Mission: Impossible II

"Mr. Hunt, this isn't mission difficult, it's mission impossible. "Difficult" should be a walk in the park for you."

Ethan Hunt's (Cruise) vacation is interrupted by IMF (Impossible Missions Force) command with a new mission.  His old friend Dr. Vladimir Nekhorvich (Serbedzija) contacted IMF for help, and was intercepted by rogue agent Sean Ambrose (Scott).  Sean and his team kill Nekhorvich and steal his valuable cargo.  Ethan needs to assemble a team and steal it back.

Ethan is free to choose the members of his team, but it must include civilian thief Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Newton).  He also brings in his old friend, computer expert Luther Stickell (Rhames), and Billy Baird (Polson) to complete the mission.  They quickly learn that Nekhorvich and his partner created a super virus in their quest to find the perfect vaccine.  Can they prevent an epidemic?


After the success of Mission: Impossible in 1996 (despite fan outrage over the changes from the 1960s TV show), a sequel was inevitable.  Screenwriter Robert Towne returned to write the screenplay, but director Brian De Palma turned down the offer to direct the sequel.  John Woo was chosen to direct the sequel.  Changing directors became a staple for the franchise and each subsequent film has a different director (Mission: Impossible III, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, and Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation).

This is clearly a Woo film... it bears all of his trademarks, while still keeping the Mission: Impossible trademarks.  This is the only film in the series (so far) to show Ethan Hunt working for IMF without him being on the run.  The plot is very similar to Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious, but it still works.  The plot is less convoluted than the first and has more action.

Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt, once again doing many of his own stunts.  Ving Rhames also returns as Luther Stickell, the only other cast member to appear in all the Mission: Impossible franchise.  Billy Baird is funny as the third member of their group.  Dougray Scott is a good choice for the villain, and is a solid match for Cruise's Hunt.  Thandie Newton is good as the female lead.  It's a decent action film and a good entry in the franchise (but definitely not my favorite).

Mission: Impossible II (2000) 123 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violent action and some sensuality
Director: John Woo
Starring: Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt
Dougray Scott as Seam Ambrose
Thandie Newton as Nyah Nordoff-Hall
Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell
Richard Roxburgh as Hugh Stamp
Roland Krönmeyer as Jon Tomson
John Polson as Billy Baird
Brendan Gleeson as John C. McCloy
Rade Serbedzija as Dr. Vladimir Nekhorvich

Hot Pursuit (2015)

"You're in danger, ma'am, but everything's going to be fine."

"What about my husband?"

"Everything but your husband's going to be fine."

Officer Cooper (Witherspoon) is a by-the-books San Antonio Police Officer.  After an incident involving the mayors son, she is put on desk duty and ridiculed by the other officers.  Captain Emmet (John Carroll Lynch), a friend of her late father, gives her a shot at redemption: escort Deputy Marshal Jackson (Jones) to protect cartel informant Felipe Riva (Vincent Laresca) and his wife Daniella (Vergara) to Dallas to testify against cartel leader Vincente Cortez (Joaquin Cosio).  But plans change when 2 sets of men arrive on the scene and kill Felipe and Jackson.

Cooper and Daniella escape, and Cooper intends to follow her mission and get Daniella to Dallas to testify.  Daniella has other plans and continually tries to escape.  Can they stay a step ahead of Cortez's men and dirty cops and make it to Dallas?


This film has a great deal of potential.  The talent is there, but something is missing.

Anne Fletcher was a choreographer and has directed several popular romantic comedies.  The screenwriters, David Feeney and John Quaintance, are predominately TV writers.  The screenplay and the film as a whole relies heavily on the charisma of the leads.  Reese Witherspoon is an Academy Award winning actress that has a history of comedy roles.  Sofia Vergara is best known for her role on TV's Modern Family, but has also had success in films.  They are an odd-couple, but they have great chemistry and it works here.

The script is all over the place looking for laughs.  The physical comedy works, but many of the other bits just fall flat.  It isn't a horrible film.  The premise is interesting and the talent is there, but it just misses the mark.

Hot Pursuit (2015) 87 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for sexual content, violence, language and some drug material
Director: Anne Fletcher
Starring: Reese Witherspoon as Officer Cooper
Sofia Vergara as Daniella Riva
Matthew Del Negro as Detective Hauser
Michael Mosley as Detective Dixon
Robert Kazinsky as Randy
Richard T. Jones as Deputy Marshal Jackson

Mission: Impossible

"Relax Luther, it's much worse than you think."

