Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) review

Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

D&W: Christopher McQuarrie

Based on the tv series Mission: Impossible by Bruce Geller

Cast: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Angela Bassett, Michelle Monaghan, Alec Baldwin

Ethan Hunt, his IMF crew return to the big screen to face one of their biggest threats yet in the sixth installment of the franchise. 

Two years after the event of the previous film - Rogue Nation (2015) - Hunt and his team go after a terrorist group known as The Apostles who have taken three plutonium cores after a botched mission. 

During that mission, Hunt and his team - played by Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, and Simon Pegg respectively again - are trying to pick it up from another person but after a shootout, Rhames is held hostage and Hunt chooses to save him instead of keeping an eye on the plutonium. 

Because of that the team, along with CIA Operative August Walker (Henry Cavill) go after the group. The events involve them dealing with a more-than-eccentric black market dealer (Vanessa Kirby), an old ally (Rebecca Ferguson), and the return of an old foe - anarchist Solomon Lane (Sean Harris). 

I've been a fan of this film series. I remember watching the first film from 1996 directed by Brian De Palma when I was younger and I enjoyed it. Since then I've enjoyed all the other films in their own way, except the second one directed by John Woo. 

Despite my enjoyment of the franchise, I will admit the trailer for this movie didn't hook me in for some reason. 

Then the reviews were coming out and people kept saying it was one of the best action films ever. Having seen it now, I can say that this really is an amazing action flick! Best of all time? Eh, give me time to think on that. But this is an amazing one that should be enjoyed on the big screen. 

Every action scene is amazing in every aspect: choreographed, editing, shooting, and so on. 

You've got a car chase, a motorcycle chase in heavy traffic, a helicopter chase in a snowy mountain range, a foot chase, fist fights, gun fights, nail-biting stunts and so many close calls that if not you're literally on the edge of your seat then I'm not sure what's wrong with you. These are some amazing f**king action sequences!

This GIF kind of summarizes me watching it.

Not only it is amazing from the physical aspect of the stunt and choreography - by the way, there needs to be an Oscar category for this two - but director and writer Christopher McQuarrie does a great job at the classic action plot - the ticking clock.

The stories to these movies have never been the highlights of them. They've always been serviceable for the movie. But in this case, we've got a really good story with a returning villain with a vendetta against him and he basically plans on doing it with nuclear bombs.  

But I do like how they put emphasis on how the IMF team doesn't just put the big picture on top priority. In other words, the needs of the few are just as important as the needs of the many.

Now, like previous entries, there's a lot of double-crossing moments and trickster moments. So, much so that it can get a bit exhausting and take away a bit the suspense. But that's a minor complaint.

The only other major complaint I have is that there are moments where Tom Cruise's ego takes over a bit - he has produced all these movies. Mainly, in the way of characters going, "Ethan just cares so f**king much about people. He's just so caring damn it! Look at how caring he is about lives of others! PRAISE CRUISE... er, I mean Hunt."

But thankfully it's not as bad as it was with the second film. And I do have to give credit to Cruise for doing his own stunts, and there are stunts in the movie that are on the same level as Jackie Chan's most dangerous stunts.

Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope!

Also, I'd like to talk more about Cavill's character but that would go into spoiler territory about the plot and I'd rather you see it and experience it.

I will say there are clever hints about his identity that I just now picked up on and Cavill's does a pretty good job.

This and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015, dir. Guy Ritchie) feature my favorite performances from him. Maybe he should do more movies based on 60s spy shows. 

With the other characters, of course, there's great chemistry between Cruise, Pegg, Rhames, and Ferguson. 

Ferguson gets to really shine and I'd love to see her in more films. I can't remember where but someone called the breakout star of this film and I certainly hope so. 

I also like how Pegg's gets to show off his action chops. Normally in this kind of film, his character probably would've just been at a computer in a safe location speaking to the lead through an earpiece. But as seen in Hot Fuzz (2007, dir. Edgar Wright), Pegg is more than capable of doing action scenes. 

All in all, I'm not sure if I'd rank this as one of the best action films of all time right now, but it's certainly an amazing film to watch on the big screen. 

RATING: 4/5

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