You have used all your credits for this month. Please add more credits to continue.

by

Tom Cruise is well-known for performing his own death-defying stunts, particularly within the Mission: Impossible series. However, a professional in this field has raised some doubts about one of his most famous stunts. Although he had been involved in significant stunts previously, like free solo climbing in Mission: Impossible II, it was during 2011’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol that he truly began to push the envelope.

In the fourth film of the Mission: Impossible series, Tom Cruise performed an unforgettable stunt, scaling the exterior of the Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building located in Dubai. Despite being thrilling, action-packed, and highly enjoyable, a former CIA device inventor decided to scrutinize this moment and debate its realism.

CIA Gadget-Maker Calls Burj Khalifa Scene “Great Theater” But Not Too Realistic

Her Issues Were More With The Plan Itself

In 2021, Dawn Meyerriecks stepped down from her role as head of science and technology at the CIA. Essentially, she’s like the real-life Q character from the James Bond movies, responsible for creating and deploying gadgets used by agents in the field. Given her expertise, she’s an excellent person to critique the authenticity of action scenes in movies, such as Mission: Impossible, leaving viewers wondering if those daring stunts are feasible in reality. Meyerriecks can provide insight into whether these scenarios could actually occur.

In her latest analysis, Meyerriecks studied the crucial scene in “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” to evaluate how realistic it would be if carried out by the CIA. The findings were somewhat inconclusive as Tom Cruise and the production team got some details right but overall, the sequence’s premise seemed questionable.

This scene is humorous because it’s as if someone might wonder, “What if someone looks out the window?” If such an action were necessary, wouldn’t it be on cleaning day for the windows? In other words, there must be a reason for him to be outside the window. Performing this in broad daylight with advanced technology seems odd, like, “Why couldn’t you just disguise him as the local janitor and sneak him into this place instead?” It’s entertaining theater, but it doesn’t align with our thoughts on infiltrating a closed facility subtly.

As a movie critic, I found myself utterly captivated during the scene where Tom Cruise’s character, Ethan Hunt, grappled with a technological mishap – his gloves malfunctioning at a crucial moment. This hiccup forced him to adapt on the fly, demonstrating an extraordinary level of resourcefulness that truly set the stage alight.

Occasionally, technology can let us down. It’s great that he has an alternative plan since that’s the whole point of rehearsing missions for high-pressure situations like this. Instead of brainstorming solutions to potential problems during a crisis, it’s better to discuss them beforehand – “if this happens, what would be your next steps?” This way, they won’t have to figure it out on the spot. A principle we follow is KISS – ‘Keep It Simple Stupid,’ which means we aim to keep technology as straightforward as possible. We don’t think case officers are simple-minded; rather, the more intricate you make tech, the higher the chance of something going awry. I’d rate it a 4/10 because the front end is impressive, but the back end requires serious improvements – we’d prefer to explore other methods for such tasks instead of having him hanging from a building in broad daylight.

What This Means For Mission: Impossible

It Kind Of Captures What Works About The Series

In some film franchises, discovering that what you see on the big screen isn’t as realistic as you might think could be a letdown. But when it comes to Mission: Impossible, while Ethan Hunt’s actions seem plausible, the plot often involves him doing things that are almost impossible. Despite Dawn Meyerriecks’ accurate analysis of the Burj Khalifa scene, it still fits seamlessly within the film.

In the movie, as everyone watched, it was clear that what was unfolding was like a stage performance, keeping viewers on the brink of their seats. Although some parts leading up to this moment seemed slightly out of place, we’re all aware that Tom Cruise was the one performing these stunts in real life. Even though we know he eventually made it through unscathed, there’s still an undeniable tension that adds to the overall excitement. The fact that Mission: Impossible doesn’t always adhere strictly to reality is part of its charm and what makes it such a thrilling experience.

Read More

2025-05-30 22:49