When the World's at Risk, a Team of Agents Will Risk it All

From left: Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Tom Cruise,
and Ving Rhames in "Mission: Impossible - Fallout"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

The "Mission: Impossible" film series, which is based on the hit ‘60s/‘70s television show by Bruce Geller, has to be commended for retaining most of its quality for over two decades, with the first movie being released in 1996.  While the second film wasn't as good as the first, each film after that was better than the last.  What has helped the series endure is the five films being helmed by different directors, going from Brian De Palma to John Woo to J.J. Abrams to Brad Bird to Christopher McQuarrie.  This constant change of hands has allowed the series to stay fresh and experiment with different visions.  

The latest and sixth installment, "Mission: Impossible - Fallout," has McQuarrie behind the camera once again, which makes this the first time that a director has returned to the franchise.  Despite this series benefitting from having different filmmakers for each installment, I have to admit that it's exciting to have McQuarrie come back, seeing as he directed by favorite film in the series, "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation," which is the previous installment.  Now, he brings the series to a new peak with its next outing.  

Two years after the events of “Rogue Nation,” IMF (Impossible Missions Force) agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team are tasked with finding stolen plutonium, all while being overseen by CIA agent August Walker (Henry Cavill) after a mission goes wrong.

Cruise continues to impress with his flawless, death-defying stunt work.  The way in which he puts himself in constant danger to perfect these bold acts shows the commitment that he still holds for his character, even after all of these years.  While he’s proven himself to be more than a big-budget-blockbuster star on several occasions, that aspect of his career is as strong as it’s ever been, with him displaying boundless energy from scene to scene.  Aside from this, he also accomplishes displaying Ethan's deeper emotions when his character has to make tough decisions concerning the safety of those to whom he’s close, which provides an adequate source of drama in between the action.

In the tradition of the “Mission: Impossible” films, Cruise is backed up by a talented supporting cast, and there’s a strong chemistry amongst everyone who's involved.  Among these supporting performers are Cavill; Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg as Ethan's fellow IMF agents; Rebecca Ferguson as a former MI6 agent, who was a standout new addition in “Rogue Nation”; Sean Harris (another cast member returning from "Rogue Nation"), as the main antagonist; and Vanessa Kirby as an arms dealer.

Although McQuarrie’s screenplay takes the “nuclear weapons” route that we’ve seen in other movies of this kind, he makes up for that by populating the story with exciting set-pieces, twists and turns, memorable characters (a newer one even has a neat connection to a one-off character from a previous film), and some emotional depth in the relationship between Ethan and his ex-wife, Julia (Michelle Monaghan).  With these factors going into the story, McQuarrie succeeds in making the most out of the film’s nearly two-and-a-half-hour runtime, the longest of any “Mission: Impossible” film.  And, believe me, even with that runtime, the film goes by in a flash.

While none of the former installments have been direct sequels to each other, "Fallout" acts as a sequel to "Rogue Nation," so even if you haven't seen any of the "Mission: Impossible" films, you should at least watch "Rogue Nation" before seeing “Fallout."

With McQuarrie having provided some of the series' best scenes in "Rogue Nation," such as the white-knuckle opera house sequence in Vienna and the thrilling motorcycle chase through Casablanca, I couldn't wait to see the sequences that he would deliver for “Fallout,” and he doesn’t let you down.  With the help of cinematography by Rob Hardy (who provided excellent work for Alex Garland’s “Annihilation” back in February) and editing by Eddie Hamilton (who worked on “Rogue Nation”), we’re given several memorable sequences, such as a HALO jump into Paris, which is shot in a terrific long lake; a car/motorcycle chase throughout Paris; and a helicopter chase throughout the mountains of Kashmir.  All of this goes to show that the “Mission: Impossible” series will never leave you wanting for stunning action, as it always succeeds in making your heart race and absorbing you in the daringness of the characters.  Although it’s always exciting to have a different director for each film, I wouldn’t mind having McQuarrie return for a seventh installment, if one were to happen.

Given how movie franchises tend to be content with churning out their sequels as quickly as possible, it’s great to know that the “Mission: Impossible” series doesn't rush when it comes to releasing each film, as the number of years between releases range from as low as three to as high as six.  This shows that the filmmakers and studio want to give themselves enough time to craft a movie that will offer you a great time at the theater.  

These films are impossible to resist, and if the series stays on the upward trajectory that it's been experiencing, I don't expect that sentiment to change anytime soon.

Grade: A-