Movie Review Monday: Mission Impossible Fallout
The Mission: Impossible franchise expanded this weekend with its best global opening ever for Mission: Impossible- Fallout. It was written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, who also directed Mission Impossible- Rogue Nation. The film follows Ethan Hunt and his team as they are unwillingly joined by the CIA in tracking down stolen plutonium. The film features Tom Cruise as the infamous Ethan Hunt with Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames returning as his trusted teammates, Benji and Luther. Other returning faces include Rebecca Ferguson, Alec Baldwin, Sean Harris, and Michelle Monaghan. This installment also introduced new characters played by Henry Cavill, Angela Bassett, and Vanessa Kirby.
The film begins with Ethan having strange dreams revolving around Solomon Lane. He awakes and soon finds another mission that he can choose to accept. Picking up with some of the characters and storylines introduced in Rogue Nation, it is revealed that the rest of Solomon Lane’s terrorist group, The Syndicate, has reorganized itself as The Apostles. The Apostles plan to buy three plutonium cores for their latest client and fundamentalist, John Lark. Ethan and his team seek to intercept the plutonium cores, but when the mission goes awry, the CIA insists on intervening with the retrieval of the plutonium. From there, the team faces multiple challenges and familiar faces as they seek to discover Lark and recover the cores.
We managed to fit in two showings of this movie over the weekend, which leads me to confidently proclaim that Mission: Impossible- Fallout is the best film of the franchise. Of course, this should come as no surprise with McQuarrie once again calling the shots. The story is excellently planned out, and it is a nice continuation from the events that transpire in Rogue Nation. They certainly play around with Hunt’s inability to sacrifice the one for millions, and they show how that viewpoint can be leveraged by his enemies. I was happy to see all of our favorite characters return for pivotal roles, and I thought that the new additions to the cast were excellent. Bassett plays the part of a CIA Director convincingly, and Henry Cavill is fairly menacing as the forced ally who everyone understands is an assassin. Also, Vanessa Kirby reminded me of something out of a Bond film with her mix of elegance and underlying danger.
Mission: Impossible- Fallout presents great characters and a compelling story; however, it is the action sequences that truly take this film to new heights. Every action sequence was brilliantly choreographed and executed. From fist fights to car chases, every sequence keeps the audience on the edge of its seat. The franchise has always been associated with clever misdirections and stress-inducing stunts, but this installment takes it to a whole new level. I already knew that Tom Cruise injured his leg, and specifically his ankle, while jumping over a building, but honestly, it’s amazing that this was the only major injury sustained. Cruise’s willingness to film while jumping out of airplanes and piloting helicopters only heightens the quality and enjoyment of the film and confirms his unofficial title as the greatest action star in Hollywood.
It should probably come as no surprise that we would rank Mission: Impossible- Fallout as one of the best films of the summer. With its action sequences, well planned story, beautiful cinematography, and tantalizing score, it is a movie worth watching in theaters. In the midst of all the action, the movie does manage to provide some lighter moments, typically thanks to Simon Pegg, and it provides a wonderfully malicious villain. If you do go see this one at the theater, I suggest skipping out on any snacks or drinks. I can guarantee you will forget completely about them in the midst of nonstop action and many stress-inducing situations. Mission: Impossible- Fallout is one fun ride, and it is easily the must-see watch of the summer.
