'Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning' reminds us Ethan Hunt is a Wisconsin native
Among the many, many, many things going on in "Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning," the eighth movie in the billion-dollar movie franchise that opened in theaters May 23, there's a reminder that the death-defying character played by Tom Cruise is, yes, a Badger.
During a couple of scenes in "Final Reckoning," viewers get a flash of the dossier of Ethan Hunt, the character Tom Cruise has played in the "Mission: Impossible" movies since the big-screen reboot began in 1996.
At the top of the first page visible in Hunt's top-secret file is his place of birth — Madison, Wisconsin.
It's not the first time that Hunt's Wisconsin roots have come up in the "Mission: Impossible" movies, although they haven't been brought up all that often.
In Cruise's first "Mission: Impossible" movie, released in 1996, Hunt is on the run after most of his team is killed. Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny), the head of the IMF, shows him documents from his parents' Wisconsin bank account, showing a huge inflow of money after his father's death and the family farm going into a form of receivership. Kittridge claims the money came from a Czech arms dealer. In the first of many, many, many times, Hunt manages to escape in a showy set-piece scene (this time by shattering a giant aquarium and flooding the restaurant where they're meeting).
To smoke Hunt out, Kittridge stages an arrest — shown live on CNN — of his mother and uncle at a farm outside of Madison, who the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency claims were the kingpins behind a massive drug-manufacturing ring. (After things are all resolved — several chases and explosions later — the Justice Department apologizes to mom and uncle and lets them go.)
The dossier on Hunt's background returns in 2018's "Mission: Impossible — Fallout."
In a rarity for Wisconsin shoutouts in the movies, no cheesehead hats or beer jokes accompany any of these mentions.
In its first weekend in theaters, "Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning" took in $77 million in North America and $204 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Is Tom Cruise character in 'Mission: Impossible' a Badger?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Dr. Sanjay Gupta demonstrates shunt procedure that might treat Billy Joel's neurological disorder
Dr. Sanjay Gupta demonstrates shunt procedure that might treat Billy Joel's neurological disorder Singer-songwriter Billy Joel was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a rare disorder that affects the brain. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta answers a viewer's question about treatment options that can help return cognition and mobility. 02:06 - Source: CNN Vertical Trending Now 16 videos Dr. Sanjay Gupta demonstrates shunt procedure that might treat Billy Joel's neurological disorder Singer-songwriter Billy Joel was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a rare disorder that affects the brain. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta answers a viewer's question about treatment options that can help return cognition and mobility. 02:06 - Source: CNN Should Sean 'Diddy' Combs testify? CNN's Laura Coates speaks with Benjamin Chew, co-lead counsel for Johnny Depp in his defamation trial, about whether Sean "Diddy" Combs should testify in his high stakes criminal trial. 01:55 - Source: CNN SpaceX Starship outperforms previous missions this year Regrouping after two consecutive explosions, SpaceX launched the 9th test flight of Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built. The mission marks the first time the company reused a Super Heavy booster from a previous flight. 01:55 - Source: CNN Two birds found onboard Delta flight A flight from Minneapolis to Madison, Wisconsin, was delayed for about an hour after two birds tried to stow away on a Delta Air Lines flight. 00:44 - Source: CNN Trump pardons reality TV couple Todd and Julie Chrisley President Donald Trump has signed full pardons for imprisoned reality show couple Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were sentenced to lengthy prison terms in 2022 for a conspiracy to defraud banks out of more than $30 million, according to a White House official. CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports. 01:07 - Source: CNN Former 'Diddy' employee describes alleged abuse Former employee for Sean 'Diddy' Combs, Capricorn Clark, took the stand to testify in the federal trial against her long-time boss, seemingly corroborating accounts from witnesses Cassie Ventura and rapper Kid Cudi. Capricorn alleges Combs made threats and carried out acts of violence against her, including forced lie-detector tests Capricorn claims to have been administered by Combs' security guard while she was held. 02:37 - Source: CNN All-American Rejects singer talks house party tour The All-American Rejects lead singer Tyson Ritter joined CNN News Central to talk about his band's house party tour that started as a protest against pricey arena shows. 