Score: A
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
Starring Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, et. al.
Running time: 147 minutes
Rated PG-13
Long Story Short: The sixth Mission Impossible is aptly named, dealing with consequences from the previous film's plot. Yet in important ways it's also a rebirth of the franchise - and even the genre - in its emphasis on and spectacular execution of its action sequences. Tom Cruise seems to put his very soul into this one, as the two and a half hours race by in a glorious rush of adrenaline. Must see.
From a safe house in Belfast, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) receives his latest mission: to stop the sale of three nuclear weapons to a terrorist group. The mission does not go as planned for Hunt and his team, and the race is on to locate the weapons before it's too late. To prevent a repeat of the episode the CIA assigns one of its own agents, Walker (Cavill), to accompany Hunt's team. The group finds a contact with information, but which demands them to spring Solomon Lane, an ex-spy turned rogue, from French custody. Hunt feels the pressure of the ticking bombs, but struggles with what to do about the dangerous Lane - all while a traitor lurks in the shadows, intent on ruining the mission.
The cast of Fallout mostly consists of familiar franchise faces, but several new intriguing roles are added to the mix. Tom Cruise returns as lead action hero Ethan Hunt, and impressively he seems more game than ever to throw everything he's got at the role. Hunt - IMO - has never had the distinct persona of British rival 007, though he does get a bit more personal story here than usual. What really matters is the physical performance, and Cruise lifts the bar yet again here. If there are any signs of mortality (or aging) in his action scenes, it is only to heighten the jaw-dropping displays. Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg return as Hunt's sidekicks: the tough, wise veteran and the sarcastic tech expert, respectively. They know just where they fit in, and their presences are crucial yet leave the spotlight to Hunt and other more plot-decisive roles. One of those is Rebecca Ferguson's Ilsa, a British spy returning from the previous film. Her part and performance are superb, affectionate yet not romantic with Hunt, his equal in the spy game (perhaps even more clever) and perfectly natural. Cavill is interesting as CIA agent Walker, certainly more nuanced than his Superman. He quickly forms a rivalry with Hunt, and he's at once an odd, frictious yet handy new member of the team. There are a number of smaller roles too, most notably Sean Harris's chilling villain Solomon Lane, and Vanessa Kirby's deceptively nonchalant White Widow.
Mission Impossible - Fallout is a bravura action film; not without its flaws, yet standing out in the important ways like few others. In recent MI films, Cruise has developed a signature of performing one death-defying stunt of an action scene; there's more action in the films than the one scene, of course, but it tends to stand out. In Fallout, nearly every action scene is like this. Normally I don't care much about the special features/"making of", but I certainly want to see this one. Three action sets in particular were just bonkers, ridiculous fun for me: a three-way fist fight between Hunt, Walker and a villain that is as intense as any I can recall; an insanely long and realistic car- and motorcycle chase through Paris; and a finale involving helicopters (I'll leave it at that). What makes these scenes so outstanding is not superhuman feats or slo-mo or other fancy camera work, it's the raw, gritty, practical-stunt nature of it. Surely some CGI was used, but I truly couldn't tell; you feel all the bone-rattling, nerve-jangling, yet (relatively) grounded action as you hold onto the arm rest for dear life. The rest basically doesn't even matter. Yes, it's a bit long, but mostly because all the insane action scenes just keep going (which you want them to). The plot is head-spinning even for an MI film, but the crucial points are clear enough that it doesn't detract from any of the action. Cruise and the filmmakers clearly took a step back when they were planning this one, thinking about how to set it apart. Thankfully, they shunned just going louder and crazier and pulled things mostly back to basics (even the soundtrack seems a bit reined in), and in doing so pushed the genre to new heights.
***
Mission Impossible - Fallout breaks out of the pack in this summer movie season, a great film after a series of good but unremarkable films. For all you can say about how crazy Tom Cruise is and his enormous ego, he is one hell of an action star. There is no "cruising" on reputation - I'm not sure I've seen another actor put more effort or personal risk into an action film. Nearly as important as the effort here is the thought that went into the production. Old franchises and new standalones alike can easily fall victim to inertia and just crank up the intensity one or two notches on what was done before and call it a day. Fallout brought something special again to the moviegoing experience, and we can only hope all studios, filmmakers and performers take note. Highly recommended for all.
By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56464804
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