MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT (2018) movie review


If you’ve waited for the summer blockbuster to arrive, the action is finally here in MI: Fallout.From every Tom does-his-own-stunts Cruise classic rooftop run to helmet-less Top Gun throwback motorcycle ride, the now quintessential action hero must face harder crashes and crazier action, taller towers and gravity-defying thrills.Throw a mustachioed Superman in there and the fists of fury will fly.Now toss in a little romantic tension and the gang of old friends going rogue with Tom yet again in order to diffuse a few plutonium bombs.Add a chopper chase, stormy parachute drops, street races in Paris, and London tower climbs, and you’ve got a #1 summer film.It’s a stunt movie fueled by themes of mercy for the innocent, for the weak, for the one and for the many.It’s a cavalcade of mind-bending feats, each one topping the next. The decent script offers a load of exposition, but enough twists and tension to keep it interesting. The mission, if you CHOOSE to accept it…

A storm is coming…”  
“I am the storm.”

G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (2013) movie review

gi-joe-retaliation-international-poster Titans clash in the throng as the epic battle for world domination ensues. The quintessential caricature-ized talking heads of the world gather, nuke briefcases in tow. One push of the red button and…obliteration.

Only the specially trained forces can stop it.

Bruce Willis, the original Joe, must tag in for this one last ride.

The Rock has enough deep ocean glances into his own soul via the camera lens to constitute a romance.

If you’re looking for Shawshank, Platoon, or even a Mission Impossible, you’ll need to check those expectations at the door. This is a live action cartoon. It’s loaded with guns and amo, Americana, and good old fashioned explosions. And, according to my dad, there is never a bad explosion.

You go to G.I. Joe: Retaliation to see big stars play every kid’s favorite 80’s action figures live on screen doing what kids back then could only dream was possible.

dwayne-johnson-as-roadblock-in-g-i-joe-retaliation

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 4: GHOST PROTOCOL (2011) movie review

I wanted to walk right back in and watch it again on the biggest screen possible –and that’s rare for me, even for an action flick. It’s lousy with intensity, explosions, and hand-to-hand fight scenes. It also has this lovely hand-of-God element, forcing a slight hesitation from each actor before the big jumps and big missions. They aren’t as cocky anymore. They shoot from the hip, on hunches, but don’t negate the possibility of death. This element makes it more suspenseful, and possibly more fun. Attainable. Personal. I maybe want to be a spy…or just write spy flicks.

Perhaps this level of pleasant, humble humanity stems from the writer / director, Brad Bird, who is new to live action. He is most famous as writer / director of both Ratatouille and The Incredibles. Impressive mantle to take on the next of the MI series.

Such a tease to play Sawyer’s (Josh Holloway) cocky mug in the beginning. Oh, J.J. Tom Cruise is back in impressive array, doing his own stunts, and taking it for the team. Despite his quirks, he’s a real movie star. Perhaps the memory of his crazy couch jumping incident lies dormant in the shrouded tomb of Oprah’s show. If Ghost Protocol is his awakening, I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.