This publish accommodates spoilers for the “Mission: Unattainable” franchise.
“Mission: Unattainable” has at all times been about tense, shut calls involving audacious stunts. Even Brian De Palma’s eponymous 1996 entry (which embraces a darker, grittier tone whereas kick-starting the franchise) options two nail-biting set items involving a CIA vault and a bullet prepare. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has come a good distance since then, turning into extra reckless within the pursuit of his rules and extra absolute in reaching a way of justice. Hunt may’ve dangled from airplanes and jumped off excessive rises to make each mission, erm, doable, however a key IMF instrument has been utilized by his crew repeatedly to achieve the higher hand throughout difficult conditions. Sure, I am speaking concerning the masks reveals within the “Mission: Unattainable” franchise, which have been employed through the years to absurd, thrilling impact.
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Considered one of my favourite unmasking sequences comes from “Rogue Nation,” wherein Secret Intelligence Service chief Atlee (Simon Burney) and Prime Minister (Tom Hollander) are confronted by CIA director Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin). Lengthy story quick, Hunley warns the duo about Hunt’s intense dedication and expert means to outwit everybody, the place he describes him as “the residing manifestation of future.” Simply as allegiances are questioned and the stakes are heightened, Atlee tranquilizes the Prime Minister and unmasks himself. This unmasking occurs whereas the tense theme music ramps up, proving that Hunt is really fated to be a pressure of nature who can’t be outsmarted.
This sentiment may be put to the take a look at within the upcoming, extremely anticipated “Mission: Unattainable – The Last Reckoning,” which guarantees to evaluate the sum of Hunt’s lifelong decisions. Because the trailers recommend, this franchise finale may even characteristic some cool masks sequences, probably pushing the bounds of what we had beforehand thought doable. However are these intricate, high-tech masks that seem indistinguishable from precise human heads practical or believable?
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The 3D printing know-how used for masks in Mission: Unattainable already exists
The masks in “Mission: Unattainable” clearly signify pleasant film magic, the place intelligent switches between two actors, good prosthetics, and strategic VFX make such an thrilling premise come to life. This does not translate to actuality fairly the identical, so the profitable use of those masks straight hinges on the standard of the masks itself and the consumer’s means to imitate the quirks of the identification they want to impersonate. As you may inform, this introduces a number of moral quandaries, as these strategies are principally relevant in skilled spy work and cyber subterfuge. Per Polygon, consultants agree that our hyper-digital world has made such know-how doable, the place utilizing hyper-realistic masks touched up with prosthetics to rework into another person is way simpler than you assume.
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In “Rogue Nation,” Benji (Simon Pegg) explains the mask-making process to the IMF crew in nice element, which entails 3D printer molds that may assemble a wearable face in a matter of seconds. This precise type of mask-making is just not doable in actuality, however a mixture of fine outdated 3D printing and conventional sculpting can be utilized to attain an identical impact. The method, nevertheless, is far more advanced and time-consuming, as 3D printers can’t churn out silicone molds which might be viable for the missions Hunt and his crew perform for a residing. You may 3D print somebody’s face precisely, however the materials shall be too fragile to be pulled over one’s face or worn at a stretch.
Though a well-crafted silicone masks (together with makeup-enhanced prosthetics) can be utilized to hoodwink one other particular person throughout real-life spy work, know-how has advanced sufficient to warrant a extra digital strategy to identification theft and deception in these fields. Given the nefarious slippery slope this introduces, I am positive somebody like Ethan Hunt — who is able to combat The Entity in “Useless Reckoning” with the whole lot he has acquired — would not approve of AI deepfakes even when it could support the aim of a mission. Furthermore, the masks gimmick solely works in “Mission: Unattainable” as a result of the joy lies within the unmasking, the place Hunt smugly tears off a prosthetic face if you least count on it.
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In any case, to be an undetectable subject agent is to be a grasp of disguise and deception, as Hunt may very well be sporting anybody’s face to slide away unnoticed. Here is hoping that he does it one final time in “The Last Reckoning,” which arrives in theaters on Might 23, 2025.