When an IMF mission ends badly, the world is faced with dire consequences. As Ethan Hunt takes it upon himself to fulfil his original briefing, the CIA begin to question his loyalty and his motives...
There isn’t much left to say about “Mission Impossible: Fallout.” While overall it’s not quite as great of a film as you’ve heard, it rates an A+ when it comes to rousing action. The practical stunts are hair-raising, and it’s far and away the best film in the franchise. You likely do not need any convincing to go see this blockbuster, but I will encourage you to head to the theaters immediately to watch this on the biggest screen possible.
It’s frantic and fun, setting the bar high for mainstream action films. Featuring what are arguably some of the best action sequences in modern cinema history, the movie is also dazzling to look at with its grand scale cinematography. When the clock starts ticking, there’s a thrilling sense of real danger — especially when Tom Cruise himself is dangling from a helicopter. It’s a visual stunner that isn’t burdened with flashy CGI effects, which in itself is refreshing.
Cruise, who famously does most of his own stunts, shows that he’s never too old to be a credible action hero. His Ethan Hunt is flawed, but that only serves to make him more relatable to the rest of us. He’s one of America’s last true movie stars, and he outdoes himself here. The likable supporting players (Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames) are sadly still playing second fiddle, with the exception of Henry Cavill as a tagalong CIA suit.
A perfect film it’s not, but it’s awfully easy to overlook the problems (a textbook story, the draggy length, some nonsensical plot holes, Alec Baldwin‘s distracting and shouty non-performance) because this movie is all about one thing: the thrilling action scenes. There are so many that are so well done it becomes impossible to choose a favorite, although I could watch the motorcycle chase through the streets of Paris and the bloody bathroom fistfight scenes once a week and never tire of the artistry in the stunt work.
And that’s what audiences will flock to see. The plot doesn’t really play a significant factor in the creative (if mostly unbelievable) story, and its twists grow from “wow, that’s cool” to ridiculous eye-rolling whoppers. No true lover of action films will care, because my review of this movie could easily be nothing more than two words: “buckle up.”
