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Welcome to a special, Considering the Sequels Podcast-style episode of Movie Podcast Weekly, where Josh returns as our special guest to help us review the ENTIRE MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE FRANCHISE.
That’s right! In Episode 149, your five hosts bring you Feature Reviews of Mission: Impossible (1996) and Mission: Impossible II (2000) and Mission: Impossible III (2006) and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) and, of course, the brand-new Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015). Join us!
And please help us settle a debate from this week’s episode:
If you’re new to our show… Movie Podcast Weekly typically features four hosts — Jason, Andy, Karl and Geek Cast Ry — along with frequent guests. We give you our verdicts on at least one new movie release from the current year that’s currently playing in theaters, as well as several mini reviews of whatever we’ve been watching lately. And we usually provide specialized genre recommendations. New episodes release every single Wednesday.
SHOW NOTES:
I. Introduction
— Welcome back special guest, Josh Ligairi, of the highly recommended Movie Stream Cast
— The Considering the Sequels Podcast format and our reviews of the Mission: Impossible franchise
— The MPW Blog
— “Dances With Wolves” vs. “Goodfellas” poll question from Ep. 148
— Kevin Costner and his filmography
FEATURE REVIEWS HAVE TIME STAMPS:
[ 0:14:25 ] II. Feature Review: MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE (1996)
Jason = 8 ( Buy it! )
Andy = 8.5 ( Buy it! )
Karl = 8 ( Buy it! )
Ryan = 8 ( Buy it! )
Josh = 10 ( Buy it! )
[ 0:39:39 ] III. Feature Review: MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE II (2000)
Jason = 5 ( Rental )
Andy = 3 ( Avoid )
Karl = 2 ( Avoid )
Ryan = 2.5 ( Avoid )
Josh = 5 ( Rental )
Verdict: Mission: Impossible II is another example of “cinematic dead horse beating.”
[ 1:04:25 ] IV. Feature Review: MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III (2006)
Jason = 7 ( Strong Rental )
Andy = 8 ( Buy it! )
Karl = 9 ( Buy it! )
Ryan = 8 ( Buy it! )
Josh = 8 ( Buy it! )
[ 1:30:34 ] V. Feature Review: MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL (2011)
Jason = 8.5 ( Buy it! )
Andy = 8 ( Buy it! )
Karl = 9 ( Buy it! )
Ryan = 8 ( Buy it! )
Josh = 7 ( Buy it! )
VI. New in Theaters This Past Weekend:
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
Vacation
Best of Enemies [ Limited ]
The End of the Tour [ Limited ]
A LEGO Brickumentary [ Limited ]
Listen to Me Marlon [ Limited ]
That Sugar Film
[ 1:49:06 ] VII. Feature Review: MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION (2015)
Jason = 6.5 ( Theater / Rental )
Andy = 7.5 ( Theater / Buy it! )
Karl = 8 ( Theater / Buy it! )
Ryan = 7.5 ( Theater / Buy it! )
Josh = 7 ( Theater / Buy it! )
VIII. Wrap-Up / Plugs / Ending
COMING UP ON MPW NEXT WEEK:
Join us next week for our celebratory Episode 150, when we bring you Feature Reviews of “Fantastic Four,” “The Gift” and “The Cokeville Miracle.” Plus, we’re going to bring you our thoughts on the final Jon Stewart show, and give you 12 films that we could watch 150 times! Don’t miss it!
LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:
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Check out Josh’s Movie Stream Cast SURVIVOR episode! and Jason’s guest appearance where they review the survival horror film, Preservation (2015)
Movie Podcast Weekly is a proud part of the MOVIE PODCAST NETWORK. If you’re a movie-lover like us, be sure to check out our sister shows:
Horror Movie Podcast — Dead Serious About Horror Movies.
Movie Stream Cast – Short Reviews of Movies Streaming Online.
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Geek Cast Live Podcast – Geek News, Discussions and Fun With Updates Every Saturday.
Forgotten Flix Remembers – Remembering the Movies That You Grew Up With…
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Thanks for listening, and join us again next Wednesday for Movie Podcast Weekly.
