Movie Review: Mission: Impossible Catch-Up Part II

Seeing that the (maybe) final installment of Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible series is coming out today (as I publish), I thought I would rewatch the series. Frankly, after the third film my viewing (and memory) is spotty. I am sure I watched at least one of the subsequent films in its entirety and parts of the other films but it is all a jumble in my head. To unjumble things, I am doing this series. See my reviews of the first three here! 

Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011) directed by Brad Bird

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is busted out of a Moscow prison by an IMF team to help with a new mission. Someone is trying to steal missile launch codes from the Kremlin and the IMF director wants Hunt to stop it. Hunt naturally accepts with the help of Benjy (Simon Pegg) and Jane (Paula Patton). The Kremlin job literally blows up in their faces, causing high tension between Russia and the U.S.A., along with the disavowal of the entire IMF force. That won't stop Hunt from continuing the mission, which gets bigger and more outlandish as the plot moves along at a breakneck pace, traveling from Europe to Dubai to India, with plenty of amazing stunts, fights, and chases.

The movie is a big fun summer action entertainer. Sadly, they immediately dump Ethan's wife from the last film at the beginning, though that change becomes more plot-relevant later in the film at several moments. So the humanistic bent introduced by J. J. Abrams in the last film hangs on, raising this above just a dumb action film. The story is fun and much easier to follow. Having the whole IMF disavowed amps things up, but can they amp things up further? The spectacular set-pieces, including Tom Cruise climbing on the windows of a skyscraper, are amazing and fun.

Recommended--not as good as the last one, but in the same ballpark.

Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015) written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie

Ethan Hunt is sure that a new threat, The Syndicate, is out there ready to go from individual acts of terrorism to a full-out war of terrorism. The Syndicate uses rogue agents from countries all over the world, presumed dead but now working as the bad guys. Unfortunately, no one else is convinced and the CIA director (Alec Baldwin) gets the IMF Agency shut down by Congress. Hunt is still in the field and continues his pursuit of The Syndicate. He's helped by his usual crew (Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, and Jeremey Renner) while also working with a British mole named Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson) in The Syndicate. The chase is world-wide and full of danger and intrigue at every step.

The plot really strains at the edge of believability but the movie moves so quickly along that it's hard to keep up, as if the holes in the story are part of the fabric the filmmakers are weaving. The action is amazing and still more over the top, though CGI is starting to infiltrate the purer stunt work. The cast is charming and enjoyable with characters that play to their strengths (Baldwin as the bit of smarminess and self-obsessed; Renner as the bit of reasonableness in an otherwise chaotic and over-the-top group, etc.). It is a fun ride that both demands and tries to avoid thinking it through too much.

Recommended--better than the last one, but number 3 is still number 1.

Mission: Impossible: Fallout (2018) written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie

Hunt's team loses three plutonium cores when Ethan has to choose between saving teammate Luther (Ving Rhames) and protecting the cores. Things start to spiral out of control as recovering the cores gets complicated. Ethan tries to imitate the buyer who is meeting the White Queen (Vanessa Kirby), though the buyer is both the head of the remains of The Syndicate from the last film and is targeted by Ilsa who is trying to prove her loyalty to MI-6. If that was not enough trouble, the CIA, who has been mopping up Syndicate remnants, saddles Hunt's team with one of their own operatives (Henry Cavill) to make sure the mission does not get messed up.

This is another stunt-and-chase extravaganza. The movie clocks in at almost two and a half hours, which is mostly excitement and action. There are human moments and comic moments to balance things out but I did find myself (1) watching this in two parts and (2) thinking at some points, "how much longer is this?" I wasn't really bored but I did feel like things were taking longer than they should have, squeezing in one more fight or obstacle that maybe didn't need to be there. Of course, if you are watching this for fights and obstacles, that's a plus.

Mildly recommended.

Here's my previous review of the penultimate movie, so you don't have to click through a link...

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) co-written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has a new mission--he needs to track down half of a special key that is part of a larger conspiracy that threatens the whole world, though his employer doesn't know what the key unlocks. Just it is a big threat. Viewers have seen where the key goes in a pre-credits sequence--a new AI system on a stealth Russian submarine goes rogue and scuppers the sub. The AI has been infiltrating many intelligence agencies from many countries, making it a valuable weapon for whichever country can get control of it. Ethan's mission is to find the key and return it to HQ. Ethan, who has had a problem with going rogue before, decides he needs to destroy the AI if he can find the original source code. A lot of action and hijinks follows with an unresolved cliffhanger ending (not a spoiler since the movie's title ends with "Part One").

