Mission: Impossible – Fallout Review: Nobody Does It Better Than The Last Action Hero (NON-SPOILERS)

Mission: Impossible – Fallout is one of those movies that needs to be seen to be believed. A nearly flawless spy film, perhaps the best in the genre, M:I – Fallout combines nearly endless action sequences — that all raise the bar to an almost impossible level for all following action films — with a twisty story and a style more akin to an art movie like Drive than your typical Blockbuster.

That’s not to say M:I – Fallout has the slow and measured pace of Drive. Quite the opposite in fact, as the film is a nearly endless stream of one action sequence after another with a few scenes of dialogue and more silence than one expects. Writer/director Christopher McQuarrie is at the top of his game after the so-so Jack Reacher films and more importantly, the also very excellent Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, using techniques in editing and sound design to elevate the film above that of an average “summer popcorn movie.”

Fallout finds Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), officially back on good terms with the IMF (Impossible Mission Force, in case you forgot), on a mission to stop “The Apostles,” the remnants of Soloman Lane’s (Seam Harris) Syndicate or “Rogue Nation” from the previous film. After Lane’s capture two years ago, the CIA has been slowly taking out members of the syndicate, but the remaining Apostles are looking to purchase three orbs of plutonium for three nuclear bombs. Leading them is the mysterious John Lark, who Hunt and his team must stop from purchasing the plutonium to carry out his insane manifesto. After Hunt chooses to save a teammate over capturing the plutonium, the CIA takes the case with director Erica Sloan (Angela Basset) assigning  Agent August Walker (Henry Cavill and his wonderful mustache) to keep an eye on Hunt and help capture Lark. One mission leads directly into another, spiraling into one of the most epic, emotional, and satisfying finales in recent Blockbuster memory.

The last two Mission: Impossible films have focused on Hunt’s IMF team without support, or on their own altogether. Fallout brilliantly balances this recent direction for the franchise, with a lot of characters saying, “I’ll figure it out” when improvising is needed or after the team does go rogue (as Hunt and Co are want to do), while not forgetting the cool set-ups where Hunt and his team are actually a step ahead, at times, more akin to the first few films. In this way, it feels original enough compared to Rogue Nation, while using the same villain and involving nuclear weapons for the second time in the franchise.

The plot is Topsy-Turvy, and won’t make much sense until all the reveals in the third act. Just follow along, the finale pays off every element from the film, as well as some loose ends from other films in the franchise. In fact, there is quite a bit of retconning/revisiting story moments from past films, tying the franchise from five different directors and even more writers into a neat little six-film package that jives. That being said, hopefully this is not the last Mission: Impossible film, because if it is, we will never again see a film like it, as only Cruise can deliver an action scene so real… because it was real.

If anything, Fallout has the most effective and tense action put to film. McQuarrie has a golden opportunity to use the last great action actor, Tom Cruise, obviously, who does not only his own stunts, but insane stunts that would be done in a computer these days instead of even using a stuntman.  Previously, all my favorite action films were from the 80s like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Lethal Weapon, but having the power of a computer to fill in the blanks or heighten real extreme stunts, like doing a HALO jump, spiraling a helicopter towards the ground, or falling a ridiculous height, makes this perhaps the height of the action genre. You can’t just use stunt work these days, legally for many situations, but the balance is perfect, producing the best action scenes build around stunt work you’ve seen since Mad Max: Fury Road. Fallout is a game-changer, but also possibly the last film of its kind.

I obviously recommend the biggest screen you can find, and if you like 3D I’m sure it is breathtaking. Our press screening wasn’t large format or widescreen, but I was literally on the edge of my seat for most of the film, to the point I was sore after the movie. I nearly freaked out during the HALO jump sequence, as it is far scarier than climbing the largest building in the world or hanging onto an airplane. I don’t want to undersell any other action scene, but the HALO jump, and a few other scenes, are unlike anything you have ever watched on the big screen. This, combined with an amazing score by Lorne Balfe that takes the classic theme to a new level, makes the film so fucking epic I can’t get over it, days later.

McQuarrie also uses all the staples of the franchise, without relying too much on masks or other classic over-the-top tech. Like in Rogue Nation, he continues to subvert classic moments and the genre in general. A better action film you could not ask for, as it doesn’t exist.

Before I wrap this up, I’d be remiss not to mention the cast. Tom Cruise is obviously the last great action hero. Ving Rhames as Luther finally gets the screen time he has deserved since Ghost Protocol, and Simon Pegg as Benji continues to be one of the best characters in the six-film franchise, even as he too does more action and less comedy. Rebecca Ferguson returns as the fascinating Isla Faust, and of course, Sean Harris is back to terrorize Hunt, landing him a spot among the best spy movie villains of all time. Angela Basset is always a winner, and Henry Cavill’s mustache is worth ruining Justice League’s visuals. That man can act, and really kick-ass, without CGI.

I can’t heap enough praise on this film, or get across how important it is to see on the big screen. Even if you don’t care for Mission: Impossible, if you want to see the best action on the market today, you need to see Mission: Impossible – Fallout. Just don’t have a heart attack! Or fall out of your seat!

Grade: A+

Will you be checking out Mission: Impossible – Fallout when it comes out this Friday, July 27? Let me know your thoughts down below!

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