Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning

Mentioned in the Top Gun thread already, but this has been pushed back to a September 30th 2022 opening. Don't think #8 ever had a release date, despite the (apparent) back to back shoot.

I'd agree with that. Number 2 was bad, really bad and has aged like milk, but the whole series has been the gold star for Hollywood action blockbusters. Fallout set the bar and would consider it on a par with Fury Road for best in class.

Now, much of that success' foundation is built on its star's willingness to risk life and limb for the pursuit of increasingly crazy stunts. Even when Cruise did injure himself during the shoot of Fallout, the accident made it into the final cut. But the end result are a set of movies whose action is just unparalleled in American cinema. Once Cruise retires from action cinema, you'd have to imagine that'll be it for the series.

I wonder what Christopher McQuarrie will do after cos you'd imagine he has opened a good number of doors for himself.

As for the trailer? Yes please. Looks absolutely stonking. Proper action cinema.

Apparently, yes. Don't have the article but there was an interview that went into it, the logistics of performing it safely.

Mission Impossible 2 was just across the board bad; never learnt what John Woo himself thought of his work there, but can't imagine he thinks it his best. Though his American films have been generally not-great.

Now, across the overall series the first sequel stands better among the varying approaches of the 6 films, but at the time it must have been especially jarring to fans of the original's suped-up spin on the TV show. The paranoid euro-espionage tone swapped for the more muscular, douchie swagger of number 2. Watching it again, it's a very early-2000s film in all sorts of ways.

I see it crashed into a big pit of water, presumably so it wouldn't get completely destroyed - but drying it off? Fixing what broke anyway? Remounting it to the track? Oof. I'd wanna speculate they had 1 shot at this before it went over-budget. Bet this was workshopped endlessly in an office before they went anywhere near location.

Apparently, and I forget to look this up if it's true, but there was supposed to be this huge action setpiece during the sequel to Romancing the Stone. Shot at night too for extra logistical insanity. It all went perfectly ... then it was discovered the director forgot to get the cameras rolling.

As if we didn't know it already, Tom Cruise doesn't do his stunts by half. A bit of a corny bit, done for a recent Convention, but it only underlines Cruise's commitment to his stunts. Would hate the pressure of being the guy to make sure those straps are OK before take-off. Done on the first take, or did it take a few goes? 🤣