Mission: Impossible- Fallout: Film Review

The occasion of having an action movie coming out in the middle of the summer happens to be the right time to release at a time where most would start to lack the attention, for the most part. Mission: Impossible- Fallout, the sixth installment of the long-running action franchise, would be the most exciting movie to give many fans to catch their breath with every exciting moment to occurs. Because once you choose to accept the mission, there’s no way of going back.

What’s the Story?: After a mission goes wrong, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team are on a race against time to get back stolen plutonium for nuclear bombs before they get into the wrong hands.

For me, the Mission: Impossible franchise is the best action franchise we could ever have right now. Each passing film shows that it progressively gets better with a new director to give their style to the film and make it their own. Almost all of them (minus #2) are made action fanatics. And if that’s not enough, writer-director Christopher McQuarrie is the first director to return for more than one installment in the franchise after directing 2015’s Rogue Nation, one of the best films of that year. Of course, the anticipation was there of the summer and the year, but there’s no way Fallout was going to top both climbing the Burj Khalifa and hanging outside of a plane. Though it breaks the tradition for not considering this as the best installment, Mission: Impossible- Fallout is flat-out fun without losing any momentum for a series that started 22-years ago.

You can’t start things off without directing its attention to the incredible action sequences that have taken place throughout here. Just shows that McQuarrie knows how to handle action better than anyone and how cinematographer Rob Hardy was able to capture everything so steadily. Every single action set piece has the adrenaline rush that’s to the expected without making it feel unrealistic. Looking back at the last film, the action presented here makes the action in Rogue Nation look like a kindergarten talent show. As shown in the trailers, there’s a motorcycle chase through Paris, a nerve-racking helicopter chase, a HALO jump sequence. Side note: the stunt work should be acknowledged. To fully enjoy Mission: Impossible- Fallout the best way possible, seeing it in IMAX makes the experience better because the aspect ratio changes for a few scenes to enhance the film even more.

Does anybody need a reason why Cruise is still the greatest and committable action star working today? There’s nobody else who can carry this franchise than him as Ethan Hunt. It’s Tom freakin’ Cruise. You already know that he’s going to perform his own stunts, even though he just turned 56-years-old earlier this month. The most popular character in his entire career, Fallout explores more depths in his mind that made us feel for him to where his past it coming back to him, whether it’s with his ex-wife Julia (Michelle Monaghan) or the last film’s antagonist Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) almost haunting him. Still not impressed? He actually learned to fly helicopters for the scene, and it shows why practical effects are here where it’s at. Even during one incredible foot chase, you can see how he injured his ankle and continued with the scene.

The rest of the characters that’s been in the previous installments are back and better in the likes of Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), respectively. Each movie so far shows that the IMF has terrific teamwork with each other. Benji has really become my favorite supporting character and is the best when the film needs the comic relief to ease the tension. I also liked that Rhames got to do more in this. It was exciting to have Rogue Nation’s breakout star Rebecca Ferguson reprising her role as assassin Ilsa Faust in attempt to confront Ethan about what her struggling motivation throughout this may be.

Henry Cavill (and his gorgeous mustache that has gotten more attention since it wasn’t shaved off for Justice League) stole every scene he’s in making him a terrific new addition to the franchise. As CIA assassin August Walker, he was the perfect opposite Hunt in a lot of scenes who has to tag along with him. In my defense, it’s the best role in his career, by far. One of the best scenes of the year involves this awesome nightclub bathroom fight between Hunt, Walker and this other guy that was brutal, yet amazingly choreographed. And you saw in the trailers where he’s basically reloading his arms was too much to handle. Besides him, I could possibly see the beautiful Vanessa Kirby (The Crown) as the White Widow, a philanthropist and black market arms dealer,  in another movie.

And I never noticed the musical score in the other films, Lorne Balfe’s score grabbed on to me the more it kept playing during the intense moments that reminded me of Han Zimmer. It’s been on my mind so much that I listened to it when I got home.

The story can be viewed as simple with its twist and turns that you didn’t see coming, although I did have one problem with the film along with the previous films in general, and this is that the plot can be hard to understand when thinking about it. Because of that, the story may feel familiar or confusing and could lead to nothing too new. And can sometimes make the pace feel slow when the action takes a rest to have the normal conversations for its 147 minute running time. But at this point, McQuarrie’s script doesn’t matter when you have cool action whenever it happens.

If I were to say three positives attributes to the film, I’ll say smart, action-packed, brilliant. The more I thought about it a day after I saw it, though not perfect, Mission: Impossible- Fallout truly is one of the best movies to come out this year. It’s not one of the best action movies that I’ve seen in a while (Mad Max: Fury Road still takes that spot), but this requires a re-watch when it comes out on Blu-ray later in the Fall. It feels like this, along with the Fast & Furious and John Wick films are the go-to action franchise that will be fun, no matter the circumstances. And as long Cruise is alive, there are gonna be more Mission: Impossible’s to come way further down in the future. Would it be possible for another action movie to come out this year that could easily top what was brought here? We shall see. Bring on a seventh film, please and thank you.

Ranking:

• Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation
• Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol
• Mission: Impossible- Fallout
• Mission: Impossible III
• Mission: Impossible
• Mission: Impossible II

Mission: Impossible- Fallout kicks it up a lot more with another hit on their hands showcasing Cruise’s performance and its steller and intense action proving that this franchise will never phase out. Grade: A-