I’ll admit, my knowledge of the Mission: Impossible film series is a little patchy.
I love the first entry and have watched it countless times since it hit cinema screens in 1996. After this initial offering, things get blurry.
It’s been a while since I watched Mission: Impossible 2 (2000) – possibly since the movie came out on DVD. I saw Mission: Impossible III (2006) at the cinema, but I only vaguely remember it.
I’m not entirely sure I’ve watched Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) – not all of it anyway. I know for sure that I’ve never seen Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015).
To be honest, when a sixth entry was announced, I wasn’t all that fussed. My knowledge of the previous films just wasn’t what it should be (as proved above) and I kind of felt like I could take or leave the series.
However, things all changed when the reviews for this latest instalment, Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) came out and they were all overwhelmingly positive. That was it, my interest was piqued and earlier today I headed to the cinema to see what all the fuss was about.
First and foremost, I really enjoyed Fallout. As expected with an M:I movie, this film was loaded with scenes of Tom Cruise doing seemingly inexplicable things all in the name of entertainment.
I know that not everyone is a Tom Cruise fan, but for me he’s a fantastic action star who really throws himself into a role in the same way that Arnold Schwarzenegger or Dwayne Johnson does. When you watch a Cruise movie you pretty much know what you’re going to get – and what’s the problem with that?
In Fallout, Cruise is on fine form and really commands the screen, even when stood opposite co-star and man mountain, Henry Cavill. Speaking of which, Cavill is superb in this movie – someone give him the Bond gig!
Back to Cruise; for Fallout the actor is given the opportunity to play up his love of throwing himself around the screen, while a decent story unfolds to back everything up. Arguably his best scene is towards the end of the movie when he partakes in an aerial pursuit – although a bathroom brawl earlier in the film also gives Cruise (and Cavill) the opportunity to let loose.
Offering much appreciated back-up is series regulars, Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames. I say much appreciated, as these guys offer both humour and heart and sometimes that’s exactly what a high-octane action movie like this needs.
I may have a few gaps in my M:I knowledge, but that didn’t stop me appreciating the interactions between the long-running team mates or the links this movie made to previous films. These inclusions made me feel like perhaps I have missed out a little with this series and now I really should go back and catch up.
2018 has been a good year for movies and Mission: Impossible – Fallout continues that trend. Super hero films might be the order of the day at present, but there’s still a place for the likes of Ethan Hunt and his IMF team and so long as each entry is this good I can be convinced to sign up for another mission.
Read more:
- What is the best order to watch the Mission: Impossible movies?
- Why wasn’t Jeremy Renner in Mission: Impossible – Fallout?
- Coronavirus halts Mission: Impossible 7
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10 Responses to Review: Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Great review that I totally agree with. It was a fun film that never bored me, and what’s not to love about Tom Cruise still doing as much of the stunt work as he can, and this time getting Henry Cavill in on the action
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And how good was Cavill? I think he’s a great actor, he just needs parts where he can show off his skills. I love him as Superman, but the material he’s been given so far has not been up to standard.
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Couldn’t agree more. He was used brilliantly in MI:F. Although the “twist” was signposted with a wink in the eye. The film was just enough serious when it needed to be, and great fun. MI films always deliver. Restores my faith that there are still film-makers working in Hollywood who can deliver fun blockbuster films that aren’t superhero films.
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Agreed. I LOVE super hero movies, but I do like watching non-super hero movies too. Cinema would be very dull if it only churned out super hero movies. Good old fashioned action movies should always be a thing and this one proved that stunts and a decent story can rival any spandex-wearing hero.
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Especially physical stunts. My only criticism is making it PG13 and not R rated. I thought some of the violence pushed the boundary, as Deadpool and Logan proved there’s box office in R rated films.
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Yeah that’s true. I think it aimed for the same kind of audience as Bond gets and is happy to remain there.
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Yes box office is what drives the MI franchise, and unlike Marvel there are not going to be really young children in the audience, so they can be more extreme. TBF I’ve seen more graphic PG13 films in the past couple of years.
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You hit the nail on the head – box office does drive the M:I series, which is probably why I liked Fallout as much as I did as it felt like it was connecting with past films. It felt like it was there for a reason, rather than just because these films make money.
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I think one of the last things on Tom Cruise’s mind is making money from the franchise, yes it’s a factor, but he so obviously makes these films out of the love of action films and the fact he is essentially playing James Bond. He seems to enjoy purely entertaining the audience with these films. He also gets a kick out of the physicality of the films. It was definitely the right decision to have it connect to the previous film.
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That’s one thing I will say about Cruise – he really understands his audience and his fans. Whenever there is a premier he always makes time to do the red carpet thing and greet the fans that have stood waiting all day to see him. That is what sets him apart from other stars. Plus, as you say, he gets to be an American Bond – who wouldn’t want to do that?
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