Has Mission Impossible surpassed Bond?

11618202122

Comments

  • SarkSark Guangdong, PRC
    Posts: 1,138
    I would go so far as to say that MI-MI:5 are a better five movies than any 5 consecutive Bond films, which the exception of DN-YOLT (and knowing how many people are down on TB maybe not even that). It's a testament to the Bond character that it's been able to survive such stinkers DAF, MR, DAD, etc.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    edited January 2016 Posts: 17,801
    Mission: Impossible the film series would have greatly benefited from following the series formula more closely and not become the Tom Cruise show. That said, MI:2 was a reasonably decent copy of a Bond movie that tossed the formula of the series most completely, which is why it's my favourite. Go figure. I guess it doesn't seem like a bad version of the series to me. :-??
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited January 2016 Posts: 23,883
    I'm just watching the original MI as I type this.

    What a great spy thriller. It's been ages since I've seen it but there are so many iconic scenes in this film, even though it's a bit dated now. This is now my third favourite behind MI-RN & MI-GP. I've always loved the train sequence at the end as well (which is what I'm watching right now) and I still think the CGI here is better (apart from the helicopter) than what we've seen in certain recent notable blockbusters.

    Elfman's score is better than I remember it. One of the scenes that impresses me the most always is the one in the tube station when Hunt meets up with Phelps and then imagines how Phelps did the killings. The music that plays during that recap sequence is excellent.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    edited January 2016 Posts: 17,801
    @bondjames I really need to see the first one again- been a while.
    (I just ordered a copy)
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    @chrisisall, it's certainly a little dated, particularly the technology bits (they are dealing with floppy disks rather than cd's for example). Cruise is so young & baby faced in it too & he comes across a little smug and know it all (like he used to frequently in those days).

    However, it's got some superb tense scenes, including that opening betrayal in Prague which is as good as it gets in this genre.

    Great to see it again. The last one I have to watch again now is MI2, which I'll try to take in during the next few days.
  • Posts: 4,617
    In addition to the action, there is also some great dialogue and a great supporting cast. (Redgrave brings real class IMHO):


    Eugene Kittridge: I understand you're very upset.

    Ethan Hunt: Kittridge, you've never seen me very upset.

    Eugene Kittridge: All right, Hunt. Enough is enough. You have bribed, cajoled, and killed, and you have done it using loyalties on the inside. You want to shake hands with the devil, that's fine with me. I just want to make sure that you do it in hell!
  • SarkSark Guangdong, PRC
    Posts: 1,138
    That guy was so good as a bad guy in that film and "Clear and Present Danger". " I have an *autographed get-out-of-jail-free card*! "The President of the United States authorizes Deputy Director of the CIA Robert Ritter to conduct 'Operation Reciprocity' including all necessary funding and support. This action is deemed important to the national security of the United States etcetera, etcetera, etcetera." You don't have one of these, do you Jack? [as Ryan walks away] Gray! The world is gray, Jack!"
  • Posts: 4,617
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited January 2016 Posts: 23,883
    Interesting you guys are mentioning Henry Czerny. Yes, he was great both in MI & in Clear and Present Danger. As I watched MI yesterday, I hoped they could bring him back for one more. Redgrave was great too. Andreas Wisniewski came back briefly for MI-GP so anything is possible.

    Also, when watching MI-1, I wondered about Ferguson. I know she's back for MI6, but I wonder if she will become a regular on the team going forward (I hope so given she is disavowed British Intelligence and so has no home). With Cruise getting on, if he wants to stay with the franchise, he could ostensibly gravitate up to the Phelps role, and be more of a director of the team, with limited and occasional field duties. Let Becky kick the 'a' (we know she can do it).
  • edited January 2016 Posts: 5,767
    patb wrote: »
    In addition to the action, there is also some great dialogue and a great supporting cast. (Redgrave brings real class IMHO):


    Eugene Kittridge: I understand you're very upset.

    Ethan Hunt: Kittridge, you've never seen me very upset.

