Mission: Impossible – Fallout Review
At A Glance
The ultimate action actor Tom Cruise, plays the ultimate action hero as he returns for the sixth instalment in the Mission: Impossible franchise, Mission: Impossible – Fallout.
By Claire Bueno
“I feel the need, the need for speed,” a famous line of Maverick’s (Tom Cruise) in Top Gun. Well, life has certainly imitated art in Cruise's career. Perhaps we can even say he has been a maverick with the choices that he has made, as we will see in this epic movie.
Christopher McQuarrie, dare I say the man who wrote The Usual Suspects has had a long term collaboration with Cruise including writing Valkyrie, Jack Reacher and Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. He thankfully has returned to write the screenplay and direct Mission: Impossible – Fallout.
Without giving too much away, Hunt’s mission is to collect some radioactive plutonium. Easy right? Wrong! A split second judgement call on Hunt’s part will have severe consequences.
The burden he carries is heavy, and as such Hunt will go on an impossible mission in order to avoid a nuclear disaster, that could put the lives of millions of innocent people at risk.
Hunt will be joined by his trusted companions Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and Benji Dunn, (Simon Pegg) to provide all the futuristic gadgetry.
Ethan Hunt is haunted by his past, there are two females of whom have left their indelible mark. These ladies prove their worth when they are given the opportunity to aid the valorous Hunt.
In Fallout Hunt is reluctantly accompanied by Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) assassin August Walker, played by Henry Cavill. He’s super-man!
For the stakes to really be high, Ethan Hunt needs a worthy adversary, not only for the character, but also have an actor who can hold his own against a Hollywood giant.
Enter Sean Harris playing rogue agent Solomon Lane who heads ‘The Syndicate’ terrorist organisation.
Harris is seriously the ultimate villain, the man played real life child murder Ian Brady for Pete’s sake. You look into Harris’ eyes and there’s this blood curdling blackness, no wonder Cruise was not going to take no for an answer in casting him. Harris is hugely talented.
The shoot went on an eight month hiatus as Cruise recovered from a broken ankle. Yes, we will see one take Tom break his ankle, AND still continue until he heard cut! What a legend!
McQuarrie used this time wisely to rework the script. And as they say everything happens for a reason, and although no one would wish a broken ankle on Mr Cruise, nor anyone for that matter, the investment paid off.
Personally, I can give or take an action movie, though I certainly don’t dislike them. How can you not love a Schwarzenegger or Stallone film? And if I’m honest, I admit to a Statham film being a bit of a guilty pleasure.
But I was totally glued to this movie, each action sequence builds and builds to surpass the last, culminating in a literally death defying helicopter stunt.
I was privileged enough to see the film twice. In the knowledge that Cruise does indeed perform his own stunts, the first time I saw it, I was thinking, nah surely not. Then I found out that yep, he really did perform those stunts. Well hats off, as I wonder how many other people would offer that type of commitment, to ensure an audience are entertained.
Then also take into consideration that Cruise isn’t just jumping out of an aeroplane as himself, he is doing that in character and hitting his marks. I can’t even contemplate the complexity of attaining those shots.
It’s worth noting that if you have the opportunity to see this in IMAX then do. IMAX really does take your experience to the next level.
The filmmakers have certainly exceeded expectation in Mission: Impossible – Fallout. Lord only knows where they can take this story and stunts next. But from what I can see the fans have nothing to fear, as the franchise is in safe hands.
Audiences can be thankful that Cruise chose to accept this script, so we can all sleep at night having been duly entertained, even if our nerves are in tatters!
Mission accomplished!