The Impossible Missions Force (IMF), under the direction of Jim Phelps (Voight) are sent to Prague.  They are supposed to retrieve the NOC, non-official cover, list from the American embassy, before it can be sold to the wrong people.  The list contains the names and aliases of all spies, which would put numerous lives in danger.  While on the mission, Jim and the rest of his team are killed, with the exception of his protege Ethan Hunt (Cruise).  Hunt learns that there is a mole in the system, and as the sole surviving member of his team, he is the prime suspect.

He manages to escape and plans to clear his name by finding the mole, known only as Job.  His is joined by Jim's wife, Claire (Beart), who also managed to survive the mission.  Can they find the mole, avenge their friends, and clear their names before Eugene Kittridge (Czerny) and the rest of IMF find them?


In the 1966, Bruce Geller created the TV show "Mission: Impossible."  The show focused on the elite IMF team, led by Steven Hill's Dan Briggs in the first season and Peter Graves' Jim Phelps for the rest of the series run (the show ended in 1973).  In 1988 the show was brought back, with only Graves returning.  The show was popular and Paramount Studios bought the film rights.

Tom Cruise was a big fan of the TV show and decided to produce the film.  Paramount initially contacted the original cast to reprise their roles, but the actors were unhappy with the changes to the character of Jim Phelps and the overall plot and none appeared in the film.  Despite that, the film was successful enough to launch a blockbuster franchise (with 5 films released: Mission: Impossible II, Mission: Impossible III, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation; and plans for a 6th).

The script is filled with twists and turns that keeps you guessing.  The stunt work, particularly in the scene depicted at the top of this post, is impressive.  The effects feel a little dated, but this film was made almost 20 years ago.

This film is different, tonally, then the films that follow, but it sets the M:I world in motion and establishes Ethan Hunt as the hero of the series (a shift from the TV show).  The film was smart to include the iconic aspects of the show: how the teams receives orders and the theme music.

Mission: Impossible (1996) 110 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for some intense action violence
Director: Brian De Palma
Starring: Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt
Jon Voight as Jim Phelps
Emmanuelle Beart as Claire Phelps
Henry Czerny as Eugene Kittridge
Jean Reno as Franz Krieger
Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell
Kristin Scott Thomas as Sarah Davies
Vanessa Redgrave as Max
Emilio Estevez as Jack Harmon
Ingeborga Dapkunaite as Hannah Williams

Mandariinid: Tangerines

A small town of Estonian farmers is all but deserted during the 1992-1993 Georgian-Abkhazian War.  The men who remain are trying to harvest their tangerine crop before the fighting reaches their town.  Ivo (Ulfsak) is an elderly man who makes the wood crates for the tangerines,, and Margus (Nuganen) owns the tangerine plantation.  Their families and friends are already back in Estonia.  One day a jeep with two Chechen mercenaries and a van of Georgian soldiers crash into the plantation fence.  Ivo and Margus rescue one of the Chechen's, Ahmed (Nakashidze), and one of the Georgian soldier's, Niko (Meskhi), both are seriously injured.

They take the men back to Ivo's house and have their friend Juhan (Trass) see to their injuries.  They also bury the dead and dispose of the Georgian van.  As Ahmed and Niko start to heal, they vow to kill each other.  Can Ivo and Margus save their tangerine harvest and avoid the looming war outside, and between their guests?


This film was the first Estonian film to be nominated for an Academy Award.  It lost the 2014 award for Best Foreign Language Film to Poland's Ida.  It won other prestigious awards for writer/directer Zaza Urushadze across the international film community (Fajr International Film Festival, Warsaw International Film Festival, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Jerusalem Film Festival, International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg, Bari International Film Festival, and Satellite Awards).

This is Urushadze's fifth film as the director and the fourth that he wrote.  Urushadze is a Georgian writer/director.  He wisely chose to take such a heavy topic and keep it intimate.  Only a handful of characters (all men) have names and speak more than a few words.  Grounding the film is esteemed Estonian actor Lembit Ulfsak, who has a calm but strong screen presence.  You immediately understand this man, and want him to survive and succeed.  In stark contrast to him is Elmo Nuganen's Margus, who is continually worried and talkative.  You feel the tension as the wounded men enter the picture, changing every aspect of Ivo and Margus' lives.  The landscape is gorgeous and becomes a character in it's own right.  It also adds to the feeling of isolation that the characters have from the fighting, until that is shattered abruptly (and loudly).

