MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE — FALLOUT

MI6 fulfills everything the Mission: Impossible franchise has to offer if not much more. Tom Cruise’s frequent directorial collaborator and “Fallout” co-screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie (“Jack Reacher,” “Edge of Tomorrow,” and “Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation”) orchestrates the film’s overblown action with meticulous attention to detail, perhaps a little too much.

The car chase sequences, while impressive, don’t come near the unpredictable nature of the one William Friedkin filmed for “To Live and Die in L.A.” Still, there is plenty of splashy gravity defying spectacle to wash over you as you watch a movie that was clearly made with an IMAX screen in mind. The stunts are gut wrenching, and the helicopter stunts are out of this world.

You need every inch of that 80’ by 100’ IMAX screen to experience what the filmmakers have in mind, which is to blow yours. Another trip through the editing process would have helped tighten the pace but no one is coming out of this film not feeling like they didn’t get their money’s worth.

The politics of the MacGuffin-laden plot are sufficiently bland so that no audience member feels left out or put upon regardless of their political leanings. Even anarchists should feel right at home with this film’s cartoonish narrative design since the villain here is a Ted Kaczynski knock off. Bad guy number one has a crew of “Apostles” helping him destroy world order. Don’t worry, there’s only one bloody scene in the whole movie, and the rest of the violence is strictly of the cartoon variety. Our height-challenged action man Ethan Hunt (Cruise) still receives his mission assignments in the same old-school method of a self-destructing reel-to-reel tape.

Considering the franchise landscape at hand, what surprises most are the casting choices that fail. Alec Baldwin’s IMF character Alan Hunley (Ethan’s boss) seems like he walked onto the wrong set on the day he needed to shoot the handful of scenes he’s in. However, Baldwin does deliver one primo piece of acting while performing one of dramaturgy’s most traditional tropes. No plot spoiler here; you’ll know it when you see it. Angela Bassett also falls flat, regardless of her ageless beauty, as CIA director Erica Sloan. Bassett’s tempo and tone don’t match with the movie as a whole.

What does work in the character department is the reliable chemistry between Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Tom Cruise. Here is an onscreen friendship that feels like an old pair of slip-on house shoes. Michelle Monaghan is as perfect as it gets for onscreen romance. No shortage of mask disguises provides a series of nods to the original “Mission: Impossible” television show, while providing the movie with some nifty plot twists that register with an added amount of humor. And yes the super-action men's room fistfight is a hoot.

“Mission: Impossible” is the closest thing Hollywood has going next to a James Bond franchise, and going it is. Tom Cruise will soon be too old to play the part of a stunt-happy super spy. Get it while you can on the biggest IMAX screen you can find.  

Not rated. 147 mins.

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JASON BOURNE

The first two “Bourne” films were awesome. There was plenty of cool narrative grist for the audience to sink its teeth into. Here was a super-badass young spy with a mysterious identity that even he wasn’t privy to. Discovery was everywhere. Bourne’s personal mission was clear.

Franka Potente (“Run Lola Run”) brought a chic European magnetism to her portrayal of Jason Bourne’s worldly love interest Marie. Hot chemistry smoldered between Matt Damon and Potente. However, Robert Ludlum’s source material novels had limited plans for Potente’s exquisitely crafted character. Too bad the filmmakers didn’t bring the actress back in a different role. Now that would have made for some potentially rich spy-plot excitement. Remember when Luis Bunuel had two actresses play the same role in “That Obscure Object of Desire”?

Bourne’s debut, “The Bourne Identity” (2002), remains the coolest new-franchise 21st century spy thriller to come along. “The Bourne Supremacy” (2004) beats the rule that says studios too often crank out sequels in a rush to capitalize on an initial film’s box office success. We thank you Robert Ludlum.  

Let’s not forget that the first movie had an amazing cast all around. Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje each added to the film’s thrilling dynamism. The sequel did a number with Brian Cox, Karl Urman, Joan Allen, and a smooth touch from the always-enjoyable Michelle Monaghan. Then 2007 rolled around and the franchise went the way of Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” franchise with “The Bourne Ultimatum.” Three is not always a charm. Julia Stiles received an undeserved promotion that put the wooden actress in charge of line-readings that could be given better by an alley cat. Even the obligatory chases sequences began to take on a rote quality.

The fourth installment, “The Bourne Legacy,” abandoned Matt Damon in favor of putting a miscast Jeremy Renner in charge of the action sans indie agent Bourne. Yawn.

Which brings us to “Jason Bourne,” a script in search of a story, but willing to substitute action set pieces for narrative development. To call “Jason Bourne” merely tedious is being kind. This is a coattail dragging franchise addition that never should have been made. You can tell instantly that the film was written by a couple of screenwriters (Paul Greengrass and Christopher Rouse) with no Robert Ludlum source novel to work from. Sure Vincent Cassel works serious movie magic as a super heavy, and Alicia Vikander skates circles around Julia Stiles, but there is nothing to hang your hat on.

