Ethan Hunt has been trekking the globe for twelve years now, saving us all from the brink of disaster without us ever knowing. There’s barely a cinemagoer that isn’t familiar with the iconic roof decent that started the Mission Impossible series but the latest instalment, Mission Impossible: Fallout, is arguably the best one yet. Here’s my spoiler-free review of Tom Cruise’s latest blockbuster.
The Jist
After locking up a madman and that madman escapes custody, Hunt takes it on himself to put the man away again. The movie surrounds three plutonium cores, sought after to create three dirty bombs and Hunt’s journey to try and stop their detonation.
That’s a very rough and ready version of the story and I’ll admit right now it doesn’t do it justice. Mission Impossible: Fallout is bloody fast-paced and shoots around the world accordingly – including a very strange stopover in Belfast. I’m half afraid to say anything more because, as I mentioned, this is a spoiler-free review.
Let’s move on.
The Cast
There are two things which make the Mission Impossible franchise pop:
- The action
- The cast
The Cast
Earlier instalments perhaps depended on the action more than the cast, but now the cast steals it for me. As we’re six movies deep, we’ve been getting to know Hunt and his team for quite some time; and now you feel a little attached – the lineup absolutely makes the film. What adds to this is that they’re a bit of craic.
While his pet projects are brilliant and playing Scotty in Star Trek likely top his list of achievements, Simon Pegg is brilliant in Mission Impossible as a reluctant hero. Ving Rhames plays the perfect gentle giant while newcomer Henry Cavill fits the bill to a tee. He’s also inspired what is almost certainly going to be my tache for Movember 2018:
Mission Impossible has never taken itself too seriously, but Fallout walks that line between entertainment and madness closer than ever, but it does so perfectly.
The Action
With that said about the cast, the action has to get the most attention because Mission Impossible: Fallout has to be the most action riddled two and a half hours I’ve ever witnessed and that includes 4DX Jurassic Park!
Are some of the chases over the top? Absolutely. Are some of the escapes beyond belief? Most certainly. Does that matter? Not one bit. There’s something about this franchise that makes you celebrate the ludicrous. Personally, I think that goes all the way back to the descent from above into a secure room while dropping knives and beads of sweat.
I don’t know what it was about this movie but even though bits of it are predictable and crazy, even for a long-standing action series known for being crazy, it was thoroughly enjoyable. Hell, maybe it’s because of those reasons it’s so enjoyable.
There’s also Tom Cruise.
Cruise Control
Everything about Tom Cruise means I should dislike Tom Cruise. Well, there are two solid reasons why I should not like Tom Cruise. The first is obvious; he’s a scientologist. The second is his non-symmetrical teeth. I’m sorry, but I’m going to show you this and now you will not be able to unsee it. Tom Cruise has a middle tooth.
Ok, that’s a pretty crappy reason to not like him, but scientology alone should be legit. Yet, I love him as an actor. It kills me. I loved him in American Made and only recently watched Jerry Maguire; it took me until the credits to realise I was watching a romantic comedy on my own.
In Mission Impossible, he’s electric and there’s simply no doubt the series would have died a long time ago if it wasn’t for the Cruise subplot; he does all his own stunts.
Tom Cruise: Stuntman
I don’t think it’s much of a secret that Cruise does all his own stunts and even broke his ankle leaping from one ceiling to another in London while shooting Missions Impossible: Fallout. This leads to something very weird and adds another layer of entertainment. Every time Cruise is jumping around the place you have to wonder – is he doing that stunt? Is that CGI? He’s hardly doing that, is he?
Well, chances are, he is. And there’s something very entertaining about that. You know what, I think that’s the reason Mission Impossible: Fallout could be the surprise hit amongst audiences this summer. It’s just good old-fashioned entertainment.
The Verdict
Mission Impossible probably never really took itself too seriously, but Fallout has found the perfect balance between serious action and hilarious entertainment. This is arguably the best Mission Impossible movie to date and has found the perfect balance between serious action, ridiculous escapes and funny one-liners. This is two and a half hours of death dodging lunacy. It doesn’t apologise for it and that’s why it’s great.
You’ll laugh, you’ll flinch, you probably won’t cry but you’ll almost certainly leave the cinema happy enough with how you just spent an hour and a half.
Mission Impossible: Fallout Trailer
