Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - (AKA, i heart Tom Cruise...)

(An article i wrote for the print issue of Groove Korea)




Poor old Tom Cruise. The actor who was once the golden boy of Hollywood with that million-dollar smile, has now become known as that couch hopping scientologist nut. And we as a movie going public showed our displeasure with his antics by boycotting his films. Knight and Day, which I thought wasn't too bad, recouped but a fraction of it's gargantuan budget and despite some solid performances in Lions for Lambs and Valkyrie, audiences by and large generally stayed away. Even Paramount used Cruise’s "bad behavior" as one of the reasons for releasing him from his development deal after 14 years.

Now, whatever you may think about Tom Cruise as a person, there's no doubting his credentials as a movie star and his commitment to his craft. He continually seeks to do his own stunts and he doesn't forget the most important reason for him being where he is today, the fans. During one red carpet moment, he delayed the premiere of his film in London’s Leicester square so he could see as many fans as possible who came to see him (And no, I wasn’t one of them). Compare that with Britney spears who spent 20 seconds waving at the crowd before her premiere of Crossroads. But what does Cruise get in return? Water squirted in his face and a lampooning on Scary Movie 4!

Now, with a succession of relative failures by Hollywood standards under his belt, Tom Cruise has decided to return to the safer, more secure pastures of the Mission Impossible franchise. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol sees Tom Cruise back as super spy Ethan Hunt who continues to work behind the scenes for the US Government along with regular team member Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and newcomers Jane Carter (Paula Patton) and Brandt (Jeremy Renner). After a covert mission goes bad and the IMF are implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, Ethan and his new team are forced to go rogue to clear their organization's name.

I can understand the decision to go back to the tried and trusted formula of the Mission Impossible films. With the exception of MI:2, they are great rides, and judging by the trailer for Ghost Protocol it look as if Tom Cruise is back onto winning ways as the action seems bigger, as do the stunts. Again, the majority of stunts Cruise did himself. With Ethan Hunt’s team having to go underground, it appears as if Ethan Hunt has got a bit of Jack Bauer about him and being a huge 24 fan, this can only be a good thing. I think the decision to hire director Brad Bird who has previously only directed animation is risky, but considering JJ Abrams is still producing it appears that if you are a fan of the franchise, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol will not let it’s audience down and hopefully be a small step in a return to stardom for Tom Cruise.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn....give me strength...

(Article i wrote for December's print issue of Groove Korea)

Sun Tzu famously wrote in his classic The Art of War, that "if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle” but “if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles”. This is my justification for choosing to preview the latest installment of the Twilight series ‘Breaking Dawn’, when there are far more interesting films coming to Korea in December such as ‘Tin Tin’ or ‘Sherlock Holmes 2’. The Twilight films are one of my battles. I know they are horrible films. But to explain why and defeat them, I must know them, lest I will be imperiled and lose my good taste in movies. Besides, what kind or critic would I be if I didn’t acknowledge a franchise that has grossed almost $1 billion dollars in the US alone?

We last saw Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson, or R. Patz to the kids) propose to Bella Swan (Kirsten Stewart or K...Stew?) and Breaking Dawn sees them marry and enjoy a Honeymoon in Rio because as we all know, Vampires love hot sunny climates. However, not all is well in the Cullen household as betrayals abound and during a near fatal childbirth, Edward has to succumb to Bella’s wish to make her immortal or risk losing her forever. What should be a joyous moment as they becomes parents to a “remarkable daughter”, only sets off a chain of events that pits them against their enemies, the Volturi which culminates in an all out battle. Much like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, internet rumors are rife as to where Breaking Dawn Part 1 will end and Part 2 will begin.

Now before I continue, I have a confession to make. I actually quite enjoyed the first twilight movie. There, I said it. I liked it so much that I even went to see New Moon. Big mistake, as that had to be one of the worst films I have ever seen and Eclipse was only marginally better. So what can we expect from Breaking Dawn? One thing that is for certain is that a lot of fans are going to be extremely disappointed. The huge talking point is the book’s notorious birth scene, which contains macabre details of vomiting blood, Edward biting through a placenta and bloody corpses. Hardcore fans want these essential details to remain, but Producer Wyck Godfrey has addressed this by saying, "it would be a crime against our audience to go R-rated" which translates to “we want to make more money”. So it appears that if you are a fan of the Twilight saga thus far you are in for a treat, meaning more of the same, but if you were looking for an adult adaptation from page to screen, you’re probably going to want to take comfort in a good book. May I recommend Sun Tzu’s The Art of War? It has gotten me through many a difficult tough time. Watching Breaking Dawn included.