MISSION IMPOSSIBLE (1996)

Featuring: Tom Cruise; Jon Voight; Emmanuelle Beart

Director: Brian De Palma

Tom Cruise is best known for two things: Top Gun (1986) and Mission Impossible (1996). Of course he is known for other things too like his disastrous love life and controversial religious beliefs. But that is beside the point. What counts here is his movie career which is pretty impressive and includes blockbusters like Rain Man (1988), Jerry Maguire (1996) and Valkyrie (2008) to name just a few. However, fact remains, whenever you hear the name Tom Cruise you almost automatically think: Mission Impossible.

Based on the classic 1960's and '70's TV series, this film was of course the beginning of a very successful movie franchise that, so far, consists out of five sequels (the latest of which, Fallout, to be released shortly). Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt, member of an elite spy group. When a mission in Prague goes horribly wrong, our hero is hell-bent on finding out why and who is responsible.

Another thing Tom Cruise is well known for is doing much of his own stunt work. And those hair raising scenes on top of the speeding bullet train is simply stunning. For the rest, and by modern standards, the movie is rather tame and even boring by times. Fortunately the action sequences that are there more than make up for any shortcomings in plot. Overall still very watchable and a good start to what is yet to come.

I rate it at 3 out of 5 stars.

Trailer link:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbg99ykA2bk

Ethan Hunt in a rather precarious position...

JUSTICE LEAGUE (2017)

Featuring: Ben Affleck; Amy Adams; Gal Gadot

Director: Zach Snyder

The "Justice League" is DC Comics' equivalent to Marvel's "Avengers". In other words it is a collection of DC Comics superheros that come together as one fighting force in oder to protect the world and mankind against malevolent adversaries.

In this first of a two part (at least) series (that seems to be the plan), Bruce Wayne aka Batman (Ben Affleck) and Diane Prince aka Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) decide to unite all the superheros they know under one banner: the Justice League. Their aim is to defend earth against the evil Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds) and his plans to take it over. Thus we get introduced to some of the potential members of this elite squad: Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and The Flash (Ezra Miller). But after their first few encounters with this particularly nasty foe they soon realize they are no match for him and his buzzing army of flying insect-people. They need someone like ... Superman!

Although this film did quite well at the box office, its reception by audiences in general was luke-warm at best. Some critics felt it went through the motions without presenting anything new. Make no mistake, the acting is good and the special effects spectacular. But the story is all too familiar and predictable; it lacks pizazz.

Yet, in my humble opinion it is still good for a rating of 3 out of 5 stars.

Trailer link: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cxixDgHUYw

The cast

THOR: RAGNAROK (2017)

Featuring: Chris Hemsworth; Tom Hiddleston; Cate Blanchette

Director: Taika Waititi

It's been a while since Thor: The Dark World (2013) for Marvel Studios to release this movie. Four years is an eternity in the fast-paced world of entertainment. Although during 2016/17 there were two short videos about what Thor was doing while the rest of the Avengers battled each other in Captain America: Civil War (2016). But that can hardly be regarded seriously as sequels. They were scarcely anything more than appetizers (extended trailers at best) for the upcoming Ragnarok.

"Ragnarok" is Nordic mythology's equivalent for the Apocalypse or "End of Days" as the total destruction of the universe is known as in most religious cultures. While Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) are otherwise engaged on a bizarre Las Vegas-like planet, their long lost elder sister (Cate Blanchette) returns to Asgard to claim the throne. And with a name like Hela (it should rather have been spelled with two L's) it forebodes nothing good. After all she is not called 'the goddess of death' without reason...

As most of the movie takes place in a fantastical world, it plays out like a fantasy. And, as we all know, in fantasy anything goes. So prepare yourself for a combination-bumper-car-and-roller-coaster-ride. In short, it is mind-boggling and spectacular. 

I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Trailer link:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue80QwXMRHg

 Cate Blanchette as the hellish Hela

 

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (2016)

Featuring: Andrew Garfield; Emma Stone; Jamie Foxx

Director: Marc Webb

This is the first and only sequel to The Amazing Spider-Man. Initial plans for numbers 3 and 4 were eventually scrapped in favor of the all new Spider-Man: Homecoming which I reviewed recently. Apparently the general consensus at Sony Films (who owns the franchise) was that Spider-Man is the Peter Pan of the superhero world and should therefor always be portrayed by a teenage(ish) actor. To put it blunt: Andrew Garfield simply grew too old too soon.

Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is quite content with his life as Spider-Man; happily swinging along between the skyscrapers of New York while saving people and apprehending criminals. But when Gwen (Emma Stone) starts to expect more from their relationship and a seemingly unwilling new villain by the name of Electro (Jamie Foxx) appears on the scene, life gets much to complicated to our young hero's liking. And this forces him to make some tough choices.

Not quite as good as the first one but still not bad at all. However, one does get the feeling that this particular outing of the Spider-Man character was aimed at a more mature audience. Maybe the bosses at Sony were right: Spider-Man should remain a young snot-nosed punk rather than becoming a responsible adult. After all, that is exactly how we know and like him since forever from the comics.

My rating? Still 3 out of 5 stars.

Trailer link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlM2CWNTQ84

Jamie Foxx as you have never seen him before...