Mission: Impossible—Fallout (2018)

Movie Info

If it’s Mission: Impossible, there has to be a motorcycle chase…

Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) is captured, but his followers the Apostles still pose a threat to the world. When Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), and Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) lose a supply of plutonium on an IMF mission, Hunt must go after the plutonium saddled with a CIA agent named August Walker (Henry Cavill). The clock is ticking and the only chance at stopping the Apostles’ plans for nuclear attacks could be giving up the one thing they want most…Solomon Lane!

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, Mission: Impossible—Fallout is the sixth film in the Mission: Impossible franchise and is a direct sequel to the 2015 film Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation. The film was well received by critics and had a strong box office performance.

I have enjoyed the Mission: Impossible films and with the exception of Mission: Impossible II, I think they’ve all been pretty strong. The “M:I” movies, Bourne, and Bond feel like the premiere action franchises now…but Mission: Impossible has the lead. The series continues to truck on despite the aging cast and attempts to outdo themselves, the series remains entertaining.

Lovely day for Second Fiddle 1 & 2 to go for a boat ride

The story for the film is typical Mission: Impossible. The IMF is under fire and not trusted and in a race against time, Hunt and his team must prove their loyalty and capture the “bad guys” before it is too late (this is a bit repetitive). This film is the first film to bring back a villain in Solomon Lane which gives it a bit of a Bond feel. The only problem with the film is that the tricks are similar to the other Mission: Impossible films and the path seems obvious with the real villain being just who you expect.

I like the cast and it is amazing to consider that Cruise is in his fifties while sprinting building to building and facing danger (performing most of his own stunts the film hit a delay when he broke an ankle in the London scene). Henry Cavill and his mustache which some claimed “ruined” Justice League (honestly, I thought the FX were ok and complaints were overdone) is solid as the newbie. The film also introduces Angela Bassett at the CIA and is more heavily focused on Ving Rhames who has played more of a backseat in some of the recent adventures…and Rebecca Ferguson returns as her MI6 agent Ilsa Faust which does add some fun to the script. I am still waiting for Wolf Blitzer to officially join the team however.

Are you talking about my mustache again?!?!

The movie also works because it does what an action movie should do. It has big explosions and exotic locations. The movie spends a lot of time in London and Paris with elaborate chase scenes (not topping Ronin’s Paris chase however). The action is high and as a result the stakes seem high.

Many people felt that this was the best Mission: Impossible entry. Even though I did enjoy the film, I can’t endorse that. Mission: Impossible—Fallout has all the thrills of a big blockbuster summer picture but doesn’t quite live up to the last few films. With the big box office and continued interest from Tom Cruise, I feel there will be more missions that they choose to accept!

Related Links:

Mission:  Impossible (1996)

Mission:  Impossible 2 (2000)

Mission:  Impossible 3 (2006)

Mission:  Impossible—Ghost Protocol (2011)

Mission:  Impossible—Rogue Nation (2015)