MovieChat Forums > Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) Discussion > I HATE how people say MI4 is the best on...

I HATE how people say MI4 is the best one...its the WORST!

posted 10 years ago by NYMike8818
21 replies | jump to latest

I seriously think many of you out there who claim MI4 is the best are just too young to have seen the first and third films or dont remember how awesome they were. I also think alot of people are Kool Aid drinking Brad Bird fans and love everything that man does. I have only see The Incredibles (which I LOVED) so im not the biggest expert on his animated films but to be honest I was not very impressed with his live action directorial debut. I didnt like the way he shot his action either. Just MEH to me.

To me MI4 was actually the worst one in the franchise. Why? Because it was BORING and completely forgettable. Other than the Burj skyscraper sequence there was not ONE SINGLE memorable action scene in the whole movie. I cant even remember the plot, who the villain was, nothing. Even the LOOK of the film was bland and nothing special. It also played way too much like a comedy, mostly due to Simon Pegg (who can be funny in small doses but annoying if you let him take over your film). The MI films are supposed to be INTENSE. MI4 had NOTHING close to intensity, tension, or suspense.

To me the BEST one is still the third one. The one JJ Abrams directed. Here's why:

1) It has the best cinematography (DP was DAN MINDEL, who worked alot with TONY SCOTT, shot the Abrams STAR TREK films, and is shooting STAR WARS FORCE AWAKENS with JJ as well)

2) the best and most memorable action

3) BY FAR the franchise's best villain (Philip Seymour Hoffman was AMAZING)

4) the best story (we get to see how Hunt's job effects his relationship with his wife and for the first time there's personal stakes for him in the mission, its not just another job)

5) the best acting and EMOTION (you HATED Hoffman & cared for Hunt to get his wife back)

6) we got to see Hunts personal life (Michelle Monaghan subplot was well done)

7) the best TEAMWORK (Ving Rhames, Maggie Q, Jonathan Rhys Meyers in his prime, Keri Russell, Simon Pegg)

Just everything about that movie was EPIC. Best bridge action sequence since TRUE LIES. Every scene with Hoffman was riveting!

I know alot of people have issues with Abrams' visual style in the film. Some say it looks "too much like a TV show" or that the camera work is too frenetic and shot too close to the actors faces. Some have complained it reminded them of a Michael Bay film or an episode of 24. Since Bay is my favorite action director and 24 is one of my all time favorite shows thats not a bad thing for me. The over saturated colors, hand held tight shaky camera work, blown out frames, jumpy editing, all added to the tension to me. To me, MI3 had the most distinct visual style of ANY of the MI films and I loved it for that. I am a filmmaker myself and whenever I work with a new cinematographer and they ask me what type of style or color palette I'm looking for, I just tell them to watch MI3 (or Tony Scott's "Domino", both shot by Dan Mindel) and say: "give me THAT".

The first film is a CLASSIC directed by the legendary Brian DePalma and is my second favorite next to MI3. It had a smart complex plot that really made you think and Hunt never fires a single gun in the entire film. Some complain the first MI was too slow and low on action, but I actually didnt mind that. It was more of a thinking man's spy thriller, alot like the TV series. And the white sound proof room sequence with him hanging by the wires is easily the most iconic sequence and shot of the franchise and one of the most intense scenes in movie history.

I know everyone hates MI2 and I agree it was a subpar film that was edited to pieces by the studio but John Woo at least gave us his trademark action ballet awesomeness with the kung fu, gun fights, motorcycles, and doves/pigeons. That opening mountain climbing sequence was sick too. I remember that summer of 2000 and my anticipation for MI2 very vividly. I was in summer school (for the only time in my life, i was usually a straight A student) and so angry about it and at the time Metallica and Limp Bizkit had their MI2 songs out from the soundtrack and I rocked out to them both everyday on my walkman cassette tape player (yes remember those? lol). I couldn't wait for that movie!!! Yes looking back on it the overall film was a disappointment but I still feel the final 20 minutes of that film is worth the price of admission alone and probably the best final set piece in the franchise. Too bad the rest of the film is junk.

I am looking forward to Rogue Nation because the motorcycle scene looks cool (although somewhat copied from MI2) and that final shot of Hunt hanging off the side of the plane as it takes off, looks like another classic MI stunt that could be memorable if done right and the most exciting thing we have seen in a while in this franchise. Fingers crossed and stoked for JULY 31st!!!

[–] filmtenk 10 years ago

Agree about ghost protocol. I really wanted to like it but I didnt. Great choice for director for mi5.

[–] yurenchu 10 years ago

Funny. The complaints you have about MI4 are basically the same that I have about MI3. MI3 felt like a drawn-out episode of "Alias". I still consider the first movie the best one.

I like that the Mission: Impossible movies explore a different style and tone in every new installment. So Ghost Protocol was a welcome surprise to me. The Kremlin hallway scene was quite inventive, suspenseful and memorable. Moreover, I think the collaboration between Ethan, Benji, Jane and Will presented the best teamwork in the movie series so far. (I also liked the teamwork scenes between Benji, Jane and Hanaway.) I haven't watched the original Mission: Impossible TV-series (I've only watched one episode on youtube), but I think MI4 matches it the best in terms of tone/atmosphere.