01:34 - Source: CNN 'Duck Dynasty' star dies at 79 Phil Robertson, patriarch of the reality show 'Duck Dynasty,' has died at 79, according to a family statement. Robertson founded Duck Commander, a business making duck hunting supplies, which later became the center of A&E's hit show. 01:06 - Source: CNN Truck explodes after possible propane leak A home security camera caught the moment when a box truck driving through a residential neighborhood exploded in Addison, Illinois. The driver walked away with only minor injuries, CNN affiliate WLS reports. 00:36 - Source: CNN Teens help rescue family from garage fire CNN's Fredricka Whitfield speaks with Aiden Kane and Tyler Sojda, who helped rescue a family in Marcy, New York from a garage fire after spotting the flames while driving home from junior prom. 01:16 - Source: CNN Where Kermit the Frog's tea meme came from Kermit the Frog tells CNN's Sara Sidner his thoughts on being an infamous part of meme culture. 00:41 - Source: CNN Verdict reached in Paris robbery of Kim Kardashian After a weekslong trial, eight people behind the multimillion-dollar armed robbery of Kim Kardashian in Paris were found guilty. Most of them received prison sentences, portions of which were suspended, but all will walk free due to time already served. 00:43 - Source: CNN Anderson catches up with man sailing around the world Anderson Cooper speaks with Oliver Widger for an update on his viral adventures sailing across the world. Widger quit his job, liquidated his 401(k) and bought a sailboat to see the world with his rescue cat, Phoenix. 01:55 - Source: CNN See moment OceanGate team noticed something wrong Newly released video shows OceanGate founder and CEO Stockton Rush's wife, Wendy Rush, who was working on the communications and tracking team, notice the sound of a 'bang' while monitoring the submersible. The Titan submersible imploded on June 18, 2023, killing all five passengers on board. 00:49 - Source: CNN 'The Points Guy' on the best deals for summer travel Brian Kelly, founder of breaks down the best deals for summer travel and how to make the most of your frequent flyer miles. 01:00 - Source: CNN
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Gorillas once caught by wildlife traffickers are set free in historic reintroduction
Editor's Note: Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolex's Perpetual Planet Initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action. Last October, four female eastern lowland gorillas were airlifted from their home in Kasuhgo, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and released 40 miles (64 kilometers) northeast in Virunga National Park. Less than a year later, they have all successfully integrated into a group of wild gorillas, in what is being hailed as the largest translocation of the subspecies ever. Conservationists hope that its success will not only prevent the local extinction of an isolated population, but provide essential knowledge needed to protect the critically endangered apes in the future. The females – named Isangi, Lulingu, Mapendo and Ndjingala, and aged between 10 and 21 years old – were rescued from the illegal wildlife trade as babies and taken to the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center (GRACE) where they were rehabilitated over a long period of time, learning to forage and socialize as they would in the wild. Deemed ready for release, last fall they were flown to Mount Tshiaberimu – or 'Mountain of the Spirits' – a 1,700-meter (5,577-foot) peak in the northern region of the national park, where they were kept in a fenced enclosure before being released into the wild. The gorilla monitoring team, who expected the transition to take anywhere between several months to several years, were astounded when, in less than two months, they appeared ready to leave the enclosure. 'It happened much quicker than we all anticipated,' says Katie Fawcett, executive and science director for GRACE Gorillas, the NGO leading the rewilding process alongside Virunga National Park and local communities. This was partly down to the allure of a handsome wild silverback called Mwasa, who approached the fence of the enclosure day after day, beating his arms on the ground and grunting to catch the females' attention. It worked: they responded to his calls and even chose to abandon their indoor dens to sleep closer to him along the fence line. Watching on carefully, the monitoring team decided that it was the natural time to let the females join him. 'We really pride ourselves on every decision being gorilla led,' Fawcett tells CNN. 