Mission Impossible; Ghost Protocol - 2011

Paramount Pictures, Skydance Productions, Bad Robot

Directed by Brad Bird

Cast:

• Ethan Hunt – Tom Cruise
• Jane Carter – Paula Patton
• Benji Dunn – Simon Pegg
• William Brandt – Jeremy Renner
• Kurt Hendricks – Michael Nyqvist
• Anatoly Sidorov – Vladimir Mashkov
• The Secretary – Tom Wilkinson

Story: Ethan Hunt is caught up in another mystery as he and his inexperienced IMF team is set up to take the fall for a massive explosion at the Kremlin. A rogue Russian physicist has concluded a nuclear war will save the planet and should happen so that only the fittest survive. He has anticipated the involvement of the super secret IMF,and as they are burglarizing the Kremlin in an attempt to safeguard the launch codes for their nuclear arsenal, they are set up to take the fall while the lunatic scientist escapes with the codes. The team travels to Dubai, where they must assault the building servers at the 130th floor, and ultimately to Mumbai, where they must prevent the detonation of a nuclear device on San Francisco.

Review: More of the same...with less. Don't get me wrong, I was a big fan of the television series, even the more sedate episodes where the team had to get in and out without ever being detected. And when Tom started the series with an excellent cast and a seriously good plot, I applauded the return to the adventures of the IMF. But this film lacks the power and the potency of it's three predecessors. While Cruise recaptures the role of Ethan Hunt well, his supporting team acts as if they have no clue as to what's happening. While I think the director was trying to inject a bit of humor in the incessant babblying of Simon Pegg, the false modesty of Paula Patton, and the hesitantcy of Jeremy Renner, these attempts fail miserably, and we are left with a Keystone Kops version of what should be a very dramatic and exciting film. The special effects and stunts are impressive, but that is a combination of money and technology, and with the backers for this film, I doubt either was in short supply. I am sure they were counting on the appeal of the franchise to carry this one to the box office hits column, and they were right. However, if this writing and acting are any indication of the future of this series, I think we would be better off with a remake of Space 1999. Rated PG 13 for the violence and language, rent it if you must, add it to your collection if you have the other three, I suppose. It will not be in mine.

A Few Good Men - 1992

Castle Rock Entertainment, Columbia Pictures Corporation

Directed by Rob Reiner

Cast:

• Lt. JG Daniel Kaffee – Tom Cruise
• Col. Nathan R. Jessup – Jack Nicholson
• Lt. Cdr. JoAnne Galloway – Demi Moore
• Capt. Jack Ross – Kevin Bacon
• Lt. Jonathan Kendrick – Keifer Sutherland
• Lt. Sam Weinberg – Kevin Pollack
• Lt. Col. Markinson – J. T. Walsh
• Col. Jeffrey Barnes – Noah Wylie
• Lance Cpl. Harold Dawson – Wolfgang Bodison
• PFC Louden Downey – James Marshall
• Cpl. Carl Hammaker – Cuba Gooding Jr.

Story: In Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a young marine dies in an apparent homicide and two marines are accused of murdering him. A litigator with Internal Affairs, JoAnne Galloway, requests that she be assigned as lead counsel for the defendants. She feels the incident is a “Code Red”, a banned form of unit punishment that has gotten out of hand. The command assigns a young Lt. JG Daniel Kaffee to the case instead. Kaffee has a reputation for plea bargaining and the command feels it is best this case be dealt with quickly and quietly to save the military any embarrassment. Through a series of slick, subtle maneuvers, Galloway becomes involved with the case and accompanies Kaffee and Weinberg, his second chair, to Cuba to investigate the incident. When they arrive, the officer in charge of the unit, Lt. Kendrick, gives them a less than hospitable tour of the crime scene, and the commanding officer and his staff are less than forthcoming concerning the incident, leading Kaffee to believe there is more than meets the eye in this situation. After the lead prosecutor, Captain Ross, offers to knock the charges down to involuntary manslaughter with a two year sentence and release in six months, Kaffee realizes the military does not want this to go to trial. After letting the accused know their offer, and the offer being refused, Kaffee enters a plea of not guilty for his clients, and this trial is on.

Review: A Few Good Men is the epitome of performance for every member of the cast. And what a cast it is. Tom Cruise give the best performance of his career as Daniel Kaffee, the young JAG attorney with a reputation of plea bargaining and taking the easy way out. Demi Moore is incredibly adept as the driven, passionate attorney who lacks the skill to be a successful litigator, but possesses the insight to motivate Cruise's character. Kevin Pollack is the low key foil to Cruise, and his role in the film heightens the tension with a palatable air. Jack Nicholson is nothing short of phenomenal as the arrogant, powerful Marine commander who believes he is untouchable. Kevin Bacon is both Cruise's friend and his opponent and plays the quintessential professional attorney who must represent his client without “passion or prejudice”. Frankly, I could write a paragraph for every character in the film, but if you haven't seen this incredible movie, you need to. Rob Reiner proves beyond a shadow of a doubt his ability to bring out the best in every actor. The end result is a film which requires no explosions, no fluff, no extraneous diversions to be timeless. Rated R for language, this incredible piece of art is one that will be talked about for years to come. Collectible in every sense of the word, and without it, you do not have a collection.

