Enjoyable movie, but it missed the point

Rating: 7/10 (13 March 2012)

First of all, this is a very enjoyable movie. There's lots of well paced action, some iconic set pieces (such as the scene where Cruise dangles over the computer, which became an instant classic and so remains). However, it really missed the point of the original series. Mission Impossible was about a team of quirky and talented individuals, working together to overcome impossible odds. This movie is all Cruise, Cruise, and more Cruise. Taken by itself, it's great cinema. But it really has nothing to do with the group dynamic that made Mission Impossible such a special series. Maybe that's a sign of the times, which still continues today 16 years later - it's all about the superstar individual, rather than the team. If you watch this with no preconceptions regarding the original series, however, it's a great popcorn flick.