Mission: Impossible - Fallout - Review
Release date (US): July 27th, 2018
Directed By: Christopher McQuarrie
Rating: PG-13
Starring: Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Vanessa Kirby, Alec Baldwin, Henry Cavill, Michelle Monoghan, Sean Harris, Angela Bassett, Wes Bentley
Expectations/Background: Having only seen one film in the franchise many years ago, Mission; Impossible - Ghost Protocol, I was only vaguely familiar with the characters and the premise. Of course, everyone has heard the legendary theme song, and everyone knows Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt (presumably), and the iconic line "Your mission, should you choose to accept it". But honestly, after that, that's about all I knew going into the movie. I didn't remember much from the fourth film in the franchise. I only knew that this film had the same cast of characters from the fifth film, Rogue Nation, which I had heard great things about. What really brought my excitement up a few notches were the trailers. I didn't have much interest in the movie, but once I was sitting down in a theater before a different movie and I saw the trailers, I was absolutely blown away. The way the intrigue was set up, the way the music was integrated so seamlessly into the tone of the trailer and movie, I was hooked. I thought this movie had humongous potential. So, when the opportunity arose, I took the time to go and see the film, hoping for a quality product.
My Thoughts: I'm going to start off by talking about something that I thought was a weakness at first, before quickly turning into a strength. When the movie was starting, being the sixth film in the franchise that I had little to no investment in, I was thoroughly confused. I remained confused for a long period of time, and was beginning to think that I had picked the wrong movie. But this is where this film proved me wrong; the film held my hand just enough so that I had enough exposition and background knowledge to go off of and by the time the credits rolled, I was floored.
There really is no other way to say it; I was floored by the movie. It is one of the best action films that I've seen in a long time and perhaps one of the best films that I've seen this year.
Before diving straight into the positives, which there are a lot of, let me start off with a few negatives. I do agree that this film is not a film banking on Oscar-worthy performances, not in the slightest. That being said, as a critic I do want to point that not all the performances were that strong. Tom Cruise is Tom Cruise; take it or leave it. You either enjoy him or don't. As for me personally, I do enjoy him for what he is doing. The supporting cast, though, comes off a little stale and one note at times. Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames are easily the most charismatic members of the group, and I assume that's because they've been in the franchise long enough to develop their characters. However, Rebecca Ferguson, Alec Baldwin, Angela Bassett, and Henry Cavill in particular are extremely one note. Henry Cavill, whom I've never quite enjoyed in a film before, delivers his dialogue in the same monotone kind of voice that I've gotten bored of so quickly after Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman. His character is complex, which I appreciate greatly, but the way that he plays it is extremely monotone and rather boring in certain points.
Also, in an attempt to hold the audience's hand, there is some heavy-handed exposition, especially at one point in the film. While I greatly appreciated the backstory that was being given, I did think that it could have been done in a more natural, seamless fashion. I think that instead of spewing all this character development out from one character to another, there could have even been some flashbacks or memory scenes that did the same thing effectively.
There is one action scene in particular towards the end that utilizes a dark setting. This is fine, and I think can be done very effectively, if not for the fact that I could hardly see what was going on at that point. It was hard to pick up who was doing what and who was shooting at who, and overall, it was could have used some more lighting.
But let's move on to the things that make this film so special.
Firstly, and I think most importantly, the intrigue. This film actually serves more as a mystery film than an action. It truly keeps you guessing from start to finish, and by the time you have all the pieces put in place is when the film hits another gear and just ramps everything up to 11. I think that's one of the biggest positives that any film can have; I was sitting on the edge of my seat the entire first two acts trying to figure out certain aspects (no spoilers), before the film kicks into the third act.
Speaking of the third act, we need to talk about the third act. While the first two acts spend most of the time trying to set up intrigue, the third act is all payoff, and it's beautiful. It intercuts between a couple of plot-lines that are going on, and while one is clearly more interesting and engaging than the other, you're always captivated. And yes, Tom Cruise is insane, but we know this. The second he starts doing his crazy stunts, you can't help but drop your jaw in awe at the things he (not his stuntman) is doing. It's truly a spectacle to see him do the things he does towards the end of the movie.
The second thing I will commend the film is the pacing. This film is impeccably paced; there isn't a moment where it slows down when it doesn't have to. There are one or two scenes that are a little "slow", yes, but intentionally I believe to set up character motivations and arcs. I think that almost every single scene serves a type of purpose, which is another huge praise towards the film, editors, and director.
Aside from the third act, the other action scenes in the film are also great, save for the aforementioned "dark" scene. They are well choreographed, as well as well-shot. They show off each character's particular skillset and are engaging, gripping, and thrilling. That's really all you can ask for in a film that is labeled as an action movie.
And while the film doesn't quite deliver an emotional "oomph" that you might want from other types of films, it has enough going on already that by the time the movie ends, you feel so emotionally and even physically satisfied.
That's really the highest praise I can give a movie; that when the credits roll, you feel fulfilled. You feel satisfied with the experience that was just delivered to you, and that's exactly what this movie does.
The Music/Score: Bravo. Bravo to Lorne Balfe, who delivers a score that is so reliant on the original Mission: Impossible theme in all the best ways. When you have a theme that is so iconic, captivating, bombastic, and fits in line with the tone of movie so well, my philosophy is to just use it. And use it he did; there are motifs that are just blared over and over again in all the right places, and for me, the score was one of the absolute highlights of the movie. Hands down.
In Conclusion: Is this the best film of the year? Not quite. Is this the best film in the franchise? Also debatable considering that I haven't seen four of the other ones. But what I can tell you is that this is a terrific film all around. It has intrigue, heart, soul, action, thrills, and a great story. Walking out of this film, it's hard not to feel like you got the most out of every single minute of the two and a half hours, and that should tell you enough about the movie.
**DISCLAIMER**: This is a subjective, opinionated, honest article that has, nor should have any affect on your opinion on the given material. As such, my opinion is entitled to change over time and whatever is written here at this given point in time may not and should not be held to me in the future.