It is a powerful film.  Quiet and moving.  Definitely worth the accolades it received and hopefully a larger audience will have the opportunity to watch this film.

Tangerines [Mandariinid] (2013) 87 minutes
Director: Zaza Urushadze
Starring: Lembit Ulfsak as Ivo
Giorgi Nakashidze as Ahmed
Elmo Nuganen as Margus
Mikheil Meskhi as Niko
Raivo Trass as Juhan

Aloha (2015)

"In any of its many forms, I have found that nothing beats fun."

Brian Gilcrest (Cooper) is a military contractor with NASA.  After his promising military career ended, he works for millionaire Carson Welch (Murray).  Welch has a new deal in play, and sends Gilcrest to Hawaii to work with the Air Force to finalize the details.  He is assigned an idealistic Air Force liaison, Captain Allison Ng (Stone).  Gilcrest and Ng are assigned to negotiate with the King Dennis "Bumpy" Kanahele for a gate blessing ceremony for the space center Welch is building. 

The job also requires Gilcrest to work with his ex girlfriend, Tracy Woodside (McAdams), who he hasn't seen in over 13 years.  Tracy is married to Gilcrest's old friend John "Woody" Woodside (Krasinski), an Air Force pilot who has problems communicating with his family.  He also has to work with old friends, Colonel "Fingers" Lacy (McBride) and General Dixon (Baldwin), who hates him.  Can he make the deal and keep his job?


This film is a bit of a disaster.  It is trying hard to be too many things and trying to tell too many separate stories.  At it's heart, the story is a rom com with likeable / marketable leads.  But even within that story, it isn't sure what to do with the cast and throws different ideas at the audience.  It tries to be a love letter to Hawaii, and includes Dennis "Bumpy" Kanahele  as himself...  And it tries to throw in a bigger issue... but again it feels like too many separate plots thrown at the wall to see what will stick.

This is director Cameron Crowe's tenth film (including two documentaries).  Say Anything and Almost Famous are considered classics.  Cameron is known for directing romantic comedies.  His last rom com was released in 2005 (in 2011 he directed family film We Bought a Zoo).  I'm not sure what happened in the last ten years, but this is not on the same level as his previous works.

The cast is populated with likeable actors, all trying hard to sell the material.  They do a decent job, but no one stands out.  The movie as a whole is ok, but not memorable.


Aloha (2015) minutes
Rating: PG-13 for some language including suggestive comments
Director: Cameron Crowe
Starring: Bradley Cooper as Brian Gilcrest
Emma Stone as Captain Allison Ng
Rachel McAdams as Tracy Woodside 
Bill Murray as Carson Welch
John Krasinski as John "Woody" Woodside
Danny McBride as Colonel "Fingers" Lacy
Alec Baldwin as General Dixon
Bill Camp as Bob Largent
Jaeden Lieberher as Mitchell Woodside
Danielle Rose Russell as Grace Woodside

Sense and Sensibility (1995)

"Perhaps Margaret is right."

"Right?"

"Piracy is our only option."

After the death of their father, Elinor (Thompson), Marianne (Winslet), Margaret (Francois), and their mother (Jones) are left with nothing.  Their half brother John (Fleet) and his ruthless wife Fanny (Walter) move into the family estate, while the women move to a cottage in the country owned by Mrs. Dashwood's cousin Sir John Middleton (Hardy).

Elinor is responsible and does everything she can to care for her mother and sisters.  As she tries to hold her family together, she starts to fall for Fanny's awkward brother Edward Ferrars (Grant).  Marianne is a dreamer and a romantic, with a deep love for poetry.  She catches the attention of wealthy bachelor Colonel Brandon (Rickman), but she falls hard for John Willoughby (Wise) after he rescues her.  Can the Dashwood women find love and security?


As I mentioned, I enjoy Jane Austen novels.  Sense and Sensibility was my entry into Austen's world and holds a special place in my heart.  I also read and analyzed the novel in at least one of my collegiate English courses.  One of the classes analyzed the relationship between novel and film adaptation, so we also watched and analyzed this film.