'After three days of attention directed at the magnificent Mwasa … the decision was made: 'let's go for it.' The fence was cut so they could come out.' Since then, to the team's surprise and delight, the four females have quickly settled into life in the wild, adjusting to the colder climate on the mountain's steep hills and a new diet of bamboo shoots and other native plants. While rangers continue to monitor the gorillas' health, collecting non-invasive biological samples and conducting visual assessments, so far the gorillas have shown no clinical signs of stress – in fact, they are looking 'amazing,' says Fawcett, with thick, shiny coats and full bellies. The biggest excitement came in the new year, when Mwasa was spotted mating with Ndjingala, a 16-year-old female, for the first time. Since then, the other three have also been seen mating with him, according to Fawcett. As gorillas have a similar gestation period to humans, the team are eagerly counting down the days to September, but she says they are cautiously optimistic: 'It's probably going to take some time as the female gorillas were on contraception while they were in the sanctuary at GRACE.' A birth would be a huge ray of hope for the whole species. The eastern lowland gorilla, or Grauer's gorilla, is found in the lowland tropical rainforest of eastern DRC and is the largest of the four gorilla subspecies – all of which are endangered. While there have been successful translocations of western lowland gorillas in the past, eastern gorilla releases have had a very poor survival rate, with individuals dying or disappearing within weeks of release, or being so young that they have been unable to survive without a lactating mother. 'What's different about this reintroduction project is not only that it is the largest and we're putting in four females into this group, but also that the decision was made early on not to just throw a baby back into the group, but to rehabilitate it over a long period of time and make sure the gorilla has the social skills and critical survival skills,' says Fawcett. '(We were) trying to mimic that natural behavior of having adult females join a wild group.' The project was also intended to provide a critical genetic boost to the small and isolated population of eight gorillas living on Mount Tshiaberimu. Previous scientific modelling found this population to be non-viable, with some estimating that it would go extinct between 20 and 50 years, unless new females were introduced. 'The tiny gorilla population was doomed but could now be saved by this intervention,' Liz Williamson, a professor at the University of Stirling in the UK specializing in the conservation, ecology and behavior of gorillas, who was not part of the project, said in an email. She added that the situation facing Grauer's gorillas across eastern DRC is 'dire,' but the translocation could bring multiple conservation benefits. Emmanuel de Merode, director of Virunga National Park and a Belgian prince, commended the initiative in a press release: 'This is a huge milestone in efforts to bolster the eastern lowland gorilla population and we are delighted that the gorillas are successfully adapting to the wild.' However, there are huge challenges working within Virunga National Park, which has been the center of armed conflict for decades. Over 200 rangers have been killed in the park since it was created in 1925, and the recent resurgence of the M23 rebel group has escalated matters, with attacks on rangers becoming increasingly common. Mount Tshiaberimu is located within the troubled region. 'Working in this area is not easy,' says Jackson Kabuyaya Mbeke, DRC director for GRACE Gorillas. 'The main thing strategically is to put the community in the middle of everything we do: we recruit caregivers, we recruit educators who are trained at GRACE … and they feel that responsibility of taking care of wildlife.' Brought up in the area himself, he recalls when gorillas were widespread and as a child, he would listen to them calling or beating their chests. 'We grew up in the same habitat, sharing the same resource,' he says. 'Gorillas are our identity, our totem, they are an important source of pride in this area.' Yet, as human populations grow, pressures on gorilla habitat are inevitable, with forest being cleared for agriculture and firewood. During times of conflict, with communities in extreme need, these threats are heightened as some resort to hunting gorillas for their meat. The reintroduction is a huge breakthrough, but it is only the start. 'The real key for gorilla conservation success in this region is forest protection,' says Fawcett. 'We're super excited by this result and how it can help to inform these critically endangered populations, but we need to stop populations reaching that point.'
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Dr. Sanjay Gupta breaks down how doctors might treat Billy Joel's neurological disorder
Singer-songwriter Billy Joel was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a rare disorder that affects the brain. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta answers a viewer's question about treatment options that can help return cognition and mobility.