The Last Samurai - 2003

Warner Bros. Pictures, Bedford Falls Company, Cruise/Wagner Productions

Directed by Edward Zwick

Cast:

• Captain Nathan Algren – Tom Cruise
• Katsumoto – Ken Watanabe
• Sgt. Zebulon Grant – Billy Connolly
• Col. Bagley – Tony Goldwyn
• Omura – Masato Harada
• Simon Graham – Timothy Spall
• Emperor Meiji - Shichinosuke Nakamura
• Nobutada - Shin Koyamada
• Ojio - Hiroyuki Sanada
• Taka - Koyuki

Story: In 1876, Captain Nathan Algren, retired from the 7th Cavalry, is convinced by his former sergeant and comrade, Zebulon Grant, to accept a position as a military trainer and advisor for the Japanese. Algren is a brilliant military mind and an alcoholic who is haunted by the scenes of battles and engagements of his past, and his immediate superior, Col. Bagley, is a part of that. He begins training the Japanese troops, who are mostly conscripts and farmers, and is rushed into battle before they are ready to fight. He fights alongside his men and is captured by Katsumoto, the leader of the rebelling Samurai. The Samurai take him to a village deep in the mountains and explain that with winter coming on, there is no way to escape. He is not treated as a prisoner in the usual sense, and has access to the people of the village. During his captivity, he is allowed to learn the ways of the Samurai as Katsumoto, who speaks English, has “conversations” with him to learn about his American enemy. As the two learn about one another, they develop a respect for each other, and Algren develops a love and respect for the way of the Samurai. In the end, he helps the Samurai in their battle to preserve the way of the Japanese people.

Review: Based very loosely on the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877, this two and one half hour epic is one of the closest views to Japanese life before western culture ever shot by an American. Tom Cruise shows us his ability to develop and mature as a character throughout the film, and Ken Watanabe displays the quiet yet powerful acting he is known for. The power and emotion of the film are riveting, and the scenery is incredibly beautiful. Supporting roles are exceptionally acted, with special credit to Billy Connolly for his brilliant, if not brief, portrayal as Sargent Zebulon Grant, the hard nosed enlisted man who is tasked with “whipping” the soldiers into shape. The only major flaw I see is a technical one that was added to the film to provide a more dramatic ending, and that is the use of Gatling Guns, which were in use in South America and Europe at the time, but not in the Orient.The links above wil provide you with the setting of the actual rebellion, and I believe Mr. Zwick did an excellent job in portraying the Imperial Court politics of the day. Omura is the prime example of a man consumed with greed and power, and his influence over the Emperor Meiji, the boy who has been thrust into the role of living god, is evident in every scene. Rated R for violence and language, this film is probably acceptable for teens who play battle games on their X-Box or Play Stations, but the little ones should probably be in bed or doing something else. Collectible for fans of Tom Cruise, good drama, or anyone who wants a little insight into the way of the Samurai.

Collateral - 2004

Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks SKG, Parkes/MacDonald Productions

Directed by Michael Mann

Cast:

• Max Durocher – Jamie Foxx
• Vincent – Tom Cruise
• Annie – Jada Pinkett Smith
• Fanning – Mark Ruffalo
• Richard Weidner – Peter Berg
• Pedrosa – Bruce McGill
• Ida – Irma P. Hall
• Daniel – Barry Shabaka Henley
• Felix – Javier Bardem

Story: LA cab driver Max Durocher picks up a woman heading downtown to the federal building. On the way, there they have a wonderful conversation about her job, his dreams, and at the end of the ride he has made such a good impression she gives him her card. A man outside the federal building in a gray suit starts to take the next cab, but Max is first in line and tells him, “I'll take you.” The man tells Max an address, compliments him on the cleanliness of his cab, and asks how long it will take to get there. Max says seven minutes, and explains the route. When he gets to the destination, the man introduces himself as Vincent and explains he has several stops to make and offers Max $600.00 plus an extra $100.00 if he gets back to the airport after the trip and doesn't have to run for the plane. Max reluctantly agrees and pulls in the alley behind Vincent's first stop to wait for him. But as he is waiting, a body falls from the apartment onto the cab. Max soon realizes Vincent is the killer, but Vincent corrects him. “I just shot him...the bullets and the fall killed him. At gunpoint, Vincent explains he is on a route to kill several witnesses and Vincent will be his ride.

Review: I don't believe I will ever tire of Michael Mann's perspective on the human race. Cruise is the assassin, a cold, relentless killer without remorse, fulfilling a contract as quickly and efficiently as possible. Jada Pinkett Smith is the doer, an assistant federal prosecutor who is focused and dedicated to making the world a safer place by making sure the criminals end up behind bars. Jamie Foxx is an everyman caught up in a situation he cannot control trying to survive. He is a cabbie with dreams of becoming a limo service owner, and like most of us, lacks the ambition to follow it through. The way his life is going, he will end up driving a cab for the rest of his life. The polarized characters in this drama make for more than just a crime story. It is the battle we all face everyday, the battle of our ambitions and goals being quelled by complacency and routine. It is the battle most of us lose, unless we are fortunate enough to find an epiphany that changes our lives. For two hours, Mann escorts us through the battle in a unique and singular perspective that only he can manage, and this film keeps you on the edge of your seat as Max reaches that epiphany and develops into the everyman who can attain a higher plain. Rated R for violence and language, the sheer integrity, and power of this film make it collectible as one of Mann's best pieces. The performances are brilliant, the photography and setting is superb, and the film concludes with a resolution that will bring you to a realization of just how meaningful life can be.