The Jason Bourne franchise is dead in the water for the same reason that every other Hollywood movie-series fails, poor planning. If you’re going to create a successful franchise, develop a triptych of films based on solid character development and a glorious plot structure that extends all the way to the end. Forget about creating the next James Bond; that’s not going to happen. Keep it rooted in emotion, political relevance, humor (i.e. satire), and sexiness. “Jason Bourn” has none of these precious elements. I recommend watching a James Bond movie instead. You’ll be a much happier audience member.

Rated PG-13 123 mins.

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SPECTRE

With his name prominently displayed as one of “Spectre’s” producers, Daniel Craig puts more than just his skin in the game of perpetuating cinema’s best-loved franchise. Craig’s explosive interpretation of 007 is the high watermark of the modern James Bond era, whose other incarnations include Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan. Don’t believe the publicity hype about Daniel Craig leaving the franchise. He’s in it for one if not two more James Bond features.

Craig’s steely pale blue eyes express and much as they conceal. His Bond is an inscrutable product of tightly wound instinct. He’s part animal. Where Craig’s last Bond outing (“Skyfall”) went operatically melodramatic, “Spectre” races into the throat of modern global villainy, namely a British version of the NSA. Who doesn’t want to see those surveillance-greedy hogs get their comeuppance? Bond’s unusual childhood also provides character clues related to this film’s criminal mastermind Franz Oberhauser (reliably played for kicks by Christoph Waltz). More gleeful than vicious, Waltz savors every smarmy word that Franz speaks to the spy he wants to torture to death (for personal and professional reasons), in the presence of his white Persian cat that Bond calls “pussy.” Bond’s girlfriend of the moment is also a witness to proceedings involving a power drill with a skinny but long bit. 

For the series’ 24^th installment, “Spectre’s” four screenwriters create a brilliant tapestry of lavish style, sly humor, requisite flashy international locations, and eye-popping action sequences to check every innumerable box of the franchise’s simple-but-complex formula. At a well-used 148-minute running time, “Spectre” lives up to its promise. 

The car chases could be better, but I’m quibbling. Sam Smith commits a far greater sin with one of the series worst theme songs in movie history. “Writing’s on the Wall” is so unlistenable it’s sickening. Why the filmmakers didn’t go with an appropriate band like Ladytron (check out Destroy Everything You Touch) is beyond logic. Note to Bond’s producers, hire Ladytron for the next one, okay? 

“Spectre’s” obligatory opening action sequence occurs in Mexico City where Bond is on an assassination mission during Mexico City’s annual Day of the Dead parade. Death’s celebration creates a chaotic if visually stunning palate of skeleton-costumed crowds of thousands. Italian mafia kingpin Sciarra (Alessandro Cremona) is Bond’s elusive target. Your palms will be sweating by the time Bond boards a helicopter in pursuit of his human prey. Returning franchise director Sam Mendes milks every visually arresting spectacle for all its potential to stun his audience. The doorless helicopter hovers low over an enormous crowd of revelers in the town’s massive Zocalo Square. The chopper spins and flips above, tossing Bond and Sciarra around the cabin like rag dolls. This astonishing sequence alone is worth the film’s price of admission. Your heart will race. 

Bond’s latest M (toughly played by Ralph Fiennes) is none too pleased about his spy’s problematic actions in Mexico that brought down an entire building. An injected tracking device insures that even MI5’s creepy overtaking superior “C” Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott) can track him wherever he goes. C is a pure manifestation of the kind of boy-scout sociopath you might imagine wiling away their hours at the NSA by listening to civilians having phone sex, or looking at their nude photos. You can guess how Bond translates the “C.” 007 taps back-channel favors from his pals Moneypenny (Naomi Harris) Q (Ben Whishaw) to enable a journey of discovery stained with blood and vodka. Frequent wardrobe changes come gratis.

Witty references to Bond’s past make for fun inside jokes for loyal audiences. The romance that steams between Bond and French beauty Lea Seydoux as Madeleine Swann barely allows a glimpse of the spy’s ostensibly soft side. It also gives Seydoux room to spread her wings. The pairing is oddly perfect. “Spectre” is an incredibly entertaining and fun movie. Isn’t that what James Bond movies are all about? 

Rated PG-13. 148 mins.

Groupthink doesn't live here, critical thought does.

This ad-free website is dedicated to Agnès Varda and to Luis Buñuel.

Get cool rewards when you click on the button to pledge your support through Patreon. Thanks a lot pal! Every bit helps keep the reviews coming.