WOOHOO!!! I’ve been looking forward to this one…
Excellent show, fellas. Overall, I’m happy with where you came in on the films, even if I think you were perhaps a little too hard on M:I II. Also, I’m a little surprised by how low you all came in on ROGUE NATION. To me, it’s the best in the franchise so far…
… but I do hope M:I 6 doesn’t have another “the IMF is disbanded” storyline. I think we’ve dipped into that well enough for now.
Btw, that pole climb crunch thing that Hunt does early in ROGUE NATION… WHAAAAAAT????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks, Dino. Sorry so late (again!), everybody. But as I told my friend, Dino, here on Twitter: It was my wedding anniversary this week, so in order for this podcast to continue, I have to make sure that I prioritize my time properly… Enjoy!
J
Just to be clear, I wasn’t complaining… just eagerly anticipating. 🙂
Yes, Sir. I know. Thank you, Dino. Like so many the people who faithfully listen to us ramble every week, you’re one of our genuine friends.
J
Jay struggling not to crack up at 34:26 might be one of my favourite moments ever on this podcast.
There he is!
I’ve just been busier than usual. But I am always here in spirit.
You can stop weeping now, Dino.
That was me you hear weeping that David hasn’t been visiting me over at Movie Stream Cast. I’m just over there waiting around with a sandwich in my hand, like an idiot.
In THE ROOM, by himself.
I was legit concerned, though. Like an over-protective mother, I DM’d Juan on Twitter to ask if he knew where David was.
David, what about Josh’s crazy laugh at 1:03:38 right after Ryan’s comment about beating on a dead horse? Actually, that whole conversation was super hilarious if a bit dark for being a self-proclaimed family show haha.
That was me struggling to breath. Ry’s very funny.
The funny thing about Mission Impossible is that I watched it when my mastery of the English language was still in progress, so I remember the movie being extremely confusing and hated it for a long time. I revisited it a few years later and I loved it of course. To this day, it embarrasses me to think that I couldn’t follow the movie back then :/
You could have a mastery over the English language and still have trouble following the plot of the first M:I. It’s quite the tangled tale.
It’s a little convoluted, but I think that’s why it’s my favorite entry in the franchise. It actually feels like a spy movie instead of an action movie, which is the case with the rest of the MI movies in my opinion. Not to say that I dislike them. I’m a fan of the franchise except for MI2, which saddens me because John Woo is an excellent action director. I’m not sure what happened there.
Absolutely. M:I movies should be convoluted.
Autómata is a spanish word, so Jay’s pronunciation is correct just fyi. Josh, you’ve spent a few months in a spanish speaking country, you should’ve known this bro!
I wasn’t looking at it as a whole word, I was sounding it out like a 3rd grader.
#excusas
“I’ve had this animosity towards Tom Cruise ever since the fifth grade”
That’s some of your best work, Jay. I almost chocked on my almonds :/
#truestory
Josh, I like the Kevin Costner buns reference early on. You don’t get a lot of buns lately…
Bonus points for working in “check yourself before you wreck yourself” later on.
Ditto. I hope you don’t give up on that phrase as you’ve given up on WHAAAAAT?!!
Since we’re handing out props, I’ll have to send some over to J for his WAR OF THE WORLDS reference. I really like that movie, too, and think it’s criminally under-appreciated. It’s also one of the very few movies in which Tom Cruise portrays a deadbeat. ***SPOILER FOR WAR OF THE WORLDS*** Of course, in the end, he saves his children and is somewhat instrumental in figuring out how to destroy the alien machines… but, hey, he’s Tom Cruise.
So… was anyone else thinking of this whenever Andy tried to spoil SEVEN?…
https://youtu.be/ABrSYqiqvzc
I was thinking of that Radiohead video where it’s Thom Yorke’s singing head in the box.
Question: if you had to choose between the M:I franchise or the James Bond franchise, which would you take?
I grew up a big Bond nut. I’ve watched the films since I can remember, and they’ve been a great source of bond-ing between my father and I (see what I did there?). So the very notion of this question is silly to me… or, at least it was silly until just recently. Now, I think I’m starting to gravitate more towards the M:I side, and for two main reasons:
1. Ethan Hunt is much more real, personable and likable than James Bond. Yes, the obvious charisma of his character and concern for others has a lot to do with it. But, there’s also a vulnerability to Ethan Hunt; even when he’s succeeding in these impossible missions and stunts, it sometimes seems almost by accident. There’s also a slight tinge of self-deprecation to Hunt’s character. Bond, on the other hand is always steely, cold, composed, and generally superficial. I think it’s harder to connect to that sort of character.
