Latest news with #Mission:Impossible–RogueNation
Daily Mirror
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Colourful African country home to movie franchises is a £75 return flight away
Dodging a motorbike as it whizzes down a narrow market alleyway is not just a day in the life of an extra on a Bond movie… it's welcome to Morocco. And I was on a speedy special mission myself… a whistlestop tour of three of the most popular destinations for spies and special agents – Tangier, Rabat and Marrakech. All have been film locations for those big budget action thrillers: Spectre (Tangier and Marrakech), Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (Rabat) and Bourne Ultimatum (Tangier). Located in north west Africa, Morocco's Moorish architecture, with its thronged souk alleyways and mystical medinas, conjure up a tantalising backdrop for intrigue and espionage. But that is just one cultural aspect of the country. Tangier may date back more than 2,500 years, but it is very modern too. We arrived at night having flown from Stansted. The palm trees lining the waterfront and the throngs of people out for the night, as we drove to our hotel, made it feel very 'Miami'. We were staying at the Hilton, in the new business district – Tangier City Centre, near the beach. Eager to sample the buzzing nightlife I went for dinner, wine, and live music at the elegant La Table du Marché. The restaurant overlooks the city's marina, which juts out into the Strait of Gibraltar separating Europe and Africa. Our restaurant's menu was also a delicious mix of the two continents. Dishes included seafood linguine and Harira soup – a traditional Moroccan tomato-based soup with chickpeas and lentils served with dates and creme brulee for dessert. Morocco was under French colonial rule from 1912 until 1956, and its foodie legacy is strong. Our hotel breakfast the next morning featured at least 15 different types of olives, and just as many French pastries, cakes, and croissants! For our day in Tangier, we took a trip to Cap Spartel, offering a viewpoint of exactly where the Atlantic and Mediterranean meet. Later we bagged a table at the 100-year-old Cafe Hafa, built on a cliff edge overlooking Gibraltar – the sea views are as sweet as the Moroccan mint tea served here. Famous past customers include Mick Jagger. Our afternoon was spent travelling even further back in time in the medina. The Arabic word for old town, it is encircled by a medieval wall with winding streets, hectic markets and the Kasbah palace and mosque. The entrance to the medina is the Grand Socco – a busy plaza with a central fountain used in Bond films Spectre and The Living Daylights. The next morning, we rented a car to the blue city of Chefchaouen. Located in the Rif Mountains, it is one of the most Instagrammable places in the world, with its azure blue buildings. The city's alpine location means the blue is all the more eye-catching viewed from one of the many cafe top vantage points. Our guide told us the colour was chosen to represent the sparkling Mediterranean, and in the belief it would keep buildings cool in the summer months. Chefchaouen is also becoming an in-demand movie location, but more sweet romcoms than spy outings. In Netflix's romantic drama Lonely Planet, Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth fell in love here. We travelled back to Tangier that evening, and I found myself marvelling at how unexpectedly green Morocco is – enjoying the scenic views through the mountains and rolling hills. Tangier's excellent road and rail connections make it the perfect base to explore much of the country and our hotel was right next to the train station. The next morning a one hour and 20 minute high speed rail journey takes us to Morocco's beautiful capital, Rabat. There is so much to see including the Grand Theatre de Rabat – one of many architectural riches of this serene seaside city. There are also several must-see historic landmarks including the official residence of King Mohammed VI. He lives in Rabat most of the time because, according to our guide, Rabat has the best weather: 'Tangier can get too cold and Marrakech too hot – but Rabat is just right.' On my winter visit, I did find Rabat the most pleasant climate. It helps that the old town is right next to the sea, with the Atlantic breeze blowing in. The medina centres on the picturesque Old Market, a souk with alleys of shops selling Argan oil, jewellery, spices and antiques, ceramics and spices. During our wander, we came across one of the many traditional communal bread ovens, also known as ferranes – where bread is cooked for the local community. The sight is charming but will get tummies rumbling. It was lucky that the Kasbah of the Udayas, a pretty residential area with little shops and food stalls, is situated next to the medina. Here you can pick up mini pastillas – a snack version of the Moroccan classic sweet and savoury chicken and almond pie. Situated on a hill at the mouth of the Bou Regreg river, the Kasbah is also part of Rabat which is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. And it's an important place in popular culture too – Tom Cruise's high-speed chase in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation took place on these steps. On our own thrilling mission – taking in as many sights as our five days in Morocco allowed, the final destination was Marrakech and a stay at the majestic Sofitel Marrakech Palais Imperial and Spa. On our final day, we soaked up the Marrakech souk atmosphere for bargain hunting and ended our day in more languorous European fashion – at Yves Saint-Laurent's home. The Villa Oasis also includes the breathtaking Jardin Majorelle and the Yves Saint-Laurent Museum. The French-Algerian designer had his ashes scattered in the gardens here. It's easy to see why fashion designers and filmmakers are so entranced by Morocco, yet I know I've barely scratched the surface of this gorgeous country. A return is a must.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Feats of the human body behind Tom Cruise's stunts in Mission: Impossible movies
