Movies

Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning First hour is pretty dull as there's just a lot of talking and explaining who everyone is when we already know, middle bit was much better but went on too long with little idea of where he had to get to; last bit one of the best sequences they've done.

Nice callbacks to the first and third films in particular. Great job of casting charismatic actors - Nick Offerman, Jamet McTeer, Hannah Waddingham, Tramell Tillman - in what would otherwise be nothing roles. Well worth seeing but some way off the best in the series.

Tom Cruise should have invented a time machine and punched a Triceratops.

Went to see it with youngest son as a break mid GCSEs. His first comment was "that was awful" I concur. Could and should have walked out. And I'm a fan of mindless shooty stuff.

That seems harsh. For me it was exactly what I was expecting from the 8th(?) instalment of the MI series.

Quite. If someone went and didn't enjoy the last bit with the planes, then I can only assume it was their first MI film.

Nope. Utter arse from beginning to end and I've seen the others and enjoyed them. Piss poor hour of exposition. In a world of accepted ridiculous plot lines, this was ridiculous cheese pie with vream on top. Terrible direction. Pointless directionless characters. Everything just awful.

Hasn't much of that been true for the previous 2 or 3 films at least?

Or at least this one wasn't noticeably different for me in your areas of critique.

Just watched the Ballad of Wallis Island at Broadway. Really enjoyed it, lovely film.

Just got released on streaming over here and I’m looking forward to it as I like a lot of the stuff Tim Key’s done.

Very rarely go to the cinema these days but the Ballad movie is one I’d like to see. Also the Salt Path, as I really enjoyed the book.

Both of those seem like deeply uncinematic movies. What are you getting on the big screen that the small screen doesn't deliver?

Immediacy, I guess. Seeing them now instead of waiting until they’re available to stream?

Doesn’t the South West coastline justify The Salt Path, at least?

A sense of event, supporting an independent cinema and a local venue manned by local people, a more absorbing environment. I get what you're saying but it suits me better than a string of streaming services.

Me too. Looking forward to seeing the film.

Just saw Ballerina (John Wick 5). I'm not sure I've seen a film that had a higher % of its time spent on fight scenes. Felt like 90%.

I thought it was great. If you're going to see John Wick 5 you know what you're getting and detailed plot and nuanced dialogue isn't it!

Gran Turismo is predictable and preposterous and riddled with cliches and about 40 minutes too long, but the racing scenes - and there are a lot - are really well done.