Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

Written and Directed by Christopher McQuarrie

Starring:

Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt

Henry Cavill as August Walker

Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell

Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn

Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust

Rated PG-13 for violence and intense sequences of action, and for brief strong language

It is very rare for a franchise to improve with each installment. The Mission: Impossible franchise is one of those rarities. It has evolved from the contained action thriller that was the first movie (which is still great on its own). It now has transformed into the white-knuckled, action-packed, heart-pounding spectacle that is Mission: Impossible – Fallout. I believe this latest addition and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) are the best of the franchise, though I can’t decide between the two at the moment. This chapter just may require more viewings for me to make a firm decision.

Once again, we find Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) entangled in a plot to save the world …and his own hide. After a mission gone wrong, he has to try again to recover some missing plutonium. This time, though, Ethan is left with no choice but to endure C.I.A. authority and be overseen by agent August Walker (Henry Cavill), which does not go with the style of the I.M.F. (Impossible Mission Force). Left with no choice, and the clock ticking away, Hunt and his team (Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Rebecca Ferguson) must find the plutonium again before it falls in the wrong hands. I’m glad they brought back Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), because he is by far the best villain of the franchise.

The plot is very simple, but it still provides a series of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. Not that I’m complaining, because I admire films that twist and turn – if it doesn’t go too far, which this one doesn’t. Most action movies rely heavily on action and special effects, so it’s nice to find one with a brain. However, Fallout is very well written and has a solid plot (in addition to the action and special effects we all love).

Cruise seems to enjoy outdoing his stunts from the previous installments.  I am curious, though, how much longer he can continue this one-upmanship because he’s already 56 (not that he looks or acts 56). The HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) jump from a plane, the intense motorcycle chase through the streets of Paris, and the even more intense helicopter chase through snowy mountains are all well executed. With the news of Cruise breaking an ankle while simply jumping from one building to the other (“simply,” I say as if it’s something I do frequently…spoiler alert: it’s not), though, he may want to slow down.

All in all, Mission: Impossible – Fallout is unique as far as summer blockbusters go. It is a very exciting season for me, because of the big-budget films with the impressive CGI coming to the big screen. However, few of my favorite movies each year premiere in summer. Here, we get the hint that it’s a big-budget film, but very little of the budget was used for CGI. The stunts are obviously real, for which I give Cruise kudos. With these elements, I say without hesitation that this film is the best I’ve seen so far this year.

4/4 stars