He's leapt from cliffs, clung to planes mid-takeoff and held his breath underwater for as long as professional freedivers. Now, at 62, Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt for one final mission – and he's still doing his own stunts. With Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, the saga reaches its high-stakes finale. But behind the scenes of death-defying spectacles lies a fascinating question: just how far can the human body be pushed – and trained – to pull off the seemingly impossible? And at what cost? In filming the eight Mission: Impossible films, Cruise has suffered a broken ankle, cracked ribs and a torn shoulder. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to consider the capabilities – and limits – of the human body in being able to achieve these awesome heights. How much is it possible to train to achieve the apparently impossible? Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK's latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences. In Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Hunt navigates an underwater vault to recover a stolen ledger. Cruise wanted to film this all in one take and sought help from freediving instructors in order to hold his breath for the required time – over six minutes! The average human can hold their breath for about 30 to 90 seconds. That's without training. Although there's an innate diving reflex built into the human body that allows it to temporarily adapt to immersion underwater. The response is to lower the heart rate and redirect blood to the body's core, essentially enabling it to lower its metabolic demand and preserve the function of the vital organs, like the brain and heart. All well and good, but consider now the need to swim, as well as resist the pressure of the water pressing on the lungs. And also while fighting that desperate urge as a result of rising CO₂ to take a deep breath – which, underwater, would be catastrophic. And if the diver's oxygen levels fall too low, they might black out and lose consciousness. That's why shallow water drowning is a real risk here. That's where freediving training comes into play. With practice, there are several ways you can increase the time you're able to remain underwater. These include mastering breathing techniques to retain the maximum amount of air in the lungs. Sustained practice might also lead to increased oxygen storage capacity in the bloodstream. This process takes months to years to attain and might lengthen the immersion time, on average, to around five minutes. What Cruise managed to achieve was nothing short of exceptional. Mission Impossible films often open with Ethan Hunt working his way up some impossibly sheer building or cliff face with the agility of a mountain goat. He appears to be free climbing without a harness, and at the start of Mission: Impossible 2, clinging on with just one hand. While Cruise used safety wires to secure himself, the climbing was 100% real. Then, of course, how could we forget that scene? The one in the original Mission: Impossible – where he has to suspend all limbs, centimetres from the ground, to prevent himself from setting off the alarms. Although Cruise hasn't revealed his specific training regime for these stunts that I can see – performing any of these actions would require an exceptionally strong back and core. The muscles of our backs keep the spine straight and upright. Some span the space between back and limb, such as latissimus dorsi, or 'lats'. These sheets of muscle, prized by bodybuilders, are also particularly valuable to climbers – allowing you to perform a chin-up, or pull yourself up that rock face. Besides this, many other muscles are needed for extreme climbing – those that enable a strong grip, allow for reaching and 'push offs', and maintain tension and hold. It's no wonder climbing is considered one of the best whole-body workouts. It's no surprise that Cruise is known to have trained extensively for this. To understand even an element of the difficulty he may have faced, you could try adopting that vault heist pose, with your belly in contact with the floor, and see how long you can hold it. I won't tell you how pitiful my own attempt was. Hunt has also escaped a fair few explosions in his time, from a helicopter in the Channel tunnel to a detonating fish tank in Prague. In Mission: Impossible 3, on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, another helicopter launching a missile triggers an explosion that sends Hunt smashing into a car. Again, Cruise did it all himself, for the price of two cracked ribs. Pyrotechnics were used for the explosion, but of course, they couldn't be used to lift Cruise up and deposit him against the car. The solution? A series of wires were used to drag him sideways. Never has the direction 'brace, brace' been so apt. And just so you know, broken or bruised ribs are far from fun. Some describe them as one of the most painful injuries you can experience, since the simple acts of coughing, sneezing and merely breathing exacerbate the pain. But Tom Cruise picks himself up yet again, dusts himself off and gets on with it. His motivation? He has reportedly claimed that he wants the audience to experience what it really feels to be in that moment. And what a good sport he is. This article won't self-destruct in five seconds. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Dan Baumgardt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The Star
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Contradictheory: When Malaysia is cool blue
