Aodhanrooney

Like the missions before it, Mission 7 promises a lot, but things are slower this time. The movie almost hits 3hrs runtime and the plot seems promising, but the action scenes are not as great as the last few movies.

Tom Cruise manages to once again prove an exemplary stunt man, especially in the final sequence, involving a train, which is probably one of the greatest I've seen.

I feel this overlong plot could have been told in one movie, but Part II comes out next year, so it's not quite the end. The plot mostly revolves around chasing down keys that make up one, which is the start of something possibly leading into Part II, but the pace is very slow in this lengthy movie, which is why I feel the second part could have just been squeezed into this one.

This movie is another example of why making sequels longer does not always work. There is nothing worse than rushing a plot, but the same can be said for slowing a plot down.

Though I am very interested in the history of World War II and its biggest incidents and battles, sadly Enemy at the Gates did not live hot to my expectations of a noteworthy adaptation of the Battle of Stalingrad.

Jude Law is a fine actor, as are notable additions: Joseph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz and Ed Harris. Though some top cast movies can fall flat and sadly I believe this is one of them.

There is enough production material from the rubble of Stalingrad to make this movie watchable, as well as soldier customs and weapons for props, but there is not enough drama as the story flows, to make Enemy At the Gates a worthwhile WWII adaptation.

Also, with the limited number of snipers featured in the movie, Enemy At the Gates comes across as disappointing as the actual history involved multiple sniper regiments and many high class snipers. So, it is unfortunate to say that Jude Law plays a an excellent sniper fighting a one-man war through the rubble of Stalingrad, with no sign of many other snipers.