Mission: Uninteresting

Rating: 6/10 (2 April 2015)

This was the only one of the (so far) four 'M:I' films that I hadn't seen. To be honest this franchise has never really moved the needle for me. The biggest problem is that Ethan Hunt hasn't been fleshed out. He doesn't have a specific personality or set of traits. No catchphrases or history. He's just very generic. Change the name and title these films could just be any Tom Cruise action flick.
Now each film certainly has its own distinct style, thanks largely to landing a rather impressive list of auteur directors like Brian De Palma and John Woo. Here it's JJ Abrams in his first feature as director. The action is fast and stylish, but despite the belabored attempts to give Hunt some dimension, it lacks the propulsive narrative to give any of it the necessary weight.