The new Thunderbolts* movie begins with the lead character stepping off the top of the 679m-tall Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur and falling spectacularly down the side of the building. But perhaps what amazed me more than the stunt itself was that everything in Malaysia looked ... a little blue in the movie. It's been a bit of a trope that Hollywood uses a blue filter to portray countries that are cool or technologically advanced, while yellow is reserved for hot, less-developed places like Mexico or much of Africa. Just 10 years ago, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation gave Malaysia a slight yellowish tinge in the opening sequence. Sure, we were part of a global communications hub to help Ethan Hunt and friends execute a mission in Minsk, Russia. But we still came off as a remote, peripheral outpost far removed from the real action. So is this new blue filter good news for us? Have we gone from being a Third World country to, at the very least, a cool friend of First-Worlders? In the 1930s, South-East Asia was painted as a lush, untamed jungle teeming with wild animals where a white man could prove his mettle and impose order. Frank Buck's 1932 documentary Bring 'Em Back Alive showed audiences wildlife brawls featuring tigers, leopards, pythons, and crocodiles. It was breathlessly described as filmed in the 'deepest and most unreachable depths of the Malayan jungle', although in truth it was shot on the estates of a royal family friendly with the director. With the onset of World War II in the 1940s, Malaya's role shifted from jungle backdrop to contested battleground. The Japanese film Marai No Tora (1943) tells the story of Yutaka Tani, who, under the moniker 'Harimau', became a spy for Japan, robbing rich Chinese landowners and British officers to give to the poor. Somewhere in all that is a Japanese rendition of Terang Bulan , that shares the same melody as Negaraku . Then, in 1949, Spencer Tracy and James Stewart smuggle rubber out of Japanese-occupied Malaya , inspired by a real-life mission: An American newspaper publisher suggested the idea to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who wrote back saying, 'We are already moving in this direction and I hope it will bring some results'. From the 1950s to the 1970s, Malaysia's cinematic role shifted slightly to the aftermath of war, either still fighting the Japanese, battling communists, or inching towards independence. In The 7th Dawn (1964), William Holden and Susannah York engage in firefights with the MCP on rubber plantations by day, and party on the lawns of Carcosa Seri Negara by night. Fast forward to the 1990s, and Malaysia trades fighting wars for the war on drugs. In Police Story 3: Supercop (1992), Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh chase drug lords across borders, while a gangster's wife ends up facing the death penalty for trafficking in Malaysia. In Return To Paradise (1998), Vince Vaughn and Joaquin Phoenix face impossible moral choices after one of them is sentenced to death for drug possession. At this point, you could be forgiven for thinking Malaysia is full of policemen chasing drug smugglers, with mayhem around every corner. But of course, there's a difference between cinematic perception and economic reality. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Malaysia in fact experienced over 7% GDP growth annually. A small acknowledgement of this was seen in Disclosure (1994) starring Michael Douglas and Demi Moore, where a significant plot point involved a CD-ROM factory in Malaysia, and how the Malaysian government would be grateful if it reduced automation and hired more workers (presumably because it would mean more jobs for locals). Then came Entrapment (1999), with Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones pulling off a heist inside the Petronas Twin Towers. At this point, Malaysia had graduated to high-tech, almost First World status, and worthy of thieves in skin-tight suits contorting their bodies between invisible laser beams. From there, the transition was clear. Besides the Mission: Impossible cameo, we are a key location for a cybercrime plot that Chris Hemsworth uncovers in Blackhat (2015), and this year we've graduated to housing a high-tech top secret black ops lab in the Thunderbolts* . This techno vibe isn't accidental. It mirrors Malaysia's rise as a global semiconductor hub, both in manufacturing and as part of the supply chain. The TV show Station Eleven (2021) gets it right by showing how modern KL hotels host tech companies from China whose execs want to make deals with partners from around the world. While all this is just a reflection of what Malaysia looks like to the world, I personally believe that this portrayal influences decisions. In 2024, Malaysia recorded a historic high of RM378.5bil in foreign investments. While analysts will credit data, forecasts, and economic indicators, I can't help but think that Malaysia's slick portrayal on the silver screen helps investors feel positive vibes in their gut as well. It just feels right to invest in a country that looks as technologically progressive as Malaysia. That said, why this shiny, blue-tinged Malaysia on screen? Why not scandals like disappearing planes or corrupt politicians? Well, maybe we're not as bad as we think we are. Most people accept MH370 as a mystery that may never be solved. And in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, Malaysia ranked 57th out of 180 – not great, but better than average. Still, perceptions evolve. In the 2024 InterNations Expat Insider survey, Malaysia dropped from 4th to 22nd as a destination for expats, who cited inconsistent policies and 'a rise in anti-foreigner sentiment'. That's not a great look. Worse, the Standard of Living Index labels Malaysia 'First World economically, Third World socially', pointing to poor performance in human rights, media censorship, and religious freedom. There is a very strong possibility that I'm over analysing this whole thing. Directors use different colour filters to signify different things. And what aspects of a country are focused on also depends on what kinds of movies are fashionable right now. Whatever it is, maybe we should just enjoy this blue period while we can. In his fortnightly column, Contradictheory, mathematician-turned-scriptwriter Dzof Azmi explores the theory that logic is the antithesis of emotion but people need both to make sense of life's vagaries and contradictions. Write to Dzof at lifestyle@ The views expressed here are entirely the writer's own.
