Mission: Impossible – Fallout is blockbuster heaven

In Mission Impossible Fallout, Tom Cruise raises the bar, giving his audience high-octane stunts but has this lengthy franchise run out of steam? The answer is absolutely not!

Tom Cruise has been doing this franchise for over two decades and shows no signs of slowing down. With his latest effort in the Mission: Impossible franchise, Cruise, and returning director Christopher McQuarrie take the old series and reinstate the emotional core of its central character– Ethan Hunt.

Yes, this film is a stunt-filled thrill ride from start-to-finish but more so, Mission: Impossible – Fallout is a dissection of a man who puts the weight of society’s survival on his shoulders. The longterm cost of giving a sh-t about the world and putting the people who you love second in place of being a hero.

The film takes place not long after the events of Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. After the capture of Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), a group of terrorist called The Apostles aim to get their hands on plutonium cores. In an attempt to get the plutonium before The Apostles, Ethan gets his crew together to do an arms deal but before the exchange can go smoothly, the cores are stolen after an unlikely ambush.

In the scene, we see the first real glimpses of Ethan’s internal conflicts as a person. He is forced to choose between saving a life or running after the plutonium. The choice he makes is the beginning of the complexity that is explored about Ethan and his internal battle with duty versus empathy.

The decision leads to a consequence which results in newcomer Erica Sloane (Angela Bassett)–the director of the CIA– to hire Special Activities operative August Walker (Henry Cavill) to be Ethan Hunt’s babysitter for the next mission. Thus ensues a barrage of stunts and hand-to-hand fights that will make one wonder why these two actors are just now working together. The tension between these guys is just magical.

In all seriousness though, Henry Cavill is one of the most surprising aspects of Mission: Impossible – Fallout showing that the man truly has the acting range beyond just the cape. There are fight sequences that spotlight what a force he can be on screen with the right director.

Just like with any Mission: Impossible film there are boundless stunts that put Tom Cruise in jaw-dropping scenarios that make one question his sanity. This film certainly elevates the bar sky-high with him jumping out of planes, over rooftops, as well as climbing aboard flying helicopters. There are moments where the viewer will lean back in their seat just to avoid falling into the screen.

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The way the action is shot and captured is easily one of the best things to hit the cinematic canvas since The Dark Knight. One of the greatest qualities of Chris Nolan’s work is how much he strives to incorporate as much practical action as possible. Director Christopher McQuarrie channels those same spirits and captures something wildly inventive visually that we have not seen before. As of 2018, there’s no one doing practical visual effects action like McQuarrie.

Beyond the action though, the detail McQuarrie tapped into this time around is something incredibly unexpected. He reached inside the adrenaline pumped body of this franchise and found the beating heart we always knew was there. This entire film is an extended metaphor not just about Ethan Hunt but maybe even Tom Cruise himself. At this stage of the franchise, we as the viewer begin to see him ponder the weight of his choices for the people around him. We begin to see that the risks he has taken have made even his own colleagues question his motives.

What results is a surprising character study about a man who has spent his career sacrificing a normal life for the thrill of saving humanity. Here, he no longer possesses a thrill for the job but a yearning to actually protect what little he has left. This very well could be a meta-commentary on the life and career of Tom Cruise. That said, the decision to pursue this side of the character makes this one of the most emotionally satisfying entries in the franchise to date.

To top it all off, the film is completed by one of the best scores in the series ever. I was not familiar with Lorne Balfe until now but this composer truly enhanced the drama within this movie. The only complaint I may have is some of the score felt too much like Hans Zimmer’s work in The Dark Knight,  especially during one of the chase scenes. This being said, the music in this movie really brought out some powerful moments in the film, while amplifying the mindset of Ethan Hunt.

Overall thoughts

Mission: Impossible – Fallout is the best blockbuster of the year so far. It may even be the best film in the franchise. It’s hard to believe that’s even possible after six films but it’s really that good. It’s a rare event to get such an emotionally satisfying blockbuster from Hollywood that really strips down its characters. Christopher McQuarrie delivered the most balanced action film in years and I seriously cannot wait to run out and see it again. There’s no one in Hollywood–outside of Christopher Nolan–who is making action films like this anymore. For that reason alone you should hurry up and see Mission: Impossible – Fallout on the largest screen possible.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout is now in theaters everywhere.