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And death is not always the most dramatic thing to do, and often isn't close. At its worst, a death can actually be hilarious because of a writer's desperation to make the audience feel something for characters the movie itself has failed to connect you with. I was recently watching something where I did the same thing: I cared 0% for the characters being depicted before me and when one of them died in the most predictable and pseudo-emotional way possible I broke into heavy laughter because I couldn't believe it was that on the nose and transparent.
I don't think I would laugh if Ethan died, as I like him more than a blank slate character, but I would be disappointed.
Within Hunts death? not a dry eye in the house. As with Spock's death (and M actually), it would cast a shadow over the whole movie so a tool would be needed (hence my idea) to raise the spirits of the audience and end with something uplifting/optimistic. ("with pleasure, M, with pleasure")
All MI movies have always focussed on the team ellement (more so recently) so, based on this, the team (and therefore the franchise) would survive the death of one team member. No one person is bigger than the team and the task in hand. The some of the parts etc etc
Character death can simply smack too much of audience manipulation and has become such an easy road to getting people worked up, but I think you can create just as genuine and heartfelt a reaction by allowing a character to ride off into the sunset. There's simply better "tools" out there, and I think the latter is more suitable for what people expect to see in an MI film.
But who knows. McQuarrie promised that the next film would go deeper into Hunt's character and have a personal angle, so maybe they are setting themselves up to surprise audiences by delivering an MI that is less about action and laughs and more about action and high drama that would better facilitate a more consequential ending for the character. We'll just have to wait and see. (Though, as with others, I don't think this is Tom's last film anyway, so his "ending" may still be a ways off)
It certainly can be done, but I'm ambivalent about whether it should be done.
You're exactly right, @bondjames. For these kinds of characters there's no other way for them to go than sacrificially in the name of a cause. If any death fit Hunt the most it would be that one, and the same for Bond. I recall Bond mentioning the boy on the burning deck in Moonraker: he's prepared to do down with his ship.
Rather, I can see it working tonally if there's a bit more action to follow afterwards, so that the audience registers the magnitude of the occurrence but is also focused on the need for the rest of the team to still get out of danger. Then there can be a more sombre acknowledgement of his contributions at the end of the film, perhaps with an IMF/CIA tribute scene. Somewhat like what occurred with Solo in SW-TFA, although that film perhaps could have done with a bit more recognition of what happened.
@bondjames, and a death that was followed without all the pomp of a funeral and the usual dramatics would actually make sense as well for the MI series, because every movie has the usual line of, "Should you or any of your team be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions" to drive home the consequence of the mission at hand. Ethan as an agent knows that his death will be hidden from everyone and masked/covered up as something else for the public (if the public know at all), so like Bond his true sacrifice can't ever be known and he can't actually get any medals given to his name. To have Hunt die and there be no big parade or funeral would drive home the idea that he gave his life selflessly despite the fact that nobody could ever know of the sacrifice and that says more about his character than anything.
I also agree that his death, if it is sacrificial, should be followed by the rest of his team using the window he gave to them to get out of their situation. By adding in a little more action that showed the team trying to still survive we could see firsthand what Ethan's sacrifice allowed the team to go on to do, underscoring that he didn't give it all up in vain.
I agree wholeheartedly. There must be still place for a franchise which doesn't do heavy drama/melodrama.
I am interested to see if they do an actual ending of some sort for these films that Cruise is starting to look his age. I think there'll be a seventh film, maybe an eighth, but no more than that. Or at least no more with him as the lead doing all the big stunts.
Could we be getting one next month? or in February?
He can craft a setpiece, that's for damn sure. That's another M:I crossover I wouldn't mind seeing, alongside seeing Rebecca Ferguson play a Bond girl.
The weakest? That’s the third.
They have to, since they are so heavily outnumbered from day one.
It's not just you @CASINOROYALE. I was really disappointed. Well made and everything but to me it just felt so safe. I think if Ghost Protocol was TSWLM (fresh, exciting) then Rogue Nation was MR (just repeating what worked, technically impressive but doesn't have the same energy). Just felt bland imo. I'm hoping the next one feels different from the rest, the same way the first four films did.
GP was pretty badass. The sand storm...
1. Retire to spend time with family
2. Promoted to a Jim Phelps role
3. Disappear with the potential of return some time
4. Death
My own preference would be death. As mentioned, it would have to be sacrificial and it could be to save the team and, if witnessed by the whole team (but not admitted by the gov) surely it would bring the rest of the team together?
I do hope that Cruise's vanity does not get the better of him. He needs to realise he can't go on forever.
I tire of that nearly as much as I'm tired of characters returning for a sequel and dying in the first few minutes. Was frequent in a lot of films this year, I felt.