Tom Cruise poses with the torpedo that destroyed his career (Getty Images)

With the super-successful, and actually super, Mission: Impossible–Ghost Protocol (is our punctuation on that okay?), Tom Cruise slunk back into Hollywood’s good graces after a few years in the wilderness with only Kate Holmes-Cruise and a child in full makeup and heels to keep him company. The odd thing about the Mission: Impossible franchise as Mr. Cruise’s path back to legitimacy is quite how much it sidelines its leading man. Each of the films are way more about their given director’s obsessions and styles, and about an array of gadgetry, than about the dubious charisma of the star.

As it was with Ghost Protocol, so it is with No Subtitle: the first installment, playing tonight on Bravo (ooookay!) is way more about Brian De Palma than it is about Tom Cruise. Until the final set piece, the star barely even gets into any “action” in the Hollywood “protagonist gets to fight antagonist” sense! He just wears masks and watches aquariums explode and talks to Vanessa Redgrave about international security and betrayal and stuff, which is action all its own. Highly recommended!

Set your DVR for Bravo at 9pm.

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