tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post4283728250448397515..comments2024-03-27T00:26:22.316-05:00Comments on The MacGyver Project: Mission: Impossible 1 -- The MovieNicholas Sweedohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00437092592253460266noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-48569966117016825792019-01-16T05:41:52.151-06:002019-01-16T05:41:52.151-06:00Saw the first movie, witnessed the unnecessary cha...Saw the first movie, witnessed the unnecessary character assassination of my hero and never, ever saw another MI movie, period. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-81980420638568599972018-02-11T22:49:13.984-06:002018-02-11T22:49:13.984-06:00That's crazy that your script featured the sam...That's crazy that your script featured the same stunt as the end of the movie -- "Alex Burrows" was pretty ambitious for network television!<br /><br />You got the names mixed up -- Kittridge was the swarmy guy on Ethan's tail who ended up being a good guy, and Krieger is the guy you're thinking of. As for the disk switching sleight of hand, Krieger is about to leave with the real disk but Ethan plays around with him to show that he wouldn't actually leave the disk lying around (even though he really did), and then Krieger frustratingly throws it in the trash (not realizing it's the real disk).<br /><br />The main reason he begins to suspect Jim is that he finds that the Bible in the safehouse was stamped with Drake Hotel, and he remembers Jim mentioning that he stayed there recently. And he knows the mole communicates to the arms dealer with bible verses.<br /><br />I agree on Phelps. It doesn't bother me much emotionally because I didn't have a deep connection to the original show, but it's disrespectful those fans that did.Nicholas Sweedohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00437092592253460266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-78636909751580825412018-02-11T19:03:27.691-06:002018-02-11T19:03:27.691-06:00Finally went to my local library and rented the fi...Finally went to my local library and rented the first "Mission: Impossible" movie this weekend. I watched the edited-for-network TV version around 1998 or 1999 and considering this movie didn't have much in the way of bad language or gory violence, I'm guessing what I saw then was pretty close to the original product. I remembered enjoyed the movie but not necessarily being blown away by it. I enjoyed it a lot watching it again today and appreciated that it was tight and concise. <br /><br />While I remembered the two primary action sequences of the film, I had forgotten the general story layout where the team was all killed in the opening 15 minutes and then Ethan Hunt was accused of being the mole. As you said, Cruise navigated the scenery well leading up to the disc retrieval in the secret room. That remains my favorite scene of the film because of its intensity. I remain a bit confused about the temperature having to stay within one degree or else the alarm would sound. If it was the room that needed to stay 72, what would make the room temp go up? Whatever the case, I like to think I'd have the presence of mind to know that if I walked into a room I'd realize there was a person hovering 10 feet above my head, but it certainly added to the drama. The additions of the rat in vent duct and the drop of sweat rolling down Ethan's glasses were nice touches to make the scene that much more exciting than similar scenes from other films featuring the same heist theme.<br /><br />After the heist, what was the point of Ethan's weird game of hide and seek with Kittridge with the two computer disks? I missed the context of that one. I enjoyed Ethan figuring out that Phelps was the mole but wasn't quite sure how he reached that conclusion? Simply because Kittridge was too busy to have accomplished the car bombing without assistance? I have mixed feelings on Phelps being the mole. On one hand, it was a twist that I would figure most viewers wouldn't see coming....but only because of the audaciousness of having the patriarch of the franchise being in cahoots with the bad guys. So it worked as a plot device...but betrayed the legacy of a storied franchise. At least it accomplished one feat of two though...defiling the legacy of Pete Thornton on the "MacGyver" reboot was in bad taste generally and wasn't even handled well as a plot device.<br /><br />The train scene in the finale was exciting, even if the CGI effects were a bit hokey. I remember being angry when I saw this because I wrote a script for my hypothetical future action show "Alex Burrows" in December 1995 that featured the character using his pocket magnet (this character's equivalent to MacGyver's SAK) to maneuver his way across the top of an airborne single-engine plan just as Phelps was doing across the top of the high-speed train....and even more agonizing for me, my story featured a helicopter going inside the Chunnel separating England and France. They totally stole my idea!!!! Two decades later, I've let go of my grief on that and was able to enjoy the ending. Pretty amazing how many different items there were for Ethan to keep a grip on atop that train though! The man must have had very sore wrists!!!<br /><br />As I said at the outset, I appreciated that the movie wrapped up in an hour and 45 minutes. One of my biggest issues with recent movies is the need to drag them out for 2 1/2 hours, which is a long sit for me. There's a place for more epic storytelling occasionally, but I prefer it when films tell a cleaner and more concise in less than two hours. Overall, a fun way to spend a couple of hours before the Winter Olympic games started this afternoon. I saw the library had MI:3 but didn't see the second one there. Maybe it was checked out....I'll have to see when I bring this one back.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04953380288384883179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-21212223188158353732017-02-09T09:13:23.229-06:002017-02-09T09:13:23.229-06:00I'd say it's time for a rewatch!I'd say it's time for a rewatch!Nicholas Sweedohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00437092592253460266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5788875373841955612.post-4773273788670526292017-02-09T08:43:06.244-06:002017-02-09T08:43:06.244-06:00I watched it about 18 years ago and enjoyed it but...I watched it about 18 years ago and enjoyed it but I don't remember much in the way of specifics and can't give a review.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04953380288384883179noreply@blogger.com