- Sensibility: This film suffers from the standard issues of most action thriller movies: bad guys that can't aim, a lack of police intervention, and a lot of miraculous acts under extreme time constraints. The film introduces a lot of interesting new technologies, but the functionality of these new technologies feels odd: vascular I.D. and the inserted brain charges
are very interesting conceptually but aren't executed in a way that feels reasonable. Also, a very strange mole reveal, an awkward explosion,
- Cinematography: The film has a lot to offer visually, but there is an oddly edited transition from Luther to gun-fire action in the first mission and a pretty glaring sound mistake right after Hunt returns home to his wife from the first mission.
Great production design and locations that feel reasonable also add a lot to the film.
- Energy: Great watch with very few speed bumps. This film is propelled massively by a brilliant performance from Philip Seymour Hoffman.
- Narrative: The Vatican sequence is pleasantly nuanced, all of the sequences in China are interesting even if a bit far-fetched, and Owen Davian is the best written villain in the franchise
in my opinion. Perhaps the most rewarding part of this film is that the villain is defeated very unceremoniously, giving the film a greater sense of realism. In addition, this is one of the few films that sets reasonable stakes for Hunt at the beginning and provides solid reasoning for his behavior beyond just his moral code throughout. The
inconsistencies in his moral code are an issue still, but not nearly to the extent as many of the other films in the franchise.
- T-Points: The film received three bonus points: one for the brilliant countdown sequence between Hunt and Davian, the long shot of Hunt sprinting through Shanghai, and one for the brain-inserted
explosive charge, even with it's sensibility and execution issues.
This film likely saved the franchise after the travesty of M:I II. Hoffman is so excellent and the idiosyncracies of this film relative to the rest of the franchise all come
through as strengths rather than weakenesses.
Number of Watches: 1
