Evaluation of Melissa's Analysis of 'Mission Impossible 2'

 Cruise's character says the famous quote in Jerry Maguire: 'SHOW ME THE MONEY!' Well, M:I Two definitely provided that for Tom Cruise at the box office!

Tom Cruise's annual paycheque, the 'Mission Impossible' films are brilliant examples of popcorn fodder, providing mindless action that epitomises the stereotypical Hollywood action-thriller, making millions at the box office. Centring on CIA agent, Ethan Hunt, the films are globetrotting, Bond-esque epics, that have elements of crime, espionage as well as comic relief from Simon Pegg's character. Melissa has gone into greater detail of the opening of the Mission Impossible sequel, providing an engaging analysis of the openings use of sound, editing, camera techniques as well as mise-en-scene. The opening (the clip of this can be found below) has been analysed in the following passage:-

*I do not own this footage*

''What is Mission Impossible 2 about?
Mission Impossible two, is about a secret agent, Ethan hunt (played by Tom Cruise) who is sent to Sydney, to find and destroy a genetically modified disease called ''Chimera'' This film is an Action-Thriller, and is very fast paced and action filled with the conventions of a thriller also included.

Mise-En-Scene
Mission Impossible 2 is firstly set in a desert, this conveys loneliness and isolation of the character, however it could imply that the character is peaceful and relaxed. The bright sun reflecting on the mountains and a bit of his neck indicates the sun setting and a beautiful view which the viewer can't see, this could be foreshadowing for the events to come, and connote that the viewer will be seeing the opposite to good, this is reinforced by positioning 'Ethan Hunt' in the shadow, implying that he isn't aware of the events to come yet. Him being the only one in the shot so far connotes that he is the protagonist. The titles then begin to show and bright colours of orange, red and white give the effect of the viewer thinking of explosions and fire. 

Sound
There is a combination of diegetic sounds and non-diegetic sounds. When the opening sequence starts, you can hear a person speaking, and in the background, you can hear non-diegetic sound coming in. You can hear the wind blowing quietly and then the music gets louder and fast-paced. This creates excitement for the audience. When the sound from the titles has stopped and it changes scene, some traditional spanish music comes in and helps the viewer understand where the scene is shot.

Editing
As there is only one character presented in the opening sequence, Ethan Hunt gets a lot of screen time and from this the viewer can infer that they will be the protagonist. At the beginning of this, the shots are slow-paced, but increases as the title animation plays and it changes to fast-paced, this gives the viewer an idea of the pace of the film and what it will be like.

Camera Techniques
The opening title sequence starts with a mid-shot of the protagonists face and gives the reader an idea of the setting and the character, it slowly zooms into his face revealing him expressionless and uninterested in what the person speaking is saying. It then cuts to an extreme close-up, and we see his glasses, which give the viewer curiosity as they can't see his face. The camera then zooms back out from the side of his face to a close up and it then pans around to reveal him and his surroundings. This gives the audience an initial idea of the film and how it may turn out.

Overall, I think this opening title sequence is good and engages the viewer, although there isn't much to say about the animation of the titles and explosions as it doesn't last for that long. However they are shown for long enough that you can read it and the use of Mise-En-Scene, Editing, Sound and Camera techniques all help give this title sequence mystery and make the audience want to watch on.''

As you can see, following a brief synopsis of the film, Melissa has gone into great detail regarding the opening, creating a large and comprehensive analysis of the opening. For instance, she discusses the mise-en-scene of the opening, and how the prevalence and centralisation of Cruises' character denotes his role as protagonist. Moreover, Melissa suggests the interpretations of the clip, such as the isolation of Hunt connoting his sense of isolation, the barren landscape a reflection of his internal thoughts and emotions. As well as this, Melissa suggests how the non-diegetic soundtrack adds to the intensity and excitement of the clip running parallel to the high-octane action on screen; also, the thematic Spanish music helps to provide context for the following scene. Melissa then moves on to editing, and how the prominence of Ethan Hunt hints at his relevance within the film, as well as suggesting he is a lone warrior. Also, the sharp editing of the opening titles connotes the pace of the action of the film and reflects the violent nature of the film. Finally, Melissa suggests how camera techniques help to define the characters locations, as well as facial expressions and body language. The use of intense close-ups heighten the tension within the film. Overall, Melissa's depth gives an insight into the effectiveness of swift editing as well as intense music and camera angles.