After months of anticipation, the latest installment in arguably the best franchise in Hollywood right now is here. Mission: Impossible — Fallout further cements the franchise’s place as the undisputed king of the action genre. Seriously, if you have even a passing interest in action movies, put aside any predispositions you may have towards Tom Cruise the man, or the thought that this is “yet another franchise,” and see this movie. It truly is one of the best action movies ever made. I had unrealistically high expectations for this film, and director Christopher McQuarrie, Tom Cruise and the rest of the production crew for Fallout somehow met them.
However, the film’s story is a little messy and hard to follow. Unlike previous installments, including Rogue Nation, this one did take itself a tad too seriously. That’s not to say there isn’t a significant amount of humor and lighthearted dialogue scattered throughout its lengthy 147-minute runtime, but the tone did seem to be a bit more serious than previous films in the franchise, particularly in the final act. That said, I found myself getting a little emotional during said act, but I will admit I admire this franchise more than most, so in all likelihood most viewers will be bored during these touching moments. They really serve as nothing more than placeholder moments to let the audience take a breath in between the jaw-dropping set pieces.
The action set pieces here are some of the greatest I have ever seen. Tom Cruise shows that he can still bring it at age 56 with ease, and watching him hang from the side of a helicopter or run through the rooftoops of London (open palm running and all) is still nothing short of exhilarating.
Mission: Impossible’s insistence on filming as many of the stunts with practical effects, combined with Tom Cruise actually doing most of the incredible stunts throughout are what make Fallout as good as it is. Cruise actually spent three months learning to fly a helicopter for the film’s breathtaking conclusion, and the cinematography really brings it home. This helicopter chase is one of the most incredible sequences I have ever seen, and while it is the end of a resounding crescendo from director Christopher McQuarrie, there are plenty of other scenes to get your adrenaline pumping. Heck, one of the early sequences features a spectacular one that includes a cameraman doing a HALO jump with Tom Cruise, (which I still can’t believe they did) likely to go down as one of my favorite movie moments of 2018.
On top of the incredible action sequences, the film has a marvelous cast that features a surprisingly diverse cast of core characters. It’s taken six films, but this franchise finally has a strong group of supporting women, led by the return of Ilsa Faust (the role that put Rebecca Ferguson on the map). We also get two great newcomers in White Widow (Vanessa Kirby) and the stern, resolute, and cold-blooded Erica Sloan (Angela Bassett). Also, August Walker (Henry Cavill) is pretty darn good alongside Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and he looks pretty sleek with his mustache too.
Once more, Cruise is worth the price of admission alone. (Yes, he’s not asked to do much in terms of acting here, but he doesn’t need to when he’s riding through Paris on a motorcycle without a helmet, right?) It doesn’t really matter that the story is over-serious and confusing at points. You’re not looking for a meaningful story in a popcorn flick. You’re looking for good ol’-fashioned fun, and there’s plenty of it to be found in Fallout. One of the best films of the year so far, Fallout is a masterfully executed action film, and stands as Exhibit A for why you go to the movies. Don’t miss it!