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Scotsman
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Every Mission: Impossible film: Here are all 8 of the Tom Cruise action films rated best to worst - including The Final Reckoning
Based on a 1960s television, the first in the Mission: Impossible series was released in 1996 and was the brainchild of Tom Cruise who has starred in and produced every fim. Four of the films in the 'Mission: Impossible' film franchaise. | Contributed Fast-forward to 2025 and the eighth film is about to hit cinemans, with Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning one of the most hotly-anticipated movies of the year. In the interim the series has taken over $4.09 billion at the box office - making it the 17th most profitable frachaise in the history of cinema. The films follow Tom Cruise' special agent Ethan Hunt and his regular battles to save the world with the help of his Impossible Mission Force (IMF) team. The gang have changed over the years, with Ving Rhames the only constant as Luther Stickell. Simon Pegg's character Benji Dunn is the second most loyal/alive Hunt colleague, with six films under his belt. What sets the Mission: Impossible films apart from many other action movies is that they have managed to attract critical-acclaim alongside entertaining audiences - the last film was even nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture. Here's how the eight film shave been viewed by the critics - from best to worst - according to review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. 1 . Mission: Impossible - Fallout The most critically-acclaimed of the series is the sixth instalment, released in 2018. It sees Ethan Hunt attempt to thwart a nuclear attack by a band of terrorists and extremists. Filming was famously delayed when Cruise broke his ankle during a stunt when he lept between buildings. It scores a near-perfect 98 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, thanks to Cruise, director Christopher McQuarrie and Henry Cavill's deliciously dastardly baddie. | Contributed Photo Sales 2 . Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One Part seven of the 'Mission: Impossible' sage also scores 96 per cent on the Tomatometer. Filmed at the same time as the soon-to-be released 'Final Reckoning', 'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One' is one of the most expensive films ever made - with a budget of around $291 million. It sees secret agent Ethan Hunt take on the Entity, a powerful AI that has gone rogue (much like Hunt in many of the M:I films). | Contributed Photo Sales 3 . Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation The fifth 'Mission: Impossible' film is the third most acclaimed film in the series, with a 94 per cent Rotten Tomatoes rating. Released in 2015, 'Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation' sees Ethan Hunt and his team (including Simon Pegg and Rebecca Ferguson) fighting the Syndicate, a shadowy group of rogue (are you starting to see a pattern?) government agents. Sean Harris proves to be a memorable villain. | Contributed Photo Sales 4 . Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol The fourth 'Mission: Impossible' film is also the fourth most well reviewed - 2011's 'Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol'. It proved once again Cruise's amazing ability to garner great reviews with big budget action films and was directed by 'Incredibles' filmmaker Brad Bird in his live action debut. It sees Ethan Hunt's IMF team (that's the Impossible Missions Force, NOT the International Monetary Fund...) shut down after being framed for a bombing of the Kremlin. Can they clear their names? Yes they can. It also scores 94 per cent on the Tomatometer. | Contributed Photo Sales
See - Sada Elbalad
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
"Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning" Will Be Longest in Franchise
Yara Sameh The final 'Mission: Impossible' will be the longest film in the Tom Cruise-lead franchise. A source close to production revealed that 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' will have the longest runtime in the action franchise. The movie is being touted as the final entry in the franchise that began in 1996. 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' will reportedly clock in at 2 hours and 49 minutes. That runtime beats out the last movie – 'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning' – which ran for 2 hours and 42 minutes. Christopher McQuarrie returns to direct after steering 'Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation,' 'Mission: Impossible – Fallout' and 'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.' The eighth installment in the franchise was initially titled 'Dead Reckoning Part Two' but after the box office underperformance of the previous movie, Paramount retitled this movie to 'The Final Reckoning.' The plot of 'The Final Reckoning' is being kept under wraps for the most part but with the big AI-based cliffhanger from 'Dead Reckoning'. Alongside Cruise, the star-studded cast includes Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Henry Czerny, Mariela Garriga, Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, Nick Offerman, Hannah Waddingham, Tramell Tillman, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Charles Parnell, Mark Gatiss, Rolf Saxon, Lucy Tulugarjuk, and Angela Bassett. 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' opens in theaters on May 23. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Lifestyle Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Videos & Features Bouchra Dahlab Crowned Miss Arab World 2025 .. Reem Ganzoury Wins Miss Arab Africa Title (VIDEO) Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple
