Random thoughts I had during the summer’s three-hour action spectacle—Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One.
1. Longest car chase ever.
2. Driving pretzel-style while handcuffed. Really?
3. AI must be for real. A serious villain.
4. Incredible disguise masks.
5. Eardrum-shattering noise. Unrelenting chase scenes.
6. So much violence. Intense sequences of violence, according to the ratings. No one flinches at violence or death.
7. Wildly entertaining humor—slapstick moments like trying to pull a man’s face off to find the hero; stand-out hilarity as Tweety Bird yellow Fiat 500 becomes an unpredictable character of its own, seemingly possessed by chaos; amusing mystery of Cruise’s sleight of hand magic tricks.
8. Predictable in many moments
9. Extraordinary international locations—Arab Emirates, Austrian Alps, Venice
10. Testoserone soap opera on steroids
11. Many gorgeous young women. No fairytale endings, however.
12. No gorgeous young men. Bad dudes everywhere. Serious bad dudes
13. Tom looks good. Nerveless and unfading.
14. The trills and thrills of Lalo Schifrin’s original score, remains one of the most exciting theme tunes ever composed.
15. Tom is a beast on a motorcycle and parachute.
16. Stellar, edge-of-your-seat stunts. Outsized magnificence!
17. Driving backwards down the Spanish Steps in Rome. Really?
18. The skillful and glamorous pickpocket-er is a scene stealer.
19. Most sinister scene—Tom’s race through hundreds and hundreds of candles (LED and remote control) lining the exterior of Doge’s Palace…close to a horror movie vibe.
20. Let your inhibitions go out on the careening train climax—a reminiscence of Buster Keaton’s runaway masterpiece, The General.
21. Spectacular bridge scenes for one of the movie’s death-defying stunts - a spectacular finale!
22. About the two halves of the mysterious key known to be connected to The Entity’s (villain’s) plan—most characters have no idea what it unlocks or what to do if they both halves. Not sure I do either…
23. Exhilarating espionage in full force—entire film is about forward momentum—trains, cars, motorcycles and Tom’s legs!
24. Ridiculously good time in this heartpumping thriller—should you choose to accept, hold on.
25. My mission impossible—trying to get to sleep after the movie’s marathon madness!