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Mission: Impossible – Fallout Review

July 26, 2018 | Posted by Jeffrey Harris
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT Image Credit: Paramount Pictures
9.5
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Mission: Impossible – Fallout Review  

Directed By: Christopher McQuarrie
Written By: Christopher McQuarrie
Runtime: 147 minutes
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, and brief partial nudity

Tom Cruise – Ethan Hunt
August Walker – Henry Cavill
Rebecca Ferguson – Ilsa Faust
Ving Rhames – Luther Stickwell
Simon Pegg – Benji Dunn
Henry Cavill – August Walker
Sean Harris – Solomon Lane
Vanessa Kirby – White Widow
Angela Bassett – Erica Sloane
Alec Baldwin – Alan Hunley
Michelle Monaghan – Julia Meade
Wes Bentley – Patrick

It’s been 22 years since Tom Cruise starred in the first installment of the cinematic reboot of the Mission: Impossible franchise for Paramount Pictures. The franchise has gone through its fair of directors, ups and down over the years, but it seems to have really found its footing under the oversight of filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie. McQuarrie takes another swing at bat after 2015’s Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, and he’s put together perhaps the most emotional film in the series to date with Mission: Impossible – Fallout.

After the events of Rogue Nation, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his Impossible Mission Force team are still running cleanup on the terrorist group, The Syndicate. While the group’s leader, Solomon Lane (Harris), has been taken off the board, his remaining minions, dubbed the Apostles, are still causing problems. One of Lane’s high-level minions is seeking to bring about nuclear devastation to tear down the world’s current establishment and cull the population.

Meanwhile, Hunt is charged to track down and hunt the chief Apostles leader, a ghost named John Lark. However, due to a recent failure in choosing his team over nuclear material, CIA Director Erica Sloane (Bassett) orders Hunt to work in tandem with her chief attack dog, August Walker (Cavill). Hunt is a righteous individual, but he’s frequently challenged to value the greater good over the few “or even the one.” He’s also forced to face some ghosts from his past.

Reflected in my previous review of Rogue Nation, McQuarrie is an incredibly gifted director. He’s really been the shot of energy the franchise has needed to keep it afloat and running on all cylinders. McQuarrie has a knack for building great suspense, innovative action sequences and exceptional pacing. Fallout is no exception.

Fallout actually builds on the story threads that began in Rogue Nation, while also tying up previously established loose ends from the film series. That includes a previous subplot that was left in a fairly unfinished fashion and the return of a significant character from Ethan Hunt’s past. Those who have seen the trailers or kept up with the production should already know who.

However, this is the first time the franchise has featured a returning villain for a previous movie. Before Fallout, the villains in the films were all one-offs, similar to many James Bond movies. Lane actually makes a welcome return here and actually takes a much more active role than in Rogue Nation. Sean Harris gets to stretch his acting muscles a bit more and take a more physical role in the plot’s ongoing action.

Additionally, McQuarrie takes some different creatively stylistic routes for Fallout; so much so, that Fallout almost comes off as having a different director. This isn’t a bad thing because the stylistic changes are rather refreshing changes of pace. They aren’t necessarily bold and ambitious changes, but they succeed in making sure the audience is paying attention. This comes in the form of digging more into the psychological id of Ethan Hunt.

One particular strength is that for all of Ethan Hunt’s physical and intellectual prowess, McQuarrie isn’t afraid to shy away from Hunt’s vulnerable side. This film does show Hunt in his most vulnerable moments. Not only that, the comedy comes through in the moments where the normally composed and competent Hunt has some hiccups. Showing Hunt exhibiting some foibles is a great way to humanize the character, and McQuarrie does it in a way that previous filmmakers for the franchise have not. One of the more amusing moments is when Hunt climbs into the cockpit of a chopper and has no idea how to pilot it. It seems piloting a chopper is the one thing Ethan Hunt can’t do.

Rebeca Ferguson also makes a welcome return as British agent Ilsa Faust. The relationship and connection between Hunt and Ilsa doesn’t get quite enough development, but Ferguson is great in this role. She has a nice parallel arc to Cruise’s Hunt here, where she is faced with a similarly terrible dilemma.

Obviously, Mission: Impossible is still, for all intents and purposes, the Tom Cruise Show. It’s always humorous when critics or fans boast that the film showcases more of the team. That’s not really the case here. Tom Cruise is still clearly the star, but Ving Rhames’ Luther Stickwell and Simon Pegg’s Benji Dunn get involved quite a bit here. Even Alec Baldwin, who returns as Alan Hunley, gets to play around with the team effort moments. They play their supporting roles well.

Of course, there is Hunt’s government rival, who comes in the form of his CIA counterpart August Walker. Cavill is a decent foil here for Cruise, despite his sometimes shaky accent. This is really the first time there’s been a sort of mirror rival to Hunt in the franchise, and Cavill is an even more intimidating and physical force of nature than Hunt.

Under McQuarrie’s direction, the action for the film series is not losing the stride in its step either. Thanks partially to Cruise’s willingness in performing a lot of his stunts well into his 50s and McQuarrie’s ingenuity, there’s some impressive eye candy here that looked fantastic in the IMAX format. Additionally, McQuarrie tends to favor longer, drawn out takes. As a result, sequences such as the HALO jump unfold in one singular, continuous shot, and the effect comes off great.

While Cruise has failed to find success in building new franchises such as 2017’s lugubrious, The Mummy, there’s certain comfort in knowing he can still return to the role of Ethan Hunt and hit it out of the park. At 56 years old, Cruise isn’t getting any younger, but he’s proven he can only get more seasoned where Ethan Hunt is concerned.

9.5
The final score: review Amazing
The 411
Tom Cruise and writer-director Christopher McQuarrie have proven to be a winning combination for the Mission: Impossible franchise. Fallout is another excellent showing for the franchise that is still going strong after 22 years, and in some ways, continues to get better. Fallout delivers one of the strongest action-packed romps for Ethan Hunt, as well as one of the most emotionally satisfying conclusions. Cruise can be hit and miss of late, but Mission: Impossible is the franchise where his star power still truly shines.
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