    Eugene Kittridge: All right, Hunt. Enough is enough. You have bribed, cajoled, and killed, and you have done it using loyalties on the inside. You want to shake hands with the devil, that's fine with me. I just want to make sure that you do it in hell!
    And all that with the tilted camera :-). One of the great moments in cinema history. Or maybe a hommage to one, I don´t know ;-).



    bondjames wrote: »
    Interesting you guys are mentioning Henry Czerny. Yes, he was great both in MI & in Clear and Present Danger. As I watched MI yesterday, I hoped they could bring him back for one more. Redgrave was great too. Andreas Wisniewski came back briefly for MI-GP so anything is possible.

    Also, when watching MI-1, I wondered about Ferguson. I know she's back for MI6, but I wonder if she will become a regular on the team going forward (I hope so given she is disavowed British Intelligence and so has no home). With Cruise getting on, if he wants to stay with the franchise, he could ostensibly gravitate up to the Phelps role, and be more of a director of the team, with limited and occasional field duties. Let Becky kick the 'a' (we know she can do it).
    I think in RN Hunt for the first time gives instructions via headphones. When he instructs Benji in Vienna I was almost waiting for Hunt to say, "your mission, should you choose to accept it". Cruise is certainly keeping some doors open, with Luther being a constant (though his character is more big bad uncle than team leader figure), Brand since the last one, and now Ilsa.

  • Posts: 4,617
    I really hope RF becomes a full time member of the team, she would add much in so many ways. Re Cruises role, I think it may be best if he goes as he would provide a distraction to the new leader, I know it's different but imagine Connery getting promoted and a new Bond coming in. It undermines the role of the new leader and the audience would always see Cruise as the real boss and defer to him as the star of the movie. As we have seen, the emotional element of the movies has become stronger and, unlike Bond, MI offers the potential for one of THE great death scenes on the cinema. THE greatest sacrifice any hero can make is to give their life (something Bond can never do), I will miss Cruise but I want him to go out with a great movie including some tears rather than a desk job. I do wonder if he has ambitions as a director? He has worked with some great ones during his career and clearly cares very much about the end product.
  • Posts: 5,767
    patb wrote: »
    I really hope RF becomes a full time member of the team, she would add much in so many ways. Re Cruises role, I think it may be best if he goes as he would provide a distraction to the new leader, I know it's different but imagine Connery getting promoted and a new Bond coming in. It undermines the role of the new leader and the audience would always see Cruise as the real boss and defer to him as the star of the movie. As we have seen, the emotional element of the movies has become stronger and, unlike Bond, MI offers the potential for one of THE great death scenes on the cinema. THE greatest sacrifice any hero can make is to give their life (something Bond can never do), I will miss Cruise but I want him to go out with a great movie including some tears rather than a desk job. I do wonder if he has ambitions as a director? He has worked with some great ones during his career and clearly cares very much about the end product.
    After all the masks, deception tricks and spy shit Hunt did, I would never buy that he´s dead, I would always believe he´s in hiding somewhere to appear at some later point.

  • MI:2 is actually my second favorite (behind the latest). Prepare the firing squad.
  • edited January 2016 Posts: 11,189
    I was MI: Rogue Nation last night for the first time and I have to say it was one of the best action films I've seen in a fair while. Thoroughly enjoyable and easily better than both SP and Star Wars (TFA). The opera scene knocked spots off the equivalent in QoS and Rebecca Ferguson was stunning.

  • Posts: 7,653
    I am actually looking forward to MI-6 more than the next 007 installment. And if it is another Mendes I will probably steer clear of the franchise.
  • Posts: 5,767
    SaintMark wrote: »
    I am actually looking forward to MI-6 more than the next 007 installment. And if it is another Mendes I will probably steer clear of the franchise.
    While I don´t see much sense in me watching another Mendes film with James Bond in it, Eon seems too unpredictable these days for me not to be curious what comes next. But in terms of actually looking forward to, M:I 6 is definitely more of a bank.

  • Posts: 1,631
    boldfinger wrote: »
    SaintMark wrote: »
    I am actually looking forward to MI-6 more than the next 007 installment. And if it is another Mendes I will probably steer clear of the franchise.
    While I don´t see much sense in me watching another Mendes film with James Bond in it, Eon seems too unpredictable these days for me not to be curious what comes next. But in terms of actually looking forward to, M:I 6 is definitely more of a bank.

