(3.5 / 4)
Fallout has accomplished the impossible as the sixth installment of a franchise spanning 22 years. It is as fun as ever with no sign of running out of steam.
I recall seeing Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol back during December of 2011 in IMAX. I would characterize myself as a casual Mission Impossible fan at best, and attended this showing purely because there was a sneak peek of The Dark Knight Rises attached to it. Much to my surprise, despite being the fourth installment of a franchise spanning 15 years, the film was incredibly engaging and fresh. It was easily one of the most entertaining films of that year. 2015’s Rogue Nation more than maintained the same level of quality and even introduced some fantastic new characters. Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) was particularly noteworthy, as she provided the franchise with a strong female presence, which was a far cry from the premiere film’s tendency to have every female character possess no discernable trait apart from wanting to be romantically entangled with Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise).
This brings us to Fallout, the latest effort from returning director Christopher McQuarrie. As was clear from Rogue Nation, McQuarrie has a clear understanding of what works best with this franchise, and he has thankfully prevented any sort of franchise fatigue from occurring.
Extravagant globe-trotting – Check.
Creative uses of technology that is fantastical yet grounded enough that it’s not too removed from reality – Check.
Daring, breathtaking sequences that feel as though they won’t ever let up – Check!
Fallout delivers tenfold on what one has come to expect from an MI film, leading to a satisfying experience for any fan of the franchise, and is unquestionably one of the best action films of the Summer. As such, this review will focus more on what sets this entry apart from the others rather than just reaffirming what it continues to do well.
Picking up two years after the events of Rogue Nation, it is revealed that despite the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) successfully capturing terrorist mastermind Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), his organization, The Syndicate, is still active. Ethan Hunt is in pursuit of three plutonium cores, but when having to choose between saving his longtime friend Luther (Ving Rhames) or securing the plutonium, Hunt chooses his friend’s life and loses the deadly plutonium to The Syndicate, now rebranded as The Apostles. Through the use of deceptive means, Hunt, Luther, and Benji (Simon Pegg) are able to uncover the location of the plutonium and devise a plan to intercept The Apostles’ next move.
Due to Ethan’s shoddy track record of being unable to put the needs of the many over the needs of the few, CIA Director Erica Sloane (Angela Bassett) insists that her operative August Walker (Henry Cavill) accompany Hunt on this mission to ensure that the objectives are met. Walker and Hunt butt heads throughout the mission, as each has a distinct approach about how to best reach their objective, with Walker being far more headstrong. As a result, the mission gets off to a bumpy start. Upon arriving in Paris, the two encounter MI6 agent Ilsa Faust who also appears to be motivated to put a stop to The Apostles’ plan. As is typical with MI films, the remainder of the story details Hunt and his team attempting to thwart the terrorist organization as allegiances and motives seem to be ever-shifting, and Ethan, as usual, is operating in a manner that seemingly makes him a target for everyone.
Despite being a long-running franchise, each entry has carried over very little from the previous stories, making it possible to enjoy any new entry without having to have seen the others. Fallout breaks away from this trend by being the most sequel-like of the franchise with numerous story threads carrying over from Rogue Nation. This works to the film’s advantage, as the story doesn’t have to spend time developing certain characters, allowing more devotion to the outrageous stunts and breakneck pacing that fans of the series have come to appreciate.
Unlike the other entries, Fallout also touches on some poignant themes of utilitarianism, which have been touched upon in almost every entry but have never been overtly focused on until now. Whether the lives of the many is worth sacrificing the few is a compelling theme that is further brought to life thanks to the fantastic performance Tom Cruise provides. This is possibly Cruise’s strongest performance as Ethan Hunt to date, as he is able to infuse an even greater degree of desperation and heart. He is a man constantly fearing for the worst for his loved ones, as he is fully aware of the lengths Lane is capable of, as he had no qualms holding his friend Benji captive in the last film. Hunt’s sense of empathy is on full display during a scene in which he consoles an innocent bystander that he indirectly put in harm’s way. This dimension is something that is typically overlooked in films of this genre, so it was refreshing to focus on this human element more.
As has been the case for the last few entries, the entire cast is strong, with the chemistry amongst the IMF once again being a highlight, however, Henry Cavill’s Walker character is hit or miss at times. Cavill’s performance is solid, but the character is written frustratingly making him somewhat of a contradiction. While his behavior during his initial interactions with Hunt are comical and amusing, his actions border on idiotic. His bold cavalier attitude doesn’t serve so much as a counterpoint to Hunt as it comes off as though he has no idea what he is doing. From jumping headfirst into a lightning storm to not being subtle when approaching a person of interest, Walker seems almost oafish, not at all like the man to make sure the job is finished no matter what his superior purported him to be. The character does come alive more as the film progresses, and I appreciated the contrast in Walker’s rawer brutish combat style to Hunt’s, but I think he was a bit of a missed opportunity to provide a foil to Hunt that better questioned if his approach to completing missions was the most effective.
Fallout is also distinct from the other entries as being the longest film in the franchise, clocking in at nearly two and a half hours. This works a bit to the film’s detriment in part due to the way the story is structured. After a large reveal it felt as though the film was nearing its conclusion, however, there was in fact another 30 minutes or so before the grand finale. This is a minor issue though, as the film is far from boring with no portion of the film being lackluster, and the finale was probably the strongest section of the story. The structure was simply less economical and succinctly organized when compared to Rogue Nation, which never felt too long.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout continues to demonstrate that the franchise doesn’t appear to be close to stalling. Between the ever-expanding cast and the constant ingenuity in creating new stunts and precarious scenarios to subject Ethan Hunt to, the series seems to be doing the impossible by keeping a 22-year-long franchise from the 90’s remaining stronger than ever.
