MISSION IMPOSSIBLE IV Could Be Incredible

MI3 is the only one that slips a toe over the border of "good", but still doesn't quite get there. It's a collection of really fantastic elements with nothing holding them together.

That list of potential directors for IV has my rapt attention, though.

I love Bird but man, what a bizarre choice.

I figured they'd have gone for an Abrams alum (like Matt Reeves).

But Bird's potentially directing? A big "Fuck yeah!" in my book.

Totally on board with Bird at the helm.

True confession: I've never seen a Brad Bird or Pixar film. Nothing against him or them, just haven't watched any of them. Regardless of who touches this thing, I so don't want to see Ethan Hunt on screen again. I like Cruise as an actor, but that character is so thin and boring.

Yeah, not interested, even with Bird. Get him on something better than this.

All three of those directors should be doing more interesting shit than this.

I would rather Bird work on something else. He's better than this middling franchise.

If it gets more projects of his going, I'm for it, but that's the only reason.

I don't think finding a good director is the problem. They had good directors for the first three and look what happened there. Remove Cruise from the equation (or, at least, his producer title) and you may have a franchise that could actually be interesting.

That list of directors and especially Bird made me do a comedic double take. Accompanied by an actual record scratch. So out of the blue.

The third installment gave the right closure to the Hunt character. I remember those rumors about Brad Pitt taking over the franchise a year or two back. Go that route or make it more of an ensemble-piece with Ving Rhames and lesser-known actors.

I'd be up for Bird calling the shots on a new ensemble MISSION movie, sans Cruise. But that ain't happening.

Speaking of Cruise, and I agree with Scott, I can't help but think that doing part 4 of a franchise that makes money but people are generally unenthusiastic about (which is weird) is very much the wrong move for him. 3 is middling, but it effectively ends things for the character. I know you need a giant, safe blockbuster, but leave it alone, Cruise.

Do a high-tech big-budget version of Sneakers with it. Have an actual team, and stop being so goddamn serious about everything.

Much as I love Brad Bird I have no interest in a 4th Mission Impossible film.

Right. The pic above isn't cool, interesting teamwork. The pic above is FUCKING BORING.

You say tomato...

Well, they are all wearing sunglasses...

Any time I see that scene on TV, I crack up. What a retarded, un-spy getaway. This is probably the purest example of Cruise wanking his image off in that movie.

I honestly thought the movie was okay, but my favorite part has to be Keri Russell's eyeball after the brainbomb went off.

Agreed. M:I2 had some neat action sequences, but was just awful as a movie. I barely remember the first film. Three attempted to infuse Hunt with some humanity and up the emotional stakes, but it was Hoffman's barely there villain who oozed more three dimensionality than Cruise's Hunt.

Go get Iron Giant and watch it. NOW. I'm generally unenthusiastic on digital animation, but Bird's 2D adaptation of the Iron Giant story is just fantastic.

Agreed. There's no heart to the series; nothing for the audience to really care about, especially since it's essentially been three films almost completely disconnected from each other. The lack of continuity - among many other things - makes it hard for us to invest in each new bunch of characters surrounding the cipher of Ethan Hunt.

I guess I'm the only one that likes De Palma's first installment the best of the three. Nevermind that it completely betrays the idea of the original show, on its own, it's very entertaining. De Palma brings the typical goods, and it has the best cast of the three films: Redgrave, Henry Czerny, Jean Reno and Emmanuelle Beart being all hot and untrustworthy. Plus, that crazy Chunnel finale was a blast.

Ethan Hunt is more interesting as an asshole that thinks he's better than everyone and tries to fuck his dead mentors wife.

Mission Impossible is the best one. Hunt was electric in that film. A truly magnificent prick. They made a mistake trying to make him a lovestruck pussy in the sequels.

As has been mentioned above, I'm most excited about Bird's involvement ONLY if this is something he has to do to get 1906 off the ground.

I like the first one. I can't recall what nasty business happened between De Palma and Cruise, but De Palma did good work-for-hire on that film despite any rift with his star/producer. It's the only film in the series I've seen more than once.

Wow, one thing I've learned this morning: I may be the only guy around here who honestly truly loves the first MI movie. The second I could barely sit through the first time and have never revisited and I've yet to bother with the third.

Bird on board the fourth tho may just get my arse back in the theatre.

+1

Love the first MI too. (Second and third were junk)
first one had a spy/caper feel to them while the rest all felt like tame action movies. I hope the fourth is at least decent but I doubt it at this point.

We used all that in the Scott Pilgrim thread.

Hoffman's pretty fucking menacing in this one and you definitely cheer when his head dies, but I dunno about sublime. He's definitely the strongest villain in the series, but that's not saying much.

It almost seems as if the sequels were all reboots and they have no idea what they want a Mission Impossible movie to be. That said I like both the 1st and 3rd ones.

I think Bird should do it, it gives him a minor(if it's OK) or major (if it's good) hit to get into the live action side of things. Plus after seeing his obvious love of the classic bonds reflected in the design of The Incredibles I think he would love to make a great spy movie.

Hoffman was good, but the deck was so stacked against him when the third act becomes a wrestling match between him and Cruise that the whole film sort of imploded into anticlimax.

Brad Bird accepts the Winsor McCay Award for Lifetime Achievement at the Annie Awards.  Inspiring acceptance speech!

 

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/events/brad-birds-annie-acceptance-speech.html

Saw the twist coming a mile away but damn did that whole thing make smile.