    Same for me. I wouldn't not watch the next Bond film, but at the same time I don't have too terribly much confidence in where EON is going to take the franchise. SPECTRE somehow managed to be decent in spite of its many problems, but the course they followed to make that film will most likely result in more creative failures than successes.

    SPECTRE does set up the possibility of a YOLT adaptation for the next one, and that's something that I've always wanted to see, but at the same time I'm quite fearful that they'll mess it up, especially if they bring back P&W. From what I could gather reading the thread a week or so back about what did and didn't make it to the film from Logan's original script, I think that most of the problems that SPECTRE has, or at least a good number of them, lie at the feet of P&W, who were brought in to "save" the script from Logan's original version.

    As for Mission: Impossible 6, I'm very much looking forward to that one. I always look forward to Cruise's films anyway, but Rogue Nation was the first film since the original Mission: Impossible where I finished the film with a solid anticipation for the next one.
  • ChevronChevron Northern Ireland
    Posts: 370
    BAIN123 wrote: »
    I was MI: Rogue Nation last night for the first time and I have to say it was one of the best action films I've seen in a fair while. Thoroughly enjoyable and easily better than both SP and Star Wars (TFA). The opera scene knocked spots off the equivalent in QoS and Rebecca Ferguson was stunning.

    Quoted for truth. It was quite the revelation watching Rogue Nation and realising how good it was. I do agree that it was probably a better movie than the uneven Spectre (although I did like Spectre).
  • SarkSark Guangdong, PRC
    Posts: 1,138
    I certainly hope EON are paying attention, both to the critical response re SPECTRE and MI:5 and that of their most dedicated fans. If a goodly percentage of Bond fanatics think MI5 was clearly better what do the general public think?
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    Sark wrote: »
    I certainly hope EON are paying attention, both to the critical response re SPECTRE and MI:5 and that of their most dedicated fans. If a goodly percentage of Bond fanatics think MI5 was clearly better what do the general public think?

    Do they, though? Or are the naysayers just more vociferous?
  • Posts: 7,653
    RC7 wrote: »
    Sark wrote: »
    I certainly hope EON are paying attention, both to the critical response re SPECTRE and MI:5 and that of their most dedicated fans. If a goodly percentage of Bond fanatics think MI5 was clearly better what do the general public think?

    Do they, though? Or are the naysayers just more vociferous?

    There are no naysayers, just dissapointed Bond fans that had more expectations than Mendes & EON coulc deliver. And then they see a movie that actually did do a better job at most of the stuff. Which annoys me most is that Craig gets served so poorly ever since CR.

  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    Who works out the percentages of Bond fans who like MI5 ? :D
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    SaintMark wrote: »
    RC7 wrote: »
    Sark wrote: »
    I certainly hope EON are paying attention, both to the critical response re SPECTRE and MI:5 and that of their most dedicated fans. If a goodly percentage of Bond fanatics think MI5 was clearly better what do the general public think?

    Do they, though? Or are the naysayers just more vociferous?

    There are no naysayers, just dissapointed Bond fans that had more expectations than Mendes & EON coulc deliver. And then they see a movie that actually did do a better job at most of the stuff. Which annoys me most is that Craig gets served so poorly ever since CR.

    If RN is what we expect from Bond you can count me out. It's a really well executed film and I applaud Cruise's insistence on stunt work, plus his abilities as a producer, but Bond it is not. SP is rich with class and style in a way a MI never will be.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    RC7 wrote: »

    If RN is what we expect from Bond you can count me out. It's a really well executed film and I applaud Cruise's insistence on stunt work, plus his abilities as a producer, but Bond it is not. SP is rich with class and style in a way a MI never will be.
    Ahhh, yep.
  • Posts: 7,653

    RC7 wrote: »
    SaintMark wrote: »
    RC7 wrote: »
    Sark wrote: »
    I certainly hope EON are paying attention, both to the critical response re SPECTRE and MI:5 and that of their most dedicated fans. If a goodly percentage of Bond fanatics think MI5 was clearly better what do the general public think?

    Do they, though? Or are the naysayers just more vociferous?

