A CIA expert gives a Tom Cruise spy film is rated low for its lack of realism. Throughout his impressive career, Cruise has starred in many spy thrillers like the Jack Reacher franchise and 2017 Made in Americabut none of that compares to the work he did in Mission: Impossible films. A franchise that follows the resourceful and driven Mission Impossible Force (IMF) agent Ethan Hunt, the films were initially based on a television series of the same name.
With the release of the first film in 1996, the franchise debuted to strong reviews and box office numbers. While the second film met with critical reception, earning Rotten Tomatoes' lowest score of 56%, the franchise has improved drastically in terms of filmmaking and has remained resilient, able to find commercial success decades after its conception. The last four films have been critically acclaimed and the franchise grossed $4 billion worldwide. The eighth film, Mission: Impossible – The final reckoningcomes out next summer.
CIA expert gives Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible a low rating – Rogue Nation
The execution is very Hollywood.
The fifth installment of the franchise, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nationit received a low rating for its realism. The fifth film, directed by Christopher McQuarrie, saw Ethan and his team fighting The Syndicate, an international group of rogue government agents trying to obtain nerve gas. Mission: Impossible – Rogue nation exceptionally critically and commercially accomplishedearning a Rotten Tomatoes score of 94% from critics and grossing $682 million worldwide.
In a YouTube video by Insiderformer CIA counterterrorism officer John Kirakou analyzes scenes from Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. He first addresses a scene where Ethan is looking for nerve gas. Kirakou admits that all major intelligence services are looking for chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. The next scene he analyzes is where Ethan Hunt sets up a meeting to exchange vital information to save Benji's (Simon Pegg) life. The expert highlights that the circumstances are close to real life, but the tactics and technology are not. Ultimately, he gave the film a rating of four out of ten. Read the full review below:
So at the beginning of this clip, Ethan Hunt was told he was looking for nerve gas. That is true. I'm referring to all major intelligence services looking for chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.
There are elements of reality in that sometimes part of the job, especially in counterterrorism, is that we have to put ourselves in dangerous positions like this. There was a situation where I was dealing with a double agent. He didn't know that I knew he was a double agent and he didn't know that I knew that he had been instructed to shoot me in our last meeting. So we prepared a team just like you saw here in the clip to protect me. It's not that sexy, with a beautiful woman sitting next to you with a gun to your ribs to do you the favor of killing him, and the technology isn't in your contact lenses. But the idea is correct in realism.
I would give it a four because the danger of that final encounter is, of course, accurate. It's a little cooler than real life and the rest is just Hollywood.
Our opinion on Kirakou's rating and the realism of Mission: Impossible
As long as a film's illogicality doesn't break my suspension of disbelief, I don't take points away from a film for its realism unless its absurdity is blatantly obvious. Until now, the Mission: Impossible the franchise has managed to walk this tightrope and delivered films that don't rely on authenticity for success, but rather on visceral action, extravagant sets, talented sets, and Cruise's real-life stunts that are every bit as daring as his on-screen hero's feats. These are the elements that brought success to the franchise and Cruise and McQuarrie have been raising the stakes with each installment.
Source: Insider