Waldorf-1979

MI was never a realistic franchise. It was always an outlandish plot with a lot of action and unrivaled stunts. It's made for the big screen. You go to the movies, grab your popcorn, and have a fun time. Perfect.

Tom Cruise might be a complete lunatic in real life, but he is a damn good actor who is a solid bet when you want to be entertained. He makes you care about Ethan and follow what is going on in his head. His motives. And his arrogant self-confidence is forgivable.

Now, the franchise has been getting worse. Almost all the secondary characters are unlikable. And sadly, the few likable ones are gone. Like Rebecca Ferguson. The current ones only serve to fill plot holes or move forward the plot. They are completely one-dimensional. Nobody thinks "I want to see what Benji/Luther/Pickpocket Chick/Asian Baddie is going to do in this one!". And the bad guy, Gabriel, is also meh.

The franchise always overdid gotchas but now it seems they gave up and there's one every few minutes. Sometimes one after another in rapid fire. To the point you become numb to it.

Some female representation is always fine, but now it's all over the place. From the president to the admiral/captain. All flawless girl-bosses who can do no wrong and Ethan can rely on.

And "The Entity" is beyond dumb. Forget all the technical nonsense. I mean it's super intelligent but does nothing while the world is plotting against it. Just ticking checkboxes by hacking systems across the world. They could've added some good side stories on how it gains power. But no. It's some made up old school custom screen. Maybe it's a shout-out to 80s goofy Bond movies. Or maybe it's just lazy writing, who knows.

This is the lowest point of this franchise. I am surprised how many people still keep watching it, no matter what.

First one I could not finish.

I used to eagerly wait for A24 movies but in recent years something stopped working. Maybe they are doing too many things and are victims of growth. Or maybe there's some other internal change.

I also wanted to like the movie as I liked The Pianist a lot way back then.

The movie has some good acting and has a bit of a twist. But it kind of feels still formulaic and boring.

I didn't feel interested on any of the characters. There's no easy connection.

The movie is way too long. Perhaps it could do with a bit of a script fixes, cutting a lot. Or maybe some genius editing can save it.

Also the "unique perspective on the human condition" kind of story is ironically too repetitive.

And finally, at times it feels like it is a studio film trying to pass as arthouse film. Some scenes try too hard. Or they were trying to shock? I don't know and I don't care.

A big disappointment. I don't know what the 10/10 reviewers see. Glad they enjoyed it, at least.

Disclaimer: I am not Communist and I actually dislike the constant subtle push of it in mainstream media (ironically by the most capitalist society on the planet).

There's a Variety interview with Tony Gilroy where he tells how the story is partly inspired by a book Young Stalin. It's a very good book, by the way. And it makes complete sense. How does a revolution work? Either it's funded by an opponent (e.g. Intelligence agency) or it's funded by crime (with the possibly questionable definition of crime in the current local regime). This revolution is the later.

The show is gritty and shows the ugly sides of a revolution. Where A New Hope was all kumbaya do-goodie this is messy, filthy, and desperate.

The script manages to make you forget the eventual happy ending and you feel for the oppressed by the Empire (fascism). It's really good.

Season 2 will be the last. I hope they manage to keep it good.