The plot is the usual over-the-top nonsense that comes from this franchise. The execution is so much fun, it makes up for the daftness of the story's core. Ethan has to get the old band back together, so Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Rebecca Ferguson are back. Grace (Hayley Atwell) is an exceptional thief who is also after the key for a mysterious employer (guess who?). Ethan crosses swords with her before he winds up working with her and recruiting her for the Impossible Missions Force. The action sequences are fun and over-the-top, so fitting with the story and the series as a whole. Cruise is his usual charming self and the rest of the cast also shines. The movie is an entertaining popcorn romp. Even though it is only half the story, it is still almost three hours long. I never found myself bored watching it, so it is like the Peter Jackson King Kong, which was way too long but I find it hard to recommend what to cut out.

Recommended.

It's probable that I will wait till home video for the final installment of this franchise. The three-hour running time is a bit daunting. Time will tell...

Busch Gardens Williamsburg April 2025

On our spring break trip, we went to Busch Gardens, Williamsburg. The kids were excited to ride rides, my wife wanted to watch shows, and Grandpa wanted to take it easy. The entrance has an old-world field that fits the European theme of the park.

Is this Busch Gardens or Historic Williamsburg?

Walking through the obligatory sales area

Grandpa, Mom, and our youngest went off to try the tamer rides that he wanted to go on. That left my daughter with me as her ride companion. We went on the more serious rides. Our first was Finnegan's Flyer. The line was short (the park had just opened) and we got right on before I saw what the ride does. 

Finnegan's Flyer

The riders swing back and forth, eventually reaching heights where riders pass a ninety-degree angle with the ground below. It doesn't loop but there is some hang time at the top of each swing. And passengers are on the front and the back of each swing, so one group is looking up into the sky while another is looking down at the ground. It was a bit terrifying.

Meanwhile the other group was riding Prince Elmo's Spire, a ride that lifts passengers maybe a story and a half high before gentle returning to the ground. They also rode the Worms ride, a gentle coaster in the Sesame Street section.

Elmo's ride

Stolen from my wife's phone

My daughter and I found a more terrifying ride than Finnegan's Flyer. The Griffon is a steel coaster that whips around in all sorts of directions. We got in the front row (again the lines were very short), which turned out to be more intense than we thought it would be. At the first drop (a ninety-degree descent), the car hangs at the edge, leaving the front row facing down for three seconds that felt like thirty minutes. 

Walking to the coaster

Later view of the hang time

We walked over to the Invadr, part of the border between the French area and the German area. The Viking-themed ride is a wooden rollercoaster that was fun and thrilling. And not really terrifying.

Invadr entrance

We walked over to Alpengeist, one of the best coasters, but it was closed for annual maintenance. 

No luck in riding here

Another unlucky guy on the roof

We went next to Darkoaster, where the other group had gone after the Elmo rides. They were in line about an hour ahead of us (the park wasn't that empty), so we waited and exchanged cell phone photos.

Darkoaster entrance

By some thematic decor

More decor

Getting on the ride

Trying to copy my son's photo

We planned to meet up for lunch. While my daughter and I still waited in line, the others went on the bumper cars (called "Der Autobahn"). 

Happy to bump into you

They had extra time, so they visited some of the nearby shops before heading to Das Festhaus to meet us for lunch when we were finally done with Darkoaster.

Patron saint!

Clock shop

Grandpa in his element

I think this was in the Germany part?

Festhaus!

The show was not running at the Festhaus (too early in the year) and the food selection was not to everyone's liking, so we went over to Italy (only a short walk!) for lunch.

A lot of room at the Festhaus

With a full meal, we stuck together for a while riding some nearby rides. 

Okay for after eating

Escape from Pompeii, a water ride, not open in sub-70 degree weather

The park has some wildlife exhibits. We saw some bald eagles near the France/New France (i.e. Canada) area. 

Bald eagles

New French food

It started raining while we were in line for Le Catapult. The kids and I stayed in line while Mom and Grandpa sought shelter (and hot coffee).

Le Catapult

Mom was close enough to get this picture

Daughter on her own

He re-rode it later

For a relaxing change, we took the train around to the Italy section. The sky riders were closed because of windy conditions (which came with the rain). 

The mildest coaster ever!

A nice family shot (almost)

My daughter and I broke off and rode Tempesto, a thrill coaster that has a short run and a long line. It was worth the wait.

Tempesto entrance

Tempesto tracks

We tried to ride Apollo's Chariot, but the line was shut down for high winds just as we got to the front. After waiting a while, my daughter checked a weather app and saw the winds wouldn't die down for another hour or two. We went to join the rest of our crew at the Celtic Fyre, the Irish dance show.

No chariot for us

Stage at Celtic Fyre

Some of the dancing

Our last coaster was Loch Ness Monster, which was a lot of fun.

