Specializing in absurd bravado. Arguably, no one but Tom Cruise could pull off the combination of cheeky fun and audacious action that is the hallmark of the M:I series. This is highly professional blockbuster moviemaking, and regardless of who the director is—de Palma, or Woo, or in this case J.J. Abrams—the credit for the quality of this franchise must largely go to Cruise (who is both star and above the title producer throughout this series). It’s almost impossible not to enjoy these flicks, even considering their sometimes silly story lines or out of left field plot points or even an almost total lack of continuity between episodes (Ving Rhames is about the only commonality in the series besides Cruise himself). This is all about the spectacle, and Tom and his team never fail to deliver the goods, whether it’s jaw-dropping stunt work or moments of laugh out loud humor mixed into the mayhem. Don’t make the mistake I originally did in dismissing these films as lowest common denominator multiplex fodder; this is really the state of the art in movie-for-the-masses filmmaking. Accept the mission and give this and the rest of the series a look. 
Showing posts with label Keri Russell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Keri Russell. Show all posts
Friday, February 24, 2023
Mission: Impossible-III
Specializing in absurd bravado. Arguably, no one but Tom Cruise could pull off the combination of cheeky fun and audacious action that is the hallmark of the M:I series. This is highly professional blockbuster moviemaking, and regardless of who the director is—de Palma, or Woo, or in this case J.J. Abrams—the credit for the quality of this franchise must largely go to Cruise (who is both star and above the title producer throughout this series). It’s almost impossible not to enjoy these flicks, even considering their sometimes silly story lines or out of left field plot points or even an almost total lack of continuity between episodes (Ving Rhames is about the only commonality in the series besides Cruise himself). This is all about the spectacle, and Tom and his team never fail to deliver the goods, whether it’s jaw-dropping stunt work or moments of laugh out loud humor mixed into the mayhem. Don’t make the mistake I originally did in dismissing these films as lowest common denominator multiplex fodder; this is really the state of the art in movie-for-the-masses filmmaking. Accept the mission and give this and the rest of the series a look. 
Monday, September 18, 2017
Free State of Jones
Apparently there's more manner of southern heritage than some folks care to consider. This piece strikes some interesting notes, to be sure, and it keeps Matthew McConaughy's mid-career resurrection moving in a positive trajectory--he is all over virtually every scene here, and owns the movie--but there are some failings, too. The film has focus problems, occasionally betraying a lack of decision about what message it wishes to convey. Trying to shoehorn in a decades-later court case involving a descendant of protagonist Newton Knight only muddles the issue, and makes the story seem more individual and less ecumenical. Also, there is a certain amount of predictability to some scenes, while other scenes drag enough to encourage the viewer's attention to wander. Overall, this is an intriguing attempt that works, to an extent--it's just not an overwhelming victory.
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