The film itself seems to be aware of this somewhat glaring oversight and attempts to compensate for it. Although its way of bringing a realistic edge to proceedings is not to dispense with the high-tech gadgetry but bizarrely enough to make it all constantly malfunction.
With the technological porn show in full swing there also comes one of the most flagrant illustrations of product placement in recent years. When a character uses a tablet to look round a corner, as opposed to let’s say a piece of mirror on a stick, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d entered an alternate version of The Great Escape sponsored by Apple.
Talented but confused cast
Simon Pegg reprises his role as Benji Dunn, an IMF technician now turned field agent. It is almost painful to watch his spirited attempt to inject some much needed levity into the bland, cumbersome dialogue.
Jeremy Renner plays William Brandt the newest member of the team. Renner at times seems at a loss as to why he is in the film in the first place, it transpires that this is appropriate because soon enough the audience are in a similar position.
With set pieces that do not excuse its inordinately tedious plot Tom Cruise’s running simulator is finally on its last legs.
Plot: 2/5 “At best baffling, at worst mind-numbingly monotonous”
Acting: 2/5 “A solid cast but they all seem to be just going through the motions”
Visuals: 3/5 “Some breathtaking spectacle with all the immersion of a cardboard cut out”
Soundtrack: 3/5 “A competent action score”
Entertainment: 2/5 “The long exposition sessions kill any momentum or excitement the film had to offer”
Overall: 2/5