Producer Lindsay Doran was a huge Austen fan, and asked Emma Thompson to write an adaptation of Sense and Sensibility.  Thompson was also an Austen fan and wanted to write a faithful adaptation; she spent five years writing the script.  Doran brought in Taiwanese director Ang Lee to direct the film, even though he was unfamiliar with Austen's novels.

The film is fairly faithful to the novel.  There are differences, as to be expected in adaptations, such as the omission of minor characters and storylines.  Some character traits were changed to absorb parts of other characters and to further show the audience the personalities of the characters (this is most notable with the 3 male leads).

I love this movie.  The casting is great (although perhaps there were better choices for some of the characters).  Thompson and Kate Winslet are great as the leads.  The rest of the cast feel appropriate for their roles and bring some life to the characters.  You hate the characters you should, and are intrigued by the characters you should... I love the Palmers (Imelda Staunton and Hugh Laurie), they are ridiculous (her) and hilariously sarcastic (him).

In 2008, BBC aired a TV miniseries of Sense and Sensibility (directed by John Alexander, screenplay by Andrew Davies).  With a runtime of 174 minutes, this adaptation was able to be even more faithful.  I have yet to see this version (but I intend to see it).

Sense and Sensibility (1995) 131 minutes
Director: Ang Lee
Starring: Emma Thompson as Elinor Dashwood
Kate Winslet as Marianne Dashwood
Hugh Grant as Edward Ferrars
Alan Rickman as Colonel Brandon
Gemma Jones as Mrs. Dashwood
Greg Wise as John Willoughby
Emilie Francois as Margaret Dashwood
Elizabeth Spriggs as Mrs. Jennings
Robert Hardy as Sir John Middleton
James Fleet as John Dashwood
Harriet Walter as Fanny Dashwood

Scents and Sensibility

The Dashwood family enjoy a luxurious life.  The father (Jim Christian) is a successful businessman, with oldest daughter Elinor (Williams) working by his side.  Everything changes when Mr. Dashwood is arrested and convicted of running a Ponzi scheme: swindling millions of dollars from his clients.  The rest of the family is in shock and their assets are frozen.

To make ends meet and to afford Margaret's (Chuchran) medicine, Elinor and Marianne (Sokoloff) look for jobs.  Their father's reputation, and their last name, keeps them from good jobs.  Elinor becomes the janitor at a local spa, while Marianne becomes the copy girl at an advertising firm, while their mother (Peggy Matheson) and Margaret move in with relatives.  Their jobs and bosses are difficult.  Marianne finds solace in making lotions that smell and work great.  She is pining for her boyfriend John (Celaya) who took a job in Switzerland.  Elinor strikes up an easy friendship with her boss's lawyer brother Edward (Johnson).  As Marianne's lotions become a hit at the spa, can the sisters rebuild their lives and keep their family out of debt?


In high school I discovered the joys of reading Jane Austen.  "Sense and Sensibility" was the first, and I loved it.  I had to read the novel in at least one of my college English courses, when we also watched Emma Thompson's Sense and Sensibility adaptation.  Like most of Austen's novels, this story was adapted as TV miniseries, films, updates, and novels ("The Secrets of Love" and "Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters").  This film is a modern update of the story.

The basic characters (and character names) are there, and the overarching story is there with a few minor revisions.  The film focuses on Elinor and Marianne, and doesn't bring in some of the minor characters from the books (even though they add to the story).  The adaptation could haven been better, but it wasn't terrible.

The main cast are like-able.  Marla Sokoloff has been acting since childhood and has developed into a capable actress.  Ashley Williams is a TV favorite, although she rarely headlines a production.  Together, they are a good team.  The guys are what they need to be, attractive and appealing enough.

It is an ok adaptation, but not as good as it could be...

Scents and Sensibility (2011) 90 minutes
Director: Brian Brough
Starring: Ashely Williams as Elinor Dashwood
Marla Sokoloff as Marianne Dashwood
JJ Neward as Fran Farris
Brad Johnson as Edward Farris
Nick Zano as Brandon
Jason Celaya as John Willoughby
Danielle Chuchran as Margaret Dashwood
Jaclyn Hales as Lucy

Kill Me Three Times

Professional hitman Charlie Wolfe (Pegg) goes to the small, coastal Australian town of Eagles Nest for a job.  The job is supposed to be easy, but quickly escalates as more people get involved...

