June 30th, 2011
I’ll put the first Mission: Impossible up against just about any modern action movie–it’s in my pantheon with Die Hard, The Fugitive, The Hunt for Red October, and a few other classics. Like all great action movies, M:I is all about economy of force. Every set-up has a pay-off. Every knife on a table gets used. It’s the product of ruthlessly spare writing, masterful direction, and then, as a bonus, it gives you both great set-pieces and great performances. (Vanessa Redgrave and Henry Czerny add all sorts of value.)
All of which is set-up to saying that the first teaser for M:I4 looks fantastic. Tom Wilkinson!
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Agreed that the trailer/teaser (when does a teaser become a trailer?) looks great. As a fan of tall buildings, I’m especially excited to see the Burj Dubai in a film.
Now you have me making a mental list of my top ten modern action films. A couple of John Woo movies would make the cut — one of his Hong Kong movies and one of his American movies (probably Face/Off). I’m also one of the few people who think Die Hard 3with Jeremy Irons as the villian is actually better than the first film (plus Sam Jackson). But that is admitedly an aquired taste. I would also include a Michael Bay film in my list, probably The Rock. Finally, my list would defintely include Con Air.
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Yeah…but…it’s freakin’ Tom “only scientologists can save the world” Cruise ?!? For that reason, if I watch it, I will not pay for it. (We are legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.)
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But seeing that Simon Pegg is cast why do I have the feeling that the final climatic scene will involve a shootout at The Winchester?
Dave Bowman June 30, 2011 at 3:38 pm
The MI movies do have a quality level. I wouldn’t save them for some post-apocalypse monastery but I’ll watch ’em. Though all I remember from the 2nd was Sir Anthony Hopkins’s bit about how women are equipped.