How long will we need the larger-than-life movie theater screen?
As long as Tom Cruise makes Mission Impossible films.
The series reached its (thus far) high watermark with its fourth film, Ghost Protocol. It opens with Cruise—excuse me, Ethan Hunt—doing time in a Russian prison.
He escapes, the Kremlin blows up and—actually, I think that’s enough plot, don’t you?
Suffice it to say Ethan Hunt chooses to accept his mission and tracks down the bad guys.
There’s lots and lots of car chases. And Tom Cruise running. And fighting in formalwear.
Yes please!
The set piece in Ghost Protocol is when Ethan Hunt has to climb up the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the tallest building in the world, using only a pair of gloves that stick and release. I stop chewing my popcorn and hold my breath as Tom Cruise Ethan works his way up the building.
“Twenty-five minutes to door knock,” Jeremey Renner’s character reminds him through his ear piece.
A sandstorm appears in the distance.
“Twenty-four minutes to door knock.”
One of the gloves malfunctions and dies. Ethan now must climb the smooth wall of glass with only one sticky glove.
“Twenty-three minutes to door knock.”
Ethan makes it to the required room and begins to cut a hole in the glass with a laser. He slips (the audience gasps!) and falls several stories before he manages to get a hand back on the glass and save his life.
“Twenty-two minutes to door knock.”
A completely deadpan Cruise says:
“The countdown is not helping.”
He gets to where he needs to go, but then he has to get back….
But if you want to know how he manages that, you’ll have to watch for yourself.
It’s not the greatest movie ever made. But it just might be the second greatest.
This is part of my Movies I’m Grateful For series, running daily through the month of November.
Other films include: Splash | New Moon | The Lucky One | Thelma and Louise | Katy Perry: Part of Me | Crazy Rich Asians | Under the Tuscan Sun | Terminator 2 | Moulin Rouge! | How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days | Practical Magic | Schindler’s List |
Instant Argument; this is not even one of the best MI movies; the last two are far better than this one, whch does have its moments, but the formula hadn’t quite settled yet. But then, I rate III higher than this…
I do like 4-6 better than 1-3. They do seem to have found their groove and less reliant on someone pulling off a mask every five minutes.
But we must agree to disagree on Ghost Protocol – it’s the best and I’m not budging!
Can we agree that 2 is the worst?
We have found common ground!
Phew!
I like all the MI movies, and have enjoyed them all equally so couldn’t pick a fave. One day I suppose he’ll have to give up or his back and knees will, but until then I’ll be looking forward to the next one.
Same!