2. The M:I franchise is much more grounded in reality than the Bond franchise. I know, that sounds ridiculous to say, but I truly believe this. Maybe it has a lot to do with the vulnerability and realness of Ethan Hunt. Yes, the masks are ridiculous, but that’s a simple conceit compared to the outlandish villains and elaborate world-domination plots that take place throughout the Bond franchise.
Overall, I think the quality of films in both franchises have been relatively even, especially when comparing the last few M:I films to the last few Bond films. So, on which side do you fall?
I’m curious how everyone would rate the five M:I films. For me, it goes…
1. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION (9/10)
2. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL (8.5/10)
3. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE (8/10)
4. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III (7.5/10)
5. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE II (5.5/10)
To me, the story in ROGUE NATION was the most satisfying, as were the action sequences. I loved how varied the action was, from the rough and tumble brawl early on… to the acrobatic, operatic backstage sequence… to the high speed, loud motorcycle chase… to the dark and quiet foot chase scene through town. Also, in general, this entry seemed a little more low-key than previous entries (perhaps with the exception of the first M:I), which was a plus for me. And, let’s not forget the extremely strong female character, who I hope appears in future M:I films. ROGUE NATION just narrowly edges GHOST PROTOCOL as my favorite in the franchise.
There was a lot of love shown on the show for M:I III. It’s a good movie, but I have to admit that I’m somewhat surprised. On the positive side, it probably has the best villain of the series, and the married life storyline adds a different element and new stakes to the franchise. I also really liked the juxtaposition in the cold opening, cutting from the “tied in a chair countdown” to the party scene. Oh, and brain bombs… sweet. But, overall, the actual look of the movie is somewhat chintzy and really puts me off. It’s difficult for me to articulate exactly why, but maybe J.J. Abrams’ TV-heavy background at the time had something to do with it.
I do think you guys were too hard on M:I II. Maybe I’m just an apologist for the film, like J with JURASSIC PARK 3, but I actually think it is one of the better looking films in the franchise. It also has some really beautiful, poetic action sequences (admittedly, a little over-the-top poetic, at times). And, don’t forget that this is the movie that introduced that throat tape thingy that alters your voice… awesome stuff! Seriously, though, if M:I III had the look of M:I II then that might have been something special.
The first film in the franchise is probably the one that’s most different from the rest. It has a very small, almost hokey feel to it, but it works well. It’s probably the one that’s most like an old, convoluted spy tale. And, of course, it has that iconic Langley heist scene.
I actually gave up on this franchise after the second movie. I have vague but fond memories of watching the first film in the Christmas holidays when I was a kid but number two was so obnoxious that I just lost interest. I’m really tempted to give the others a try (especially the third one) after listening to this though.
Also, I totally disagree with whoever said that Pierce Brosnan was finally a Bond who took the role seriously. Dalton, his predecessor, was WAY more of a serious character. Don’t get me wrong, “GoldenEye” is great but even in that film there’s nowhere near as much of a serious and personal tone as was present in “License to Kill”. Brosnan always seems a little too smug and disaffected to me and after his first film the franchise went downhill fast (although I’m not saying that was his fault).
I agree. Brosnan looked the part, but his portrayal of Bond was smug and cheesy.
Wow, not a lot of interest in the M:I films shown here. I gotta say, I’m surprised and sad by this. I really feel like this is one of the better franchises going today.
Bro! I’ve been a little busy, but I love the franchise. I actually re-visited Mission Impossible and I’m halfway through Mission Impossible 2. Will post my thoughts as soon as I can :/
Hey all….
I just wanted to back up Ry for a sec…I liked Mr. Brooks. Definitely wasn’t Costner’s best, but is was enjoyable. And Hurt was good. It was at the time of plenty of Dane Cook hate which has justifiably continued, but I expected way less outta him and was surprised. Anyway, I hear ya Ry, I dug it. And I love the podcast. Thanks for the show. Oh, it was great to hear Josh again…I listen to the Streamcast podcast, but we need more Josh.
Funny thing about Josh forgetting about A Perfect World: He owns it on laserdisc.