Burnele V. Powell

MI:FR delivers for the fans of the franchise. It not only brings Part I to a dramatic high-action conclusion, but leaves the audience feeling that if that has to be the last one it was all worth being along for the ride. Of course, that necessarily means that if you are new to the MI “adversity-verse” you might be challenged by all the masquerading, flashbacks, nail-biting countdowns, and the extensive cast. But even if you don’t get it all the first time, don’t despair. Nobody eats a basket of fruit! See it again at the theatre later that week—or just watch when you’re able to stream it at home on your big screen. “You’ll figure it out.”—BVP

I saw this movie during the Christmas holidays, after midnight, probably the first year it played on commercial tv. It was buried in a time slot that could only be justified by an assumption that nobody would want to watch it, but the programing hours had, nevertheless, to be filled. My reaction to it, though, even surprised me. I was bowled over by it—enthralled by the story, caught up in the action, and hooked by so many quotable lines I had to see it again, and again, and again. Over the years I have delighted in the fact that what started out for me as a guilty pleasure has become for cinephiles and just plain movie lovers, alike, a cult classic. And its audience will only continue to grow!