What I Watched In August

I'm one of those people who feel that the Mission Impossible film series didn't become worth worrying about until the third entry in the cycle. The first two films were made by directors that I admire but both were just terrible films. Each had good segements and admirable bits and pieces but never really came together as a decent film. But they were box office hits and I'm glad of that because ever since the third film I've really enjoyed this series of action movies.

I think some people are over-praising this entry in the run and calling it one of the best films of the year. That's going a bit far by half but it is a top-notch example of what Hollywood action movies can be. The cast is fantastic and it's an absolute blast to see Cruise and Henry Cavill on screen at the top of their game and kicking ass. This movie has several action scenes that I think are some of the best of the entire Mission Impossible series. The bathroom fight is a sequence that I think is simply brilliant from beginning to end and worth the ticket price on it's own. Even some of the more espionage-centric sequences are excellently well played too with secrets and lies playing a large part of the proceedings. The cast really gets to dig their teeth into a convoluted plot line that actually does require the audience to pay attention to understand who might be doing what, when and where.

The place the film loses me is in the over-the-top helicopter crash/cliff side fist-fight ending set-piece. It's fun repeatedly stretches credulity until I was just rolling my eyes too often to take it seriously. But, up to then, it's a great ride.

THE LIST 

BLUE DEMON: DESTRUCTOR OF SPIES (1968) - 6

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT (2018) - 7

DOOMWATCH (1972) - 7 (rewatch)

THE MAZE (1953) - 6 (rewatch)

TARZAN'S SAVAGE FURY (1952) - 6

LADY FRANKENSTEIN (1971) - 8 (rewatch on Blu)

A CANDLE FOR THE DEVIL (1973) - 8 (rewach)

THE SLAYER (1982) - 6 (interesting horror tale)

EL CAMINATE (1979) - 9 (rewatch in Blu)

THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHOALIN (1978) - 8

TOMB RAIDER (2017) - 4 (uninvolving adventure wastes fine cast)

THE SECRET OF THE BLUE ROOM (1933) - 7 (rewatch)

FOUR'S A CROWD (1938) - 7 (romantic comedy with Errol Flynn and Olivia De Havilland)

THE UNLIVING (2005) - 3 (rewatch)

HOT FUZZ (2007) - 8 (rewatch)

SKIN TRADE (2014) - 5 (not bad action tale)

UNDERCOVER MAN (1942) - 5 (standard Hopalong Cassidy film)

LAKE OF DRACULA (1971) - 8 (rewatch)