The re-release of Paramount Pictures / Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible films as collectable steelbooks is more than perfect to highlight what may be the end of a journey. There may be elements in the upcoming films which may recall the earlier adventures and challenge the team in new ways never thought of.
Even though the next two films hint a putting closure to the franchise, this actor has been quoted to say that he wishes to continue playing Ethan Hunt until he’s as old as Harrison Ford, on the Sydney Morning Herald.
To see these 4k prints offered alongside the Blu-ray and a separate disk with the bonus features will take at least a week to get through, and fortunately my break gave me the time to watch all the films again. The package design is fantastic. Although nothing new has been added to this release, there are IMF stickers to use, which are included in part 3 on up.
Starting today, the last two volumes of these metal box releases are available. They were released two at a time, building up to Dead Reckoning part one!
By being able to look back at the past films, fans can see how the mission impossible series have gotten crazier over the years. That is, we see the stunts become very hair-raising. To see Cruise willing to abuse his body for the sake of realism is commendable, and while he’s the last of that generation’s style of filmmaking, let’s hope this upcoming pair of films is not his last hurrah.
To regurgitate what’s been said in many a review won’t be my main goal here. Instead, I’ll rank them, some may regard as an impossible task in itself. I believe the turning point is when Simon Pegg became a regular; I love this actor and he can do no wrong. His role in the series is exactly what this franchise needs to balance between the extremes of action and humour. And as for why consistency matters, to have Christopher McQuarrie helming films from the fourth film onwards is why the action is even more hard-boiled, nail-biting and be the blockbusters that they are.
Without further ado, my ranking of the films are. (disclaimer: the links go to the Amazon USA page for the product, to which we are an Amazon Associates member of. Any sales made helps support this site.)
Mission Impossible II – The hi-jinks aren’t over when Hunt’s IMF team needs to find its footing. That’s mostly because we don’t have my favourite actor introduced into the series yet, and that on the rewatch, do we really need a pandemic story?
Mission Impossible III – By hiring Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci to pen the story after their success with other properties, doesn’t mean they can pen gold for the big screen. Although they earned their wings with Hercules, Legendary Journey and executive produced the beloved Transformers: Prime, it doesn’t mean they know how to handle live-action. What they offer is merely fan service in this entry, and while J. J. Abrams can adapt these writers’ material well, there’s just not enough oomph to make this entry stand out.
Mission Impossible – The first film doesn’t stand the test of time when considering the electronics used. They were once considered the latest for the era, the 90s, but watching it now shows just how much time has elapsed between films. Ethan must need tons of time to recover between missions, otherwise why else would the later films feel different (production and directorial talents notwithstanding)
Mission Impossible IV Ghost Protocol – In contrast, this entry at least updates the tech used by the IMF team and it’s a fun watch! Brad Bird and the writing team hasn’t flown the coup by retreading the disavowed concept too much. Instead of being rejected by their bosses, the whole organisation is framed for a bombing they weren’t involved in. The team has to figure out what’s going on, and to figure out who’s involved makes for the best part of this narrative.
Mission Impossible V Rogue Nation – To truly realise this franchise requires filmmakers to fully accept and deliver what fans want, to deliver exhilarating action and bombastic stunts (first film notwithstanding) that feel real. It’s not so much about how marketing must sell Tom Cruise. Instead, it’s to be consistent about it. In this film, Hunt must face The Syndicate, a group of rogue government agents out to subvert the world. If that’s not a hint towards a grand Illuminati-style threat, then I don’t know what is!
Mission Impossible XI Fallout – To raise the stakes is tough in a spy movie, and when what’s delivered here threatens the world, there better be a countdown to true nuclear destruction. Here, that’s what this sequel offers, and it’s fair to say this movie was intense should say it all. It’s worth checking out to make whetting the appetite before going into seeing Dead Reckoning all the more worthwhile.
Mission Impossible:
Dead Reckoning Part One Trailer (Spoiler Alert)
