Mission: Impossible

This film receives such a high rating from me for how beautifully it was shot. The opening sequence in Prague sets a noir-crime and dream-like setting that left me extremely impressed. The deaths of almost the entire cast feed into this noir setting, showing how there’s no plot armor and leaving me with a sense of uneasiness. This heightened the film for me, making it one of the best openings in a film that I can recall (of my limited knowledge). Relating it back to the recent MI films, I don’t recall the filmmaking and exposition to be so impressive and intriguing to me. The recent MI films draw me in through suspense and extreme stunts alone. However, MI 1 stands out and draws you in through the exposition and mystique setting. The next two acts can be divided into when Ethan Hunt was in Langley and London. The middle act in Langley is on par or just as good as the first act. However, the third act for me is where the film lacks. There’s this one stunt that is the most unrealistic thing I’ve ever seen, and for a MI film that’s saying something. The use of 1990’s CGI did not look the best as well, which may be to blame. Despite the lackluster third act, this film through its perfected first and second act garners my praise.