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Since 1996, the Mission: Impossible series has continuously challenged Tom Cruise. He has climbed skyscrapers, jumped out of planes, and even sustained injuries. He has also tackled whatever the plot of Mission: Impossible II was about. However, despite his determination to take risks for the sake of entertainment, it appears that Cruise’s biggest challenge may be convincing people to watch Mission: Impossible 8.
The most recent installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, faced unexpected challenges in its release this summer. Originally planned for 2021, production had to be halted twice due to the Covid pandemic. When it finally premiered, it failed to attract a significant audience despite being highly praised for its thrilling action scenes. As a result, Dead Reckoning Part One has become the second lowest-grossing film in the franchise, earning nearly $50 million less than its predecessor, Mission: Impossible – Fallout. Overall, it is estimated that Paramount will suffer a loss of approximately $100 million from this film.
Unfortunately, the following release will also be postponed, adding to the current complications. The initial schedule was to make it available one year after Part One, but due to the Sag-Aftra strike, Paramount has decided to push back the film’s release. The new date is set for May 23, 2025. However, it is highly likely that there will be further setbacks before then.
The current challenge for Mission: Impossible 8 is incredibly tough. Dead Reckoning Part Two is not your typical M:I movie, but a follow-up to its predecessor that was made with the mistaken belief that it would be a huge success. Even those who did watch the first film will likely have forgotten its plot due to the long wait for the sequel. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be surprising if Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two ends up making even less profit than Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.
What can be done to turn the fortunes of Mission: Impossible around? My suggestion is to simply do nothing. Dead Reckoning Part One was a highly intense cinematic experience for those who watched it. The film delivers non-stop action, catering to the desires of modern audiences in excess. It is a remarkable film, possibly one of the greatest in the series, and I believe its lack of success is more a reflection of the decline of traditional cinema rather than a critique of its quality. My advice is for the franchise to continue with its current approach, knowing that its lasting impact will outweigh any temporary complaints.
I previously mentioned this, but despite that, everyone still stayed at home. This shows my lack of knowledge. Perhaps Mission: Impossible should make some adjustments to remind viewers of what they’re missing. A good place to start would be to simplify the title. It’s quite cumbersome to say and type “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.” The title also hints at potential bloating, which is expected for a franchise that has been around for almost 30 years. For future films, a one-word subtitle like “Pow” or “Oi” could be used instead.
Although many of us found joy in watching Tom Cruise jump off a motorbike on a mountain during the height of the Covid pandemic, there may also be a valuable lesson to take away from it. It seems illogical for a film to feature repeated shots of its biggest stunt in its promotional material. By the time the movie is released, viewers have already seen the most thrilling part for free on YouTube. In the future, Mission: Impossible should consider saving some excitement for the actual film.
We should now consider the successful movies from this summer. M:I was not the only one that didn’t meet expectations, as other highly anticipated films like Indiana Jones and The Flash also failed to perform well. The standout successes of the season were Barbie and Oppenheimer. While they may not have been flawless films, they still managed to generate immense excitement among audiences. On the day of Barbie’s release, my local theater was decorated in bright pink and many employees were dressed in Barbie attire. Could Mission: Impossible try something similar? Would the novelty of being escorted to your seat by a person dressed as Simon Pegg be enough to turn things around? Probably not.
Ultimately, the film industry in Hollywood is primarily driven by financial success. In order for the Mission: Impossible franchise to regain profitability, one solution is to make significant budget cuts. This could involve limiting the number of filming locations and reducing the size of the cast. However, the biggest expense for these films are the elaborate stunts. As much as I hate to admit it, scaling back on these stunts may be necessary. But this does not have to be a disaster. I strongly believe that a successful Mission: Impossible movie could center around a scene where Tom Cruise is pushed down a concrete staircase in a shopping cart. And if anyone needs me to write it, I am here and ready to do so.
Source: theguardian.com