I think that Philip Seymour Hoffman was underused in MI3. His best scene was when he let his other self read aloud the pan-phonemic poem on the card (that was a very cool scene).

MI2 was a movie that I absolutely loved, despite the poor, dumbed-down plotline and the least team-effort (Luther had literally nothing to do, which was a shame). The movie had the best stunts and most riveting action scenes. I don't care much for Metallica, but Hans Zimmer's score and Heitor Pereira's guitar playing are unforgettable and definitely on par with Danny Elfman's score on the first movie.

I'll be curious to what new elements the next M:I movie will bring.

______
Joe Satriani - "Always With Me, Always With You"
https://y2u.be/VI57QHL6ge0

[–] jawsfan007 10 years ago

the new one looks amazing and I'm excited about Christopher Mcquarrie Shepherding the picture.

He did great work with Tom Cruise on Jack Reacher and the Way of the Gun is a fantastic film with a incredibly great shoot out at the end.

[–] Nux3000 10 years ago

"The complaints you have about MI4 are basically the same that I have about MI3. MI3 felt like a drawn-out episode of "Alias". I still consider the first movie the best one."

+1

[–] farmasingh 10 years ago

Here here

[–] T-eschberger 10 years ago

Agreed. Something about MI4 felt very...lax. It just didn't have much energy. Its a very leisurely kind of movie...the tone is just too light for anything to feel high risk or suspenseful. I appreciate that Bird shot the action with a steady hand, but the staging of it didn't take advantage of the situations presented. The only mildly exciting moment is the Burj climb...and even that wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

MI1, while lighter on action, is a much more tense film with a genuine classic spy thriller plot and tone.

MI2, while probably the most loosey goosey of the franchise still has the amazing John Woo behind the camera. The man can create damn good action.

MI3 is energetic and has great emotional pull. It's action is a great mix of modern and old school techniques.

I wish I could like MI4 more than I do. Objectively, it's a damn well written movie. It's streamlined narrative is welcome but too much light humor and a lack of energy in the action let it down.

[–] lathe-of-heaven 10 years ago

ABSOLUTELY agree... 

Right on the nose mate! 

I now have over 7000 films; many of them very rare and OOP. I LOVE to trade. PLEASE ASK! 

[–] Deftone315 10 years ago

Well the rating sure proves otherwise. The worst one was the 2nd one, and the third was an improvement but ultimately boring and quite pretentious. You're kidding yourself if you think this is the worst one; to me this one embodies the best thing about this franchise: A great time at the theater

[–] ajaddiction2004 10 years ago

Def, ratings mean very little to anyone but smug *beep* This one sucked the worst of all them.

[–] slch112 10 years ago

I agree with everything you said except the ballet Kung foo gun fights...very out of place for Ethan and the franchise. Also, I was definitely rocking out to those tunes as well! I hate Limp Bisquit but DAmn I loved that song.

[–] freshboy3001 10 years ago

I don't know why it's rated the highest, because it's just standard Hollywood action-movie schlock with a preposterous, pointless story. After watching Tomorrowland in theatres recently, I've realised Brad Bird is an overrated lackey for the studios. His visual style is bland, his set-pieces are forgettable and his editors are morons, as his films are at least 20 minutes too long. Stick to animation, bro.

Never let others dictate your opinion on a film:
http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=13340299

[–] EJverh 10 years ago

Yep. I agree 3 was by far the best, then 1 then 4 then 2. The opening of the original first was the best of all. Everything about that whole sequence was exceptional and darkly suspenseful. 3 had everything in it and yes Hoffman was so very good which upped the stakes for us caring about the main actor and the subplot (the wife).

[–] slyle 10 years ago

The opening of the original first was the best of all.

No argument there.

I also like that each movie is purposefully different from the others. One thing that gets overlooked quite a bit about 4 is that it's partially a parody of the other movies. Hunt has to do the ridiculous stunt even though it's crazy, which is the opposite of how it happens in the other movies. Early on Hunt declares that everything has to go perfect for the plan to work, yet pretty much nothing goes as planned. They didn't get to use the masks this time. Hunt, rather than being in control the entire time, actually has to rely on his team for everything to work. Heck, he didn't even get to be the one to break the suspense on when they'd stop the missile. He had to wait for the rest of the team to get the relay working.

Combining that theme of nothing working right except for relying on the team with the subtle jabs at the previous installments ads a layer of depth that can be easily missed. That's one reason I think 4 deserves to be considered a great installment.

Personally, I do think 3 is superior. I have a hard time ranking 1 and 4 against one another because of how different they were. When the goal of the franchise is to force us to compare apples to oranges each time a movie comes out it's hard to put them in order when the quality of two of them is at all similar.

[–] lathe-of-heaven 10 years ago

Totally with you mate!

EXCELLENT analysis! 

I now have over 7000 films; many of them very rare and OOP. I LOVE to trade. PLEASE ASK! 