(Tom) Cruise, (Robert) Redford, An Ant
Posted on December 1, 2015 by bob in DVD
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (PG-13)
It’s true. Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt, the big-screen successor to Peter Graves’ head of TV’s original IM Force, Jim Phelps, for the fifth time. That’s one shy of Sean Connery’s turns as James Bond; one more than Harrison Ford’s gigs as Indiana Jones; equal to the total of spy flicks in which Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan was played by four different actors, including Ford.
Formulas must be followed. Iconic theme songs must be deployed. Evildoers and their schemes for global domination must escalate. Check, check and check. And let’s not forget that Cruise, like Chuck Norris before him, must be surrounded by a cast that makes Hunt’s height appear to reach a higher percentile than that of the guy who plays him.
Cruise’s Hunt is poised to stop the creepy dude behind The Syndicate’s sinister blueprint for destabilizing the world we know. For nearly two hours, he and the team chase the baddies through several exotic locales while also dodging Alec Baldwin’s CIA minions, leading to scenarios that are far-fetched even for such espionage fare. The plot is aided by dangled questions of whether several key players’ hats should really be white or black, and what harm any deception will cause.
The film still delivers suitable doses of action, humor, intrigue and scenery that should satisfy franchise and/or Cruise fans, and tide them over until Round 6. That’s more of a “when” than an “if…”
A Walk in the Woods (R)
In this amiable dramedy, Robert Redford plays a respected, mostly-retired travel writer, living pleasantly in New England with a loving family. Some vague residual combination of wanderlust, pride and ennui inspires him to hike the Appalachian Trail for one final adventure before the ravages of aging take such options off his menu. Unlike a certain former South Carolina governor, his goal is the actual 2,200-mile trek, not a fanciful cover for other types of age-denying endeavor. Among the many old friends and colleagues he invites to join him, the only taker is a dissipated former travel companion (Nick Nolte) he hadn’t seen — or missed — for 40 years.
Once they hit the trail, we get a leisurely package tour of their backstories, accented with how they handle the journey and interact with people and challenges along the way. Director Ken Kwapis wisely gives the old pros room to be all they can be, while making the pristine settings a vivid asset, both visually and thematically. Despite my devout aversion to prolonged exercise or any form of “roughing it” ever since infantry training drained all sense of pleasure from hiking or camping, Kwapis almost made this journey seem appealing.
The package adds up to a pleasant, if not riveting, way to spend a couple of hours in the seats enjoying how two fine actors take care of their business on the trail. Kristen Schaal, Mary Steenburgen and Nick Offerman stand out among the supporting players. The plot is blissfully free of excess, making the stars and their experience relatively relatable.
Ant-Man (PG-13)
Regular readers have likely picked up my leanings of summers largely dominated by big-budget movies based on comic book superheroes. I vastly prefer those that have fun with their subject over those taking such fantasies too seriously. Give me Robert Downey Jr.’s wisecracking Iron Man over all the brooding Batman sagas any day. Same for the amiable rogues from Guardians of the Galaxy compared to any of their darker, more dramatic counterparts fighting evil throughout the cosmos.
So who better than Mr. Nice Guy Paul Rudd to become a reluctant savior with highly unlikely powers courtesy of Marvel Comics? All hail Stan Lee. In this case, a scientist (Michael Douglas) created a supersuit and chemical cocktail that enables its occupant to instantly shrink, as needed, while also commanding an army of ants via a bonus mind-linking device. Paul’s character is like a Spiderman without all the angst and low self-esteem. We’re given just enough backstory to flesh out a sympathetic sentimental side to his persona, without the other guy’s bouts of guilt and moping.
The plot is typical — demented corporate jerk perverting possibly-beneficial science into an ultimate existential threat – but perfectly suited to introducing newbies to this hero, his family and a few bumbling buddies. For a director whose resume shows mostly sitcoms and a couple of rom-coms, Peyton Reed delivers a fine package of pace and character development, deftly weaving the comedy, sentiment and computer-generated action into a cohesive final product. Sequels are certain, and will be most welcome.
Side note – Gifted comic actress Judy Greer plays a marginal role as Rudd’s ex-wife. Her screen time is comparable to her turn as the mom worrying from afar in the latest Jurassic Park blockbuster. Between the two, her box-office braggin’ rights for 2015 will be off the charts.
Mark Glass
Mark Glass is an officer and director of the St. Louis Film Critics Association.
