Henry Cavill – NZ Film Freak

mission_impossible_fallout

Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Writer: Christopher McQuarrie
Released: July 2018
Starring: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Angela Bassett, Michelle Monaghan, Alec Baldwin
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Not being a massive action film fan myself, I was more in favour of waiting to see Christopher Robin instead. But in the back of my mind I figured Winnie the Pooh may not live up to my expectations as I was convincing myself it would be as magical as the Beatrix Potter biopic, Miss Potter. Whereas the new Mission: Impossible film is a little less risky, as you know exactly what to expect.

We were right – this film is everything you’d hope for in a Mission: Impossible movie.

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It follows Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team, which includes geeky Simon Pegg as Benji, as they embark on another seemingly impossible mission to save the world. This time, Ethan is trying to get his hands on some plutonium that is in the wrong hand as it’s intended for nuclear bombs. Meanwhile, he is being flanked by an unwelcome CIA agent (Henry Cavill), hindered by a former flame (Rebecca Ferguson) and shadowed by his former wife.

Ethan’s unwavering loyalty to his friends and team are frequently mentioned, making him the wholesome, invincible, all-American hero (not unlike Superman) that we’ve come to know and love.

Just like the franchise promises, Mission: Impossible – Fallout is outlandish, comedic at times and action-packed. Getting electrocuted by lightening and surviving major helicopter crashes are just a couple of the ‘impossible’ twists and turns in this movie.

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The film tip-toes the precipice of making fun of itself, almost becoming what Deadpool is for the superhero genre. But despite teasing the stereotypes of the action genre (making me expect Tom Cruise to turn and wink at the camera at every gun fight) it never quite holds a mirror up to itself, which keeps the integrity of the film.

I am a big fan of Tom Cruise – despite his quirks – he does all of his own stunts including the helicopter flying where he spent two years acquiring the qualifications, and he seems like a really nice guy. But I did feel a little bad for him during some parts of this film:

I’m sure everyone is aware of his accident on set where he practically snapped his ankle when jumping from one building to another, which caused production to shut down for six weeks until he healed. But if you’ve got a keen eye, you’ll notice that he is limping at random points throughout the movie. He also looks quite stiff in many of the physically-arduous scenes.

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Now, I’m not talking him down. But I’m just saying you can’t disguise the fact that you’re ageing if you’re running about in an action film – Botox can only do so much!

I was convinced that crew members from Inception had worked on this film as the music was very Hans Zimmer and the locations paralleled Inception as they both begin in Paris and end in snowy mountains – which are filmed in New Zealand! (After a quick Google search I have discovered that the composer for this film is Lorne Balfe who has a studio at Hans Zimmer’s company.)

As a general action film avoider, I was entertained by this movie. It was fun, and the gun fights and car chases were not dragged out too long. So despite the length of the film, it holds your attention.

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It didn’t make fun of itself so much that you lost respect for the franchise. (Although I wouldn’t have been surprised if Jason Bourne, James Bond and Bryan Mills casually walked into a scene to team-up with Ethan Hunt during a fight.) But it also didn’t take itself too seriously.

It was snappy, easy to follow and entertaining, which is exactly what you hope for in a Mission: Impossible film.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

Director: Zack Snyder
Writers: Christopher Nolan and David Goyer. Based on Jerry Siegal and Joe Shuster’s Superman
Released: June 2013
Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Antje Traue, Ayelet Zurer, Christopher Meloni and Russell Crowe
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I went to the Man of Steel premiere that I was eagerly awaiting. We dressed up as a character (me as Lois Lane) and joined a large audience of Clark Kents, with only two Supermans and one Lex Luthor.

The trailer showed extensive fight scenes, which I was concerned would dominate the entire movie. I also wasn’t sure how original this film could possibly get since there have been countless remakes.

I was correct in expecting a much more serious tone, which seems fitting with the recent flood of darker superhero movies on the market like Spiderman, Batman (The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises) and Iron Man movies. These superhero films seem to focus on the hero’s flaws and humanity.

Although, I do enjoy the scene when Clark Kent has his first day at the Daily Planet, and Lois says:

“Welcome to the planet”

Henry Cavill is the best Superman yet. This guy has the moves down! The furrowed brow, the all-American look and expressing the inner turmoil, yet still retaining the famous righteous attitude of the hero. However, this version of Superman did not have the hair curl on his forehead… That was mildly disappointing.

Cavill is super buff in this movie, unlike many former representations. The suit has changed into a darker blue, which looks like skin-tight armour rather than a cotton onesie. Yes, Clark has since figured out that underwear on the outside is an unpopular fashion statement.

When the full extent of his powers were realised, he was not immediately able to fly. Instead, he makes mistakes, jumping miles into the air and crashing down, which seemed more realistic.

The soundtrack is incredibly powerful and epic. It supports the movie perfectly! (By Hans Zimmer).

The storyline was surprising. With no Lex Luthor or Kryptonite. Instead, there was a more extensive back story about Krypton, what happened and why Superman is the way he is, which is not a major element in most other Superman versions.

Superman’s flashbacks were well done, and the filming had an am-cam look to it with quick zooms and re-focusing on the hero when he takes off from the ground suddenly or flies over head. Sort of puts you in the environment, as though you’re a part of the crowd on the ground.

The biggest disappointment was this; Amy Adams. She doesn’t look like a convincing Lois. Perhaps I’m used to Lois with dark hair. In conjunction with this, the fundamental character of Lois was totally uninspired. She was weak, awkward and generally stupid. I was expecting the female lead to be updated, to become a strong side-kick like Pepper Potts (Iron Man) or the strong female lead of Cat Woman (The Dark Knight Rises).

Instead, Lois Lane has not moved much further from the sixties where she is domineered by the male characters, with unconvincing actions and cringe-worthy dialogue. She appears to be an incompetent reporter, despite the attempt of remedying this perception by Lane casually mentioning all of the awards she has won as a journalist.

Shut-up, Lois.

I think I would have enjoyed the film more if there was more in-depth detail of the hero’s emotions, and development of the villain who didn’t seem complex enough to become totally believable. The extensive fight scenes (like in Star Trek Into Darkness) became an uphill struggle toward the end. Seriously, about half an hour of the film could have been easily cut. It did become exhausting to stay focussed through these scenes, but I didn’t hear any complaints from the boys I went to see the movie with.

Overall, a solid movie. Although a little long, with little character development, it was entertaining and a welcome update for all Superman fans.

Jodie’s rating: 6/10