“The Promise” is one of those films that begins with, “When the world was young…” Whatever its idiosyncrasies, this mythology-regurgitating film does have some qualities. A young girl steals a biscuit from the hands of a fallen soldier on a battlefield. Instantly, one soldier seems to come alive—a child, actually. He takes the bread but offers it back if she promises to…
The mission, should you choose to sit and bear it, involves Ethan Hunt (Cruise), who is now retired from active duty in the IMF (Impossible Mission Force), rescuing a nearly-disavowed agent who has an explosive implanted in her head—not to mention a bad contact lens job implanted in her eye, but nevermind. The character and the general concept are based on the TV series by Bruce Geller, which featured…