Mission: Impossible (1996)

An American agent, under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organization. (IMDb)

The bounty of slick dialogue (delivered well by the solid cast) and the brooding, twist-filled espionage plot make it a little hard to follow at points (see the double mole-reveal near the end) but give the film a certain class and timelessness that mask its dated effects and on-screen technology, and elevate it above other 90s action flicks (though the action of the CIA heist was certainly a highlight). Tasteful underlying humour (“Relax Luther, it’s much worse than you think”) rounds it out.

7.5/10 (Really Good)

 

Godzilla (1998)

A giant, reptilian monster surfaces, leaving destruction in its wake. To stop the monster (and its babies), an earthworm scientist, his reporter ex-girlfriend, and other unlikely heroes team up to save their city. (IMDb)

It’s classically captivating pre-monster when you’re wondering with fear and awe along with the science/military team what could’ve caused this destruction; this period doesn’t last long, unfortunately, shifting to a barrage of mostly tiresome action sequences that are overcome in no way by the dumb plot (why didn’t they just blow it up with missiles in the first place?), cringe-worthy character work (Pitillo puts in a poor performance), and bland one-liners (“Running would be a good idea!”).

5.5/10 (Poor)