“What are you waiting for?” asks Benji (Simon Pegg) who’s tracking Ethan as he chases a terrorist. “I’m jumping out a window!” yells Ethan (Tom Cruise) to Benji through his intercom. “Oh sorry…good luck,” answers back Benji in one of the many harrowing scenes in Mission: Impossible – Fallout, the sixth film of the Mission: Impossible action franchise.
After a mission goes terribly wrong and the IMF team ends up losing plutonium to some terrorists, Ethan and his team receive the green light from their boss, Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin), to hunt the terrorists down and retrieve the plutonium. A hiccup in their plan comes with the CIA’s demand to be let in on the mission. Special Agent/assassin August Walker (Henry Cavill) gets assigned to work with the IMF to get the plutonium back at any cost.
Their one lead is a woman known as the White Widow (Vanessa Kirby) who seems to be brokering deals for the terrorists who are attempting to sell the plutonium. After a few incidents, including a deadly fight in a restroom with an experienced killer, Hunt makes contact with the White Widow posing as ruthless arms dealer John Lark. He discovers the terrorist group known as The Apostles doesn’t want money for the plutonium. Instead they are seeking the release of their old leader, Solomon Lane (Sean Harris).
With thrilling action scenes, jaw-dropping stunts, breathtaking locations, some humor, and a cast that really jells, Mission: Impossible – Fallout is one of the best additions to the action film series. Fallout is a direct sequel to Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, which stands as the best in the franchise, and benefits from the return of the main cast. This includes Rebecca Ferguson as MI6 Agent Ilsa Faust who has great chemistry with Cruise. Michelle Monaghan from Mission: Impossible III also returns as Hunt’s true love and former wife, Julia Meade.
Once again the franchise is able to create original and completely amazing action scenes. Tom Cruise as usual did most of his own stunts in the film and even learned how to fly a helicopter. (Yes, that really is Tom Cruise in the chopper chase and crash showcased in the trailer.) This adds more intensity to the film which is already wall-to wall-action.
The rest of the IMF team cast is back including Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg who now own these characters they’ve created. Cavill is solid as the CIA assassin attached to the mission who doesn’t believe in the IMF’s methods and is willing to do whatever it takes to get the plutonium back.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout is hands-down the best action film of the summer as well as being one of the better action films, period. It has everything a fan of the genre could want from a summer blockbuster.
GRADE: A-
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for violence and intense sequences of action, and for brief strong language
Running Time: 2 hours 27 minutes
Directed By: Christopher McQuarrie
Release Date: July 27, 2018
© 2018 Paramount Pictures)
