A CIA expert gives aTom Cruiseespionage flick a low rating for its lack of realism. Throughout his impressive career,Cruise has starred in many spy thrillerslike theJack Reacherfranchise and 2017’sAmerican Made, but none of those compare to the work he did intheMission: Impossiblefilms. A franchise that follows the resourceful and driven Impossible Mission Force (IMF) agent Ethan Hunt, the films were first based on a television series of the same name.
With the first film coming out in 1996, the franchise opened with strong reviews and box office numbers. While the second film dipped in critical reception, earning the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score of 56%, the franchise drastically improved in terms of filmmaking and has stayed resilient, able to find commercial success decades after its conception.The last four films have received critical acclaimand the franchise has grossed $4 billion worldwide. The eighth film,Mission: Impossible-The Final Reckoning, comes out next summer.
CIA Expert Gives Low Rating To Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
The Execution Is Too Hollywood.
The fifth installment of the franchise,Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, 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 get their hands on nerve gas.Mission: Impossible -Rogue Nationperformed exceptionally critically and commercially, earning a Rotten Tomatoes score of 94% from critics and grossing $682 million worldwide.
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In a YouTube video fromInsider, former CIA counterterrorism officer John Kirakou reviews scenes fromMission: Impossible - Rogue Nation.He first addresses a scene where Ethan is searching for nerve gas. Kirakou admits that every major intelligence service hunts 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 points out that the circumstances are close to real life, but the tactics and technology are not. Ultimately, hegave the film a rating of four out of ten. Read his full breakdown below:
So at the beginning of this clip, Ethan Hunt was told that he’s looking for nerve gas. That’s true. I mean every major intelligence service hunt for chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.
There are elements of reality in that sometimes part of the job, especially in counterterrorism, is that you have to put yourself in dangerous positions like that. There was one situation where I was handling 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 final meeting. So we had prepared a team just like you saw here in the clip to protect me. It’s not as sexy as this is, with a beautiful woman sitting there next to you with a gun in your ribs to do you the favor of killing you, and the technology isn’t on your contact lens. But the idea is correct on realism.
I’d give it like a four because the danger of that final meeting, sure, is accurate. It’s a little cooler than it is in real life and the rest of it’s just Hollywood.
Our Take On Kirakou’s Rating And Mission Impossible’s Realism
The Film Is Still Great.
As long as a film’s lack of logic doesn’t break my suspension of disbelief, I don’t take away points from a film for its realism unless its absurdity is glaringly obvious. So far, theMission: Impossiblefranchisehas succeeded in walking this tightrope and has delivered films that don’t rely on authenticity for success but instead rely on visceral action, extravagant set pieces, talented ensembles, and real-life stunts from Cruise that are as daring as the deeds of his onscreen hero. These are the elements that have brought success to the franchise andCruiseand McQuarrie have been upping the stakes with each installment.
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
Cast
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation: Ethan Hunt and his team face their most challenging task as they attempt to dismantle The Syndicate, an elusive and deadly organization aiming to eradicate the Impossible Mission Force. Released in 2015, the film stars Tom Cruise, who reprises his role as the iconic secret agent.
