Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Runtime: 147 Minutes
Ever since I was a young nerd, I have loved spy flicks. James Bond films are some of the very first movies that I can remember from my childhood; the exotic locations, big set piece stunts, and the engaging fight scenes left me enthralled. For a long time, there was not many other places I could turn to find these things—the good spy movie seemed to be relegated to the past. Enter Mission Impossible: Fallout, the sixth film in the Mission Impossible franchise. Before seeing the trailer for Fallout, and in turn writing up a trailer breakdown, I hadn’t seen a Mission Impossible film for years. So, only having seen the first three films, I took it upon myself to do some research on the franchise. Unexpectedly, I saw the later entries into the franchise were positively received, and so I decided to immediately watch Rogue Nation (fifth in the franchise) which to my delight was brilliant. I was left hyped for this next instalment, and Mission Impossible: Fallout delivered.
Following on from the previous instalment, Fallout brings back a variation of The Syndicate, now known as The Apostles, as the big-bad villainous organisation led by a mysterious figure known only as John Lock. The villains are attempting to acquire plutonium balls (so they can build some high-tech nuclear weaponry) and Ethan Hunt’s mission (if he chooses to accept it, of course) is to stop The Apostles from acquiring them. It’s a simple story, with a few twists and turns thrown into the mix, leading up to a climactic showdown—these are all things that you can expect from a Mission Impossible flick at this point. However, Fallout raises the stakes; hard decisions must be made, and Ethan Hunt is ultimately faced with ethical quandaries and impossible decisions. However, where Fallout really shines are in its characters and its action.
Tom Cruise gives a fantastic performance as Ethan Hunt. Here, Hunt feels slightly older, and a bit more worn down, but still ready to halo-jump out of an aeroplane, and upon landing, charm the pants off everyone around him. Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg are as brilliant as ever and bring the comedic relief, but also the emotional centre of the film. Henry Cavill and Rebecca Ferguson, in my eyes, both shone brilliantly. Henry Cavill encapsulated the hammer to Tom Cruise’s scalpel perfectly, and was a highlight of the film. Rebecca Ferguson is a fantastic female lead; her character is an almost perfect fit. Really, any woman that can pull an epic, climatic fight sequence while being seven months pregnant is a badass in my eyes.
The action. Oh, the action. With one of the most brutal and engaging fight scenes that I have seen in years, the stunts and action in Fallout are out of this world. You have your fistfights, shootouts, and helicopter chases—everything you need from a spy flick is there for your viewing pleasure. Tom Cruise is an insane man; diving out of planes, screaming through the streets of Paris helmetless on a motor bike, and flying helicopters through mountains. The man may have a death wish, but my God, it looks awesome on the big screen. The one thing that felt a bit lacking was a heist. There was one, but it’s less ‘impossible’ than a ‘mildly difficult’ venture. Really, it doesn’t detract from the film much at all.
I am not usually super-hyped to see a new film. My fragile expectations have been crushed into tiny, sad, little pieces too many times before now. However, somehow, for this one film, I just couldn’t help it. The little kid in me just wanted it to be awesome. To my great relief, it was. I had so much fun with Mission Impossible: Fallout. If you want some great action, stunts, characters, and an all-around awesome time, go buy a ticket. Me? I’m off to go buy that five-movie Blu-Ray set of the franchise that is waiting for me at JB Hi-Fi.
To read the Mission Impossible: Fallout Trailer Talk, click Here.
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