Halfway through I could not tell if this was extremely silly or incredibly stupid. At the end, uh, somewhere in between?
Alec Baldwin's line about Ethan being the manifestation of destiny or something? What the hell was that about? He delivered it so straight (then seemed to be gay for Ethan seconds later) that I couldn't help but laugh.
Rebecca Ferguson, Rebecca Ferguson, Rebecca Ferguson. Wow. I think I am in love? A brilliant performance, fantastic screen presence. I got a little wary of McQuarrie giving us a few quick booty/back insert shots. Why do you gotta go mess her up? She is already oozing with natural sexuality, we do not need to be further seduced.
I hated the villain. Honestly, I gravitated between feeling like this was my last MI film I see in theaters or actually enjoying it. I fell more on the latter, but wow, talk about a lack of character motivation. Why does he want to destroy the Syndicate? What problem does he have with the Syndicate? Why did they reveal themselves to him in the first place? The first two acts ask you to swallow a lot of pills.
I also felt that this was overall pretty cheap? The effects, the set-pieces (outside of the Opera house, generally unimpressed), it all felt rather low-fi. Is this a sign of the times for Cruise?
Overall, I liked the film but I need the next to have a stronger story. Ghost Protocol and the original are still the best.