Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1

This is the best action franchise ever created. No cap. Listen we’re just gonna get right to the show notes because I worked really hard on them: * In the banter: Nerding out about Harry Potter lego book sets + one day we will be Black Beard and Red Beard * Would you like to know where this movie ranks in the M:I franchise? It's high. Very high. * Drama sometimes slides into melodrama * How this movie (and the other strongest entries) set up personal stakes * Mourning the loss of a favorite character, and a sincere disagreement about how the loss was handled * How to make a Car Chase feel fresh * Cart sometimes pulling the horse, i.e. theme sometimes strong-arms plot * The calculus of character death * Hayley Atwell is luminous * Ethan Hunt is the American James Bond * Can this franchise continue without Tom Cruise? HINT NO * That train sequence tho (or, how to make a Runaway Train feel fresh); homages to Jurassic World and...Toy Story 2 * Best comedy of the franchise? * What Part 2 will have to do to be narratively successful * Why this is best critically reviewed movie in the franchise If you want the fullest and bestest experience, head on over to nerdcritic.substack.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com