(spoiler free)
Reuniting with Christopher McQuarrie, director of ‘Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation’, Tom Cruise is back on the big screen as secret agent Ethan Hunt ready to deliver the next death defying installment of this thrilling franchise. ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ is the sixth installment in the series and a direct sequel to ‘Rogue Nation’. Whilst filming Cruise sustained injuries to his leg and ankle which halted production for eight weeks but would the finished product make this all worth it?
Carrying on from where he left off in ‘Rogue Nation’ McQuarrie clearly wasn’t quite finished with this franchise as he continues his story that he started in said film. As a result ‘Fallout’ is the first real sequel this series has seen. It works well though, giving the characters and narrative a larger scale and making it feel even more like event cinema. The screenplay here takes a little time to really connect all of its drama together though and its mid section does become somewhat convoluted. It moves quickly and requires the attention of its audience, this isn’t just another ‘big dumb action movie’ but one with a plot that moves rapidly and doesn’t wait for stragglers. The story works at its best when all is revealed and all the players have shown their hands making way for the true star of the show, the action!
The ‘Mission: Impossible’ series, and Cruise himself, are renowned for their impressive stunts. ‘Fallout’ showcases both of them at their action best delivering some of the most breath-taking sequences in the genre’s history. Although, I did have a small complaint that I also had with rival genre leader James Bond’s ‘SPECTRE’, in that some of the action scenes were left unscored. The unfolding mayhem is always a joy to watch but the addition of music could have elevated these moments even further! Despite this, the film has countless highlights including an exhilarating foot chase along the rooftops of London which features quite possibly the finest running from the Cruiser, ever. It’s that good. However, it’s the finale which combines a range of different sequences into one action extravaganza which impresses the most providing a truly epic ending to one of the best blockbusters we’ll see this year. It’s truly awesome.
It’s no surprise that Tom Cruise is as reliable as ever as Hunt and continues to demonstrate just what an impressive leading man he is. His dedication to the role is so obvious through his performance making it hard to imagine anyone else ever leading this series of films. Sean Harris reprises his role as the villainous Solomon Lane, and whilst I like the character and his involvement with the Syndicate I just don’t think Harris has the on screen presence to allow Lane to reach his full potential. He’s perfectly serviceable but he gets lost amongst the action and other characters. Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Owen Davian remains the series best villian, who I doubt will ever be topped. Though one cast member who continues to excel is Rebecca Ferguson as the brilliant British agent Ilsa Faust. Her turn in ‘Rogue Nation’ meant she was a must-have for this sequel and her involvement here shows why, consistently enhancing the action and drama throughout. The rest of the returning cast members do their thing to provide the usual entertaining ensemble whilst new recruits Angela Bassett & Henry Cavill inject a healthy dose of freshness into the proceedings with Cavill in particular sure to go down as one of the franchise’s best characters to date, even if for that mustache and nothing else!
So ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ sees the series continue to go from strength to strength in dazzling fashion. The stunts and action featured within are some of the best this genre will ever witness, with the entire finale being a masterclass in itself. The cast pour their all into their roles helping to sell these humongous set pieces and keep audiences entertained inbetween. It’s not perfect, but any issues viewers have will probably iron themselves out with rewatches – of which there should be many! Cruise has certainly set himself a challenge as topping ‘Fallout’ might just be mission impossible indeed!
This review will self destruct in five seconds…
Written by Hamish Calvert
Rating – 8/10
Question: How would you rank the six ‘Mission: Impossible’ movies?
(Leave your answers in the comments section below!)
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