MISSION IMPOSSIBLE (2006) Movie Review

★★★☆☆

There’s a reason why I call this entry ‘the one with Phillip Seymour Hoffman’. That is purely on the basis that the late great took a very flat villain and made him the most intense villain of the bunch. And the series doesn’t have the most glowing rogues gallery - in fact the following chapter would have its worst one - so Hoffman stands out even more in that regard. Whilst any actor of mild recognisability and certain performance type would have struggled to make this villain amidst a very so-so movie shine, Hoffman was a very special breed as he morphed into any and all shade of human. He could be intimidating, loveable, pitiful, frustrating; he could never be considered miscast in any role. Because of him, we get some of my favourite scenes in the series- from the chilling opening prologue to the interrogation on the plane that goes awry, and he does little to convey his menace. 

That is a metaphor for the whole film. Whilst the plot and overall direction is fairly dull with obvious plot twists and unattractive visuals, there is at least one element in each scene keeping it afloat. For example, the climax is brilliant. It lacks the scale of Fallout for sure, but the use of the characters like an incapacitated Hunt and his wife Julia having to do the physical work is an exceptional piece of tension. It compensated for the fact that it centres around a maguffin you don’t care for. Cruise delivers some of his best acting and Hunt is granted some elevation as the mission gets personal with the clash of his job and private life. 

This is also where the recognisable traits of the series get planted, ever since Bad Robot took over. So it’s nice to see where the series settled into its skin. And although it’s not as good as the first or any of the follow ups, it’s more enjoyable and important than people give it credit for. Miles ahead of 2 as well.