fading into generic star action vehicle

Rating: 4/10 (4 June 2006)

The heart is gone out of MI. There is just the one moderately smart sequence in the Vatican which has the old MI flavor, and all the rest is just Cruise smiling, Cruise being tough, Cruise and true love, Cruise the action man. Heck they even gut one of the toughest puzzles with a pointless starting stunt and then just cut to the exit. I guess it really was impossible, so just skip it...
Everyone does a good job with what the script handles them. First class cast. It is just the script really doesn't hand anyone but Cruise that much to do. Even the much hyped villain's performance dripping evil - uh, not so much, when you factor in the limitations of the script. Just a generic villain.
Is this the one which rescues the franchise? Nah, Cruise owns the franchise, and it is going exactly where he envisages it: as a vehicle focused on him. Disappointing, given the roots of the franchise.
Plenty of big budget action in exotic locations reduced to nothing memorable. No lingering images or "I gotta visit there" heart to them.
Oh, Maggie Q's line "but its a NICE CAR!", that had impact.