With the exception the second (because John Woo is an
exceptional action director), I’ve generally been less than impressed by the Mission: Impossible series of films. They
tend to be keyed up James Bond knock-offs employing high-tech non-existent
gadgets, but going a few steps beyond 007 by staging spectacular stunt and
action sequences. What has generally impressed me most is Tom Cruise’s
tremendous physicality and propensity for doing nearly all his own stunts. That
he is willing to dive in head first (sometimes literally) lends the series a
bit of authenticity. It allows the action sequences to be shot at distances
that simultaneously reveal the actor’s face and the sheer danger involved.
Seldom do I notice use of green screen in these films, a fact I attribute to
Cruise’s hands-on control as a producer of the series.