• Unstable hotel owner Jack Taylor (Mulvey) is worried about his marriage, and isn't above violence to get answers
• His harried wife Alice Taylor (Braga) sees an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone
• Dentist Nathan Webb (Stapleton) is in too deep with a gambling addiction
• His wife Lucy Webb (Palmer) has a plan
• Mechanic Dylan Smith (Hemsworth) wants a fresh start
• And crooked cop Bruce Jones (Brown) just wants his piece of the action

Is anyone safe?


This is not your typical Simon Pegg film.  In this Australian film, he is the villain.  It sounds crazy, but it works.  He is violent (and responsible for most of the death/blood on the screen), but still gets some funny moments.  It is great to watch him play against type.

The story tries hard to be clever and keep you guessing.  It is stylized and unravels the plot slowly, showing the main events several times and revealing a little more each time.  Reviewers on IMDb.com compare it to Quentin Tarantino's style, but feel that it never quite reaches that level.  The format reminded me more of TV, when they show the same story from different perspectives so that the audience has to figure things things out with the cast (I know Psych did an episode like this, but I don't know which one.  First example I can think of is Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode "T.R.A.C.K.S." in Season 1).  The style works, but isn't really necessary.

The location is gorgeous, as well as the cinematography.  The story is ok, with a few twists and turns, but not overly memorable.  There is a small cast, only focusing on the main people (there are minimal people in the background).  The cast is good, populated with familiar faces.  Everyone gets an arc, and a change to wield a weapon and fight.

It is an enjoyable film, but not particularly memorable (or worth a second viewing).

Kill Me Three Times (2014) 90 minutes
Rating: R for bloody violence, language and some sexuality/nudity
Director: Kriv Stenders
Starring: Simon Pegg as Charlie Wolfe
Alice Braga as Alice Taylor
Sullivan Stapleton as Nathan Webb
Teresa Palmer as Lucy Webb
Luke Hemsworth as Dylan Smith
Callan Mulvey as Jack Taylor
Bryan Brown as Bruce Jones

The Love Punch

"You're much more likable these days."
"So are you."

Kate Jones (Thompson) and Richard Jones (Brosnan) have been divorced for years.  Their two children, Sophie (Tuppence Middleton) and Matt (Jack Wilkinson), are off at college.  Richard is in the process of selling his company and retiring.  Kate is trying to re-enter the dating world.  Richard learns that his company was bought by a bankrupt business and now everyone has lost their pensions.  Unable to afford their homes and the children's tuitions, he asks Kate to help him get their money back.

They travel to Paris to talk to Vincent Kruger (Lafitte), the man behind their financial ruin.  When he refuses to return their money, they decide to take drastic measures.  They call in their best friends and neighbors Jerry (Spall) and Penelope (Imrie) and plan a complicated heist.  Can their crazy plan work, or will they end up in jail or dead?


The film feels simultaneously familiar and absurd, mostly the latter.  It is an interesting premise and a good cast... but the story falls short. It is an enjoyable ride, but not a great film.

Emma Thompson is always likeable in film; she is endearing and funny here.  Pierce Brosnan is a good match for her, with his James Bond charms.  The film subtly nods to the Bond franchise with little moments throughout.  Timothy Spall is funny as the unpredictable Jerry.  Celia Imrie is good as Penelope, especially in the scene with the gun.  The biggest surprise was French actress Louise Bourgoin as Manon.  You don't expect her to do much in the film, but she is a hidden gem.  Laurent Lafitte is an ok villain.  The film wisely spends most of its time with Brosnan, Thompson, Spall and Imrie.

The story is ridiculous and way beyond the "suspension of disbelief"... it isn't a bad thing, but it isn't even pretending to be grounded in reality.  A laid back heist film with a fun cast.

The Love Punch (2013) 94 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for some sexual content, language and rude humor
Director: Joel Hopkins
Starring: Emma Thompson as Kate Jones
Pierce Brosnan as Richard Jones
Celia Imrie as Penelope
Timothy Spall as Jerry
Louise Bourgoin as Manon Fontane
Laurent Lafitte as Vincent Kruger