The world is in constant trouble and movie industry banks on our desire to watch, maybe because reality is hard to believe, is stranger than fiction and humans make the worst fears happen. Our knowledge on what goes on in the world is much dependent on the news and our need for suspense, that doesn’t put ourselves on the line, in the world of bored people, is important motive to do anything. We like to be entertained. World has been on the brink so many times, we are obviously liking it in some demented way and our memory needs to be refreshed, how close our extinction is and how bad things can get. We need to imagine it. It is nevertheless the reality, where we have been and are, on the edge of a lot of catastrophes. Nuclear bombs and threat keeps us on our seats and is planted deep in our minds there the biggest threat of all.

In latest Mission Impossible movie The Final Reckoning (2025) also there is a nuclear bomb threat at the airport. Terrorists having access to plutonium and bombs to kill millions, is still one possible catastrophy lurking, at least it is in our public consciousness an existing possible fear. Nuclear threat from Iran and other Islamist nations is a nightmare to happen. To be an Ethan Hunt- like saviour may not be enough, but hope is what there is when there is 30 seconds left of a bomb exploding. Chaos brings peace, thinks the villain, the bigger the chaos, the greater the peace. This is to think human is compatible to vermin and easily expendible. Rogue Nation (2015) Russia seems to think so in real life.

One question is how much money and special effects one needs to convince humanity, we are on the edge permanently? How close does it have to come for people to understand, what kind of changes we are facing? Jesus-like Ethan Hunt, forever young Tom Cruise chasing a cross-shaped key to stop the madness, putting himself in danger, learning how to do the crazy stunts and running after and away from before it is too late. To get there in time, is the core message in MI-movies. When there isn’t a giant flash of nuclear explosion but a sunrise, there is a sigh of relief. He did it. We are running against time and ourselves.

There is an echo from decades before when nations toyed with nuclear arms, the same echo is in James Bond movies, Russia against the rest of the world, but especially Britain and The United States. Russia is still against the West, as are Islamists and China. All 1900s of making enemies is quite a movie.

The audience gasping and watching clips from afar of terror and war. Again and again. So far as it is afar. Ukranian drones with explosives getting lost from Russia to Finland and the Baltic countries is still unexpected, but it is happening. We do not believe until it happens, any of it, be it global warming or Russia being Russia and us being part of what is happening. We thought we were friends. How did that happen? Part of spy movies is you cannot trust anyone, clearly not. Friends with Russia…how laughable.

Interesting for me as someone who enjoys action and war movies is, how reality and things that have happened, become a movie or inspire blockbusters for the masses and how many there are especially from the perspective of The United States and recent history. Fight between good and evil, saving American lives is like a lie to believe and die for, like in the Jason Bourne sequel. No romance, just pure action trying to solve why some instance wants him dead and why is he so good at hitting back. Trust is scarce. They won’t beat this one man. They, The CIA is crooked, but tries to do the right thing, good intentions turn out to be and do something fucked up always. It is pretty astonishing what.

Mission Impossible was at first a tv-series in 1966-73, which comes to mind as an image of the self-destructive message going in flames and up in smoke in five seconds igniting a series of events on tv.

In movies Ethan Hunt gets sudden messages, assignments he can either accepts or not. At least he has a choice and a team to support the effort. Still it is as if Tom Cruise is saving himself by surving the movies he puts himself through. It is clearly a passion project. We like watching him go through hell and making it.

The machinery of making such massive movies is another world itself and something to survive as a creative thinking species and culture. How will we and our brains cope such corporate factory-like billions making movie making and fast-pace train of images and events, image perfecting that is part of this movie industry busting out what perfection is and means? Absolute perfection is probably the dullest thing on film. Now flaws aren’t part of a perfect world and image. Perfect people also have vast amounts of wealth to spend and make the bubble look impeccable. Actors aren’t imperfect, they save the world and look pretty. Image of a perfect human is without a crack. Is that what makes Mission Impossible so mediocre? Only the action scenes such as Hunt in cold sea water diving to a sunken submarine I found thrilling and the stunts are the essence of Mission Impossible movies. We want to be part of such life, feel the high energy and be able to do the same. Why aren’t we, saving the world?

Oh look, Saddam buying a helicopter.