    There are no naysayers, just dissapointed Bond fans that had more expectations than Mendes & EON coulc deliver. And then they see a movie that actually did do a better job at most of the stuff. Which annoys me most is that Craig gets served so poorly ever since CR.

    If RN is what we expect from Bond you can count me out. It's a really well executed film and I applaud Cruise's insistence on stunt work, plus his abilities as a producer, but Bond it is not. SP is rich with class and style in a way a MI never will be.

    If you can just point out the class to me exactly you see, I find Craigs Bond far more workingclass than classy. The Bond movies used to have credible actionscenes, this movies lacks them, in the last two movies the baddies were brilliant in their first scenes and then turned into right tits after than One of the paranormal variety and another with daddy issues because 007 took his dads attention away. Really classy.

    The recent 007 movies were written by committee and it shows, EON lack Cubby and his vision in making things work. A movie can look great and still not deliver. One more 007 outing like SF & SP and they will actually run the franchise into the ground. With Bourne 5 & MI-6 coming up EON better get their vision straight and stop the this time it is personal, we had that shyte 3 movies in a row. And the end of SP looks like there is a fourth one coming up.

  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited January 2016 Posts: 23,883
    I'll add my name to the % of Bond fans who preferred MI-RN, by a significant margin. I actually found it to be the classier & more stylish experience. The Opera scene alone is as classy as anything I've seen this year.

    Cruise has really upped his game compared to earlier installments in this and MI-GP when it comes to playing effortlessly 'cool'.

    It has grown on me every time I've watched it (thrice now). The first experience in the theatre was above average but I wasn't fully sold. The 2nd experience in the theatre was when I realized just how good it was. The 3rd experience on blu ray cemented for me what an exceptional product they have delivered.

    I agree that there are no naysayers here. People on this forum are Bond fans first and foremost, otherwise we won't be here. However, some of us (and I don't know the %'s) expected far more than what EON delivered this year, and look forward to a better product next time. I'm quite certain we'll get it too.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    SaintMark wrote: »
    RC7 wrote: »
    SaintMark wrote: »
    RC7 wrote: »
    Sark wrote: »
    I certainly hope EON are paying attention, both to the critical response re SPECTRE and MI:5 and that of their most dedicated fans. If a goodly percentage of Bond fanatics think MI5 was clearly better what do the general public think?

    Do they, though? Or are the naysayers just more vociferous?

    There are no naysayers, just dissapointed Bond fans that had more expectations than Mendes & EON coulc deliver. And then they see a movie that actually did do a better job at most of the stuff. Which annoys me most is that Craig gets served so poorly ever since CR.

    If RN is what we expect from Bond you can count me out. It's a really well executed film and I applaud Cruise's insistence on stunt work, plus his abilities as a producer, but Bond it is not. SP is rich with class and style in a way a MI never will be.

    If you can just point out the class to me exactly you see, I find Craigs Bond far more workingclass than classy. The Bond movies used to have credible actionscenes, this movies lacks them, in the last two movies the baddies were brilliant in their first scenes and then turned into right tits after than One of the paranormal variety and another with daddy issues because 007 took his dads attention away. Really classy.

    The recent 007 movies were written by committee and it shows, EON lack Cubby and his vision in making things work. A movie can look great and still not deliver. One more 007 outing like SF & SP and they will actually run the franchise into the ground. With Bourne 5 & MI-6 coming up EON better get their vision straight and stop the this time it is personal, we had that shyte 3 movies in a row. And the end of SP looks like there is a fourth one coming up.

    Better get yourself to some other forums then.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    RC7 wrote: »
    Better get yourself to some other forums then.
    To be fair, some folks thrash Brosnan's entire run & no one suggests they leave...
    Just sayin.
    ;)
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    chrisisall wrote: »
    RC7 wrote: »
    Better get yourself to some other forums then.
    To be fair, some folks thrash Brosnan's entire run & no one suggests they leave...
    Just sayin.
    ;)

    Oh, I do.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    RC7 wrote: »
    chrisisall wrote: »
    RC7 wrote: »
    Better get yourself to some other forums then.
    To be fair, some folks thrash Brosnan's entire run & no one suggests they leave...
    Just sayin.
    ;)

    Oh, I do.
    Then you are a fair man.

    :)>-
Sign In or Register to comment.