Mission: Impossible – Fallout, the sixth entry in the Tom Cruise-led action series, has been one of the most hyped movies in recent memory. And after Infinity War, it’s probably between Fallout and Black Panther for the most hyped movie of the year so far. And boy did it deliver. Fallout is not just the best in the Mission: Impossible series, it’s one of the best movies of 2018 and one of the better action movies since, well, ever.
First and foremost, the action scenes are nothing short of incredible. Everyone knows about the bathroom fight scene, and it more than lived up to its massive expectations. Henry Cavill specifically is a straight up beast throughout the fight. It should go down as an all-time great fight scene.
The chase scenes are also stunning. The trailers gave us a few glimpses into the helicopter chase and it’s probably better than you would expect. The more traditional car and foot chases don’t necessarily break the mold, but they’re very well done and, perhaps more importantly, perfectly shot. The cinematography as a whole is beautiful. I can’t recall one single shot that looked off or bad. Cinematographer Rob Hardy’s hard work results in what might be the best looking movie of the year.
When I watch action movies, I tend to be a little more lenient on the acting and overall plot. I want the thrilling fights, stunts, and chases. If the rest is great too, then that’s just the icing on the cake. And with Fallout, they nailed everything. Tom Cruise is predictably great. He continues to set himself apart by performing his own stunts. He even went as far learning to fly a helicopter for the aforementioned helicopter scene. It adds a sense of realism which obviously benefits the end result.
Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg return as Luther and Benji, respectively. They have of course played these roles multiple times now, so they know what they’re doing with these characters. Rebecca Ferguson also returns as Ilsa Faust and she was fantastic. Sean Harris reprises his role as villain Solomon Lane. The character could have used a bit more development, but the actual acting itself was great. It’s Vanessa Kirby though, that might have the best role in the movie. It’s a limited role, but she absolutely crushed it. If I’m remembering correctly, she was not shown in any of the trailers, so I won’t give away any details about her role and character. Just know that her character is simply awesome.
I do have a few smaller complaints which need to be mentioned. From an acting standpoint, Henry Cavill is easily the weak spot. But he’s Henry Cavill; you know what you’re getting when he’s in a movie. He was fine, and his character more or less played to his strengths. Angela Bassett, Alec Baldwin, and Michelle Monaghan delivered good performance, they just weren’t in the movie enough. Bassett especially was short-changed. And I wish Monaghan’s involvement had been kept a secret. I know that might not be realistic, but it would have made for a great surprise for the audience had it not been publicly known going in.
While the plot overall was fine, it still falls into the same category as so many action/spy movies, even others Mission: Impossible series. I didn’t really take any issues with the story, but I just wish they could find a different angle. That being said, if any future MI movies can continue in the mold of Fallout, Rogue Nation, and Ghost Nation (meaning great action, acting, visuals, etc) then this level of plot would be perfectly acceptable.
My biggest issue, however, is really nothing more than nitpicking. Fallout brings back the masks. That alone probably dropped it a point or two. Henry Cavill’s character even has a line questioning the continued use of the masks. I don’t know if this is the exact wording, but it’s something along the lines of “People actually believe this sh*t?” My thoughts exactly. I would love to see the use of the masks get retired, but I realize I might just have to accept it as a fact of life.
Bottom line, Fallout is a phenomenal movie. It’s your standard, fun-time, big-budget action flick. But it is also so much more, that it elevates it above “popcorn flick” status into a great all-around movie. Go see it as soon as you can, and see it in IMAX. This is one where it will be worth the extra cost.
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