Another Impossible Mission, this time involving the hunt for a deadly virus. Tom Cruise will star, along with Ving Rhames, Thandie Newton, Brendan Gleeson, Dougray Scott, John Polson, Rade Serbedzija and Richard Roxburgh. Anthony Hopkins will play Cruise’s new boss. Michael Tolkin and David Marconi have written the script. John Woo will direct.
There’s never a feeling of jeopardy, despite the entire world being at stake. Nor do any of the action sequences spur much excitement, mostly due to poor editing. As soon as a stunt starts looking interesting, the film cuts away. Director John Woo’s signature touches are all over this film, but this is a hamstrung version of his best works. The movie is good for its minimal escapism, but little more.
Woody Allen directs and stars in this comedy about a group of dimwitted thieves trying to rob a bank. Michael Rappaport, Hugh Grant, Tracy Ullman, Elaine May and Jon Lovitz also star.
Capsule Review: One of Woody Allen’s better comedies of recent years, Small Time Crooks foregoes the traditional angst, and concentrates on the laughs. Elaine May far and away steals her scenes, but the entire cast is memorable. It’s not deep, but it’s funny!