GNOME CINEMA
OVERLOOKED in the hype about Barbenheimer rescuing cinema two years ago was how it sucked money away from every other film released that summer.
The worst hit was Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. This was cruel because after 30 years and six previous adventures featuring do-all-his-own-stunts Tom Cruise as superspy Ethan Hunt, they had finally hit upon the perfect Mission Impossible film.
M:I 7 accepted that if it was trying to be Bond it wasn’t Connery and it was time to face up to being Moore. It was unashamedly silly, but joyously so, with bold, beautifully executed action sequences. A Covid-bothered production caused the budget to soar, but it looked like $300m on the screen. It was a great summer blockbuster; but a box office disappointment.