Thematic stuff to look at on line

The final ride was the swings. My daughter and I managed to ride Nessie fast enough that she replaced Mom as a rider on the swings.

Final go around, not the merry-go-round

Just to be clear, Busch Gardens does in fact have gardens in it!

The flowers that bloom in the spring, tra la!

We had a fun visit. The Summer-long pass was only five dollars more expensive, so we bought it. Hopefully when we come back, rides like Alpengeist, Verbolten, and the water rides will be open!

Book Review: The Hound of Distributism ed. Richard Aleman

The Hound of Distributism edited by Richard Aleman

In the early twentieth century, Catholic thinkers G. K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc advocated for social and political reform guided by Christian principles. They called it "Distributism" and based it on the Catholic idea of subsidiarity. Subsidiarity, in its most basic form, has social or community problems dealt with at the lowest level of society that can solve the problem. A local doctor can and does deal with a variety of common maladies, there's no need to go to a larger institution to get basic care or prescription medicines. Such a system results in better and more personal care for people without a lot of bureaucracy, delay, and waste. In fact, if government agencies are not involved in the solution, so much the better. Locally-run food banks are better than federally-run food stamps.

The other Distributist principle is identifying the basic unit of society. In Capitalism, the basic social unit is the individual, whose needs are paramount and whose prosperity is the focus of the system. Wealth and property can be concentrated in the hands of a few individuals if they are the most clever, hard working, or organized. In Socialism, the State is the basic social unit. Wealth and property are owned and managed by the central government for the benefit of citizens who are expected to contribute as they are able. For Distributists, the basic unit of society is the family. An individual cannot constitute a social unit and the state is not a necessary institution. Families can exist more or less independently, though groups of families create greater economic potential by allowing groups to focus on individual goods or services that they produce. The first society people experience is the family, a very formative and influential time that cultivates attitudes for life.

A great deal of admiration is held for the guilds of medieval Europe. Professionals would band together to help each other by providing resources and common standards and expectations, creating fine craftsmanship in medicine, arts, construction, etc. Decentralized authority and ownership is the ideal of Distributism. Also, the workers own their own tools and have care of their own products, giving those workers personal dignity and proper self-assurance. Such an ideal (owning the tools of labor) can be found today in co-operatives and in employee ownership through stock incentives. Remnants still remain and can be revived in modern society.

The authors of the various essays admit that a Distributivist system will not be perfect but claim it will be much better than either Socialism or Capitalism. Some essays are more persuasive than others especially as they are applied to specific situations like banking, farming, and education. The implementation is tricky since it requires a larger cultural shift in attitudes towards wealth and responsibility. This book winds up being a call for that shift.

Recommended--this provides a good overview of Distributism and a fine effort to pull it into contemporary society.

Bits of Virginia Beach

We drove over to the beach at Virginia Beach to have some fun in the sand and sun. The water was cold (like in the 60s Fahrenheit) so we did not do any swimming. We did some exploring instead.

By the shore

The original photo of above!

Looking south

Looking north

The beach has a boardwalk that goes for a couple of miles along the oceanfront. It has the typical mixture of high-rise hotels, restaurants, snack shops, and merchandizers. 

Northern end of the boardwalk

We looked for nice shells and rocks but had a hard time making good finds.

Found on shore, not brought to shore by us

A claw without an owner

Daughter and bird on the wing

The personal houses along the beach are large and amazing. I wonder how much they cost. Probably in the millions?

Large and cozy

A large statue of King Neptune sits along the boardwalk. Created by Paul DiPasquale, it was built between 2003 and 2005 and is 34 feet tall. The statue is impressive and a park across from the king has a stage for entertainers to perform.

King Neptune

More beach

Fun sign showing how far it is to other places

Further down the beach is the Naval Aviation Monument, whose entrance (from the ocean-side) is dominated by the Norwegian Lady statue. A sister statue is located in Moss, Norway. Both statues commemorate the wreck of the Norwegian ship Dictator off Virginia Beach in 1891. Many locals helped save the passengers and crew of the ship as it sank.

Map of memorial

Norwegian Lady

Story about the wreck

The memorial has several spots dedicated to flight, so 20th century accomplishments.

Naval Aviation Monument

Information about the Doolittle Raid is on the World War II section.

Doolittle photos

Preparing to deploy sculpture

Pre-WWI--the beginning of military aviation

Homecoming

Modern era with cleaning crew

We went to lunch at a pizza place called Dough Boys then tried to get dessert at Sugar Planet. The planet was closed! The sign directed us to other locations north and south.

Disappointing!

We left from our parking garage, which had a geocache on the top floor. I took a photo looking down on the beach with Neptune on the far right.

One last view