Mission: Impossible-- Fallout

Ever since franchise films started hitting the multiplex, I think we would be naïve to believe that they would go away. Once they started, they were here forever. Who would've thought that "Mission: Impossible" '96 would've become the franchise it has become with many films to its name along with this next installment "Mission: Impossible-- Fallout"?

 

The best intentions often come back to haunt you. This story finds Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team, Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin), along with some familiar allies, Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) and Julia Meade-Hunt (Michelle Monaghan), in a race against time after a mission goes awry. With Hunt's nemesis, Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) on the IMF's tail, Hunt must convince the agency that he's not going to go rogue. So he is assigned a partner to keep him in line, August Walker (Henry Cavill) to help him complete the mission. Will he succeed or will the problems only continue?

 

Others to round out the cast are Angela Bassett as Erica Sloan, Vanessa Kirby as White Widow, Wes Bentley as Patrick, Frederick Schmidt as Zola and Kristoffer Joner as Nils Debruuk.

 

This was rivetingly directed by Christopher McQuarrie ("The Way of the Gun" 2000, "Jack Reacher" '12, "Mission: Impossible-- Rogue Nation" '15). As with its predecessor, this was grittily directed, and considering McQuarrie directed the last installment as well, this becomes that much more complimentary. As long as these installments continue to be made, it would behoove Paramount Pictures and Cruise to hire McQuarrie to direct another one. It was also brilliantly written by McQuarrie ("Public Access" '94, "The Usual Suspects" '95, "The Underworld" (TV movie) '97, "The Way of the Gun" 2000, "Valkyrie" '08, "The Tourist" '10, "Jack Reacher" '12, "Jack the Giant Slayer" '13, "Edge of Tomorrow" '14, "Mission: Impossible-- Rogue Nation" '15, "The Mummy" '17) plus TV, based on the TV series created by Bruce Geller. By his very resume, this writer's experience lies with writing as opposed to directing and that experience shined with this screenplay. This was cohesive, tight, and fluid with a story that kept one riveted to their seats. I typically will get fidgety if a film exceeds a 2-hour running time, however this was just shy of 2-1/2 hours and it simply moved right along. Please tell me McQuarrie will write the next installment assuming there will be one. Certainly he and Cruise work well together considering the amount of work they've collaborated on together. The visual effects predominantly created by Double Negative were absolutely seamless, especially in the helicopter scene.

 

This film was a roller coaster ride replete with action, adrenaline and high explosiveness amazingly well written and directed with an ending that you won't see coming all in an IMAX and 3D format to give it that bigger than life look. This is undoubtedly the best film of the franchise. Grab the popcorn; you're gonna love this one! 

 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                        Rated: PG-13                                     147mins.