MovieChat Forums > Mission: Impossible II (2000) Discussion > Freestyle rock climbing

Freestyle rock climbing

posted 8 years ago by nubyan
12 replies | jump to latest

Every time I see this movie and go through watching the rock climbing scene I say to myself..."what a *beep* crock of sh*it!"

I for one love action movies with incredible scenes of imagination, awe and shock. But that scene is just *beep* ridiculous. If Cruise's MI character was some sort of extraterrestrial being or super hero with super hero powers, that entire scene would have been a lot easier to digest...hanging a thousand feet in the air from his fingertips at the edge of a rock. All by himself and with zero climbing gear or safety equipment. Yeah right!

No wonder your wife left you. You're full of sh*it.

[–] yurenchu 8 years ago

Huh? So if Hunt had climbing gear or safety equipment, and it had been less than 1000 feet in the air, then it would have been more believable that he was able to hang on to the edge of a rock by his fingertips? (even though climbing gear & safety equipment make the climber just heavier?)

FYI, hanging on to the edge of a rock by one's fingertips is really a thing that rock climbers do.

- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2558407/Who-needs-ropes-Fearless-free-climber-clutches-fingertips-scale-2-500ft-rock-face-smooth-glass.html
- http://coresites-cdn.factorymedia.com/mpora_new/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/iStock_000045841892_Medium2.jpg
- http://birdymag.ru/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/3climbing.co_.za_.jpg

Oh, and by the way: it's called Mission: Impossible. And the rock climbing stunts were already extensively featured in the movie trailer; it's what drew the audience to the movie theater and made M:I-2 a box office success. So even though those scenes may have been strongly embellished: they simply worked.

______
Joe Satriani - "Always With Me, Always With You"
http://youtu.be/VI57QHL6ge0

[–] ipsofatso 8 years ago

I agree with nubyan. It's not the how but the way he climbs the cliff (at least in the scene before the ultimate fight, which is where I started watching), and the watching of which made me ask "did I miss a scene earlier where he was given some gizmo, ala James Bond, that defies gravity?"

[–] yurenchu 8 years ago

I agree with nubyan. It's not the how but the way he climbs the cliff (at least in the scene before the ultimate fight, which is where I started watching), and the watching of which made me ask "did I miss a scene earlier where he was given some gizmo, ala James Bond, that defies gravity?"

"The scene before the ultimate fight"? Are you talking about the short transitional bit where we see Ethan climbing onto the cliff shore of the Australian island where the villains were meeting? Because that's *not* what nubyan and I are referring to. We were talking about the attention-grabbing Grand Canyon rock climbing scene at the very beginning of the movie (right after the airplane opening scene). If you haven't seen it, how can you comment on it and say that you agree with the OP?

______
Joe Satriani - "Always With Me, Always With You"
http://youtu.be/VI57QHL6ge0

[–] ipsofatso 8 years ago

I remember that opening scene. I believe it looked a little more realistic as it showed him being subject to gravity. That later scene you have to admit is ridiculous--more like the Chinese fliying in one of their "martial arts" films like "Crouching Tiger."

[–] yurenchu 8 years ago

I remember that opening scene. I believe it looked a little more realistic as it showed him being subject to gravity. That later scene you have to admit is ridiculous--more like the Chinese fliying in one of their "martial arts" films like "Crouching Tiger."

Sorry, but I still don't understand what you're getting at. Are you seriously complaining about a short transitional scene where, as far as I can tell, Ethan did nothing spectacular other than just straightforwardly climbing up the cliff shore of that island? I couldn't find a proper clip, but here are a few shots from that scene, between the 00:11:49 and 00:12:00 time marks:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCF5L5x4Dw8&t=11m48s

I see nothing unbelievable, ridiculous or "Crouching Tiger"-like about it. And that and the Grand Canyon scene at the beginning are the only rock climbing scenes in the movie.
______
Joe Satriani - "Always With Me, Always With You"
http://youtu.be/VI57QHL6ge0

[–] ipsofatso 8 years ago

He still looks more like muppet than man going up that cliff. But it's all part of what makes this one of those "it's so bad it's good" movies.

[–] yurenchu 8 years ago

He still looks more like muppet than man going up that cliff. But it's all part of what makes this one of those "it's so bad it's good" movies.

Give it up already. It's clear from the nonsensical arguments in your posts that you haven't even watched the movie.

______
Joe Satriani - "Always With Me, Always With You"
http://youtu.be/VI57QHL6ge0

[–] ipsofatso 8 years ago

I have seen the entire movie--your assumption must comfort you, but even if true how would that not allow criticism of this scene, relating to its verisimillitude? How are my arguments nonsense? Are metaphors difficult for you? I stand by my statement that he looks more like Kermit on strings than an actual man scaling that cliff. You can have your own opinion, but if you need to be making false assumptions to prop it up perhaps that is a sign.

[–] johnmarti59 (2356) 5 years ago

That kind of climbing is insane. And I have no respect for those who do freestyle.

[–] DeckardB26354 (1201) a year ago

I couldn't stop laughing at that opening credits scene! When he jumped across the gap from one part of the cliff to the other and then slid down full weight and all, ending up hanging there with one arm before twisting around and hanging there looking out at the scenic view before him whilst holding on with both arms... I was rolling about on the floor laughing my fucking tits off when that all happened.

And it reminded me again of why I fucking hate John Woo films, he really is a shit director.

[–] bozo_500 (13151) a year ago

The scene was a homage/rip from the opening to Star Trek V (the MI2 writers were star trek writers who worked on TNG and the first two TNG films)

[–] Cognoscente (2664) 5 months ago

No wonder your wife left you. You're full of sh*it.

In Terence Chang's memoir, he wrote: "After the script was developed, the main setting was Sydney, Australia. The reason may be that Tom's wife at the time was Nicole Kidman. The two of them had a home in Sydney and wanted to have a more romantic relationship. In order to save money, the Spanish plot was also filmed in Australia."

The original plan was to have the film take place in Italy.