Film Review – Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

The words of Henry Cavill’s August Walker have echoed through the trailers and promotional materials for Mission: Impossible – Fallout for a few months now. “How long before a man like that, has had enough?” is this stern verdict on Tom Cruise‘s Ethan Hunt as he continues his across the world escapades to track down and stop the bad guys despite new ones popping up all the time. But such a sentence could be labelled to Cruise himself, the actor – how long can he continue to go “full pelt” before he has enough? Judging by Fallout, not anytime soon.

After five brilliant films, the franchise could be forgiven for taking it easy especially given Cruise’s injury which saw production extend to almost a year with the star having to take a break mid-shoot. But a broken ankle wasn’t going to keep him down – he persevered and with his continuing relationship with writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, has brought to the screen the franchise’s finest hour. All the build-up was focused on the practical effects, doing as much in camera as they (they being the whole cast) could physically muster with even less reliance on CGI than before and what they have accomplished here is absolutely astounding, and not just in terms of scope either, the narrative is bigger and more expansive, raising the stakes sky high with a story akin to Heat or The Dark Knight that sees the action come from the story, rather than the other way around.

Picking one scene from the plethora of glorious set-ups is a impossible mission in itself but rest assured there’s plenty to feast your eyes on that have only been teased in the trailers thus far: helicopter aerobatics, bike chases through Paris, the Halo jump, Henry Cavill’s locked and loaded muscles, these are just some of treats in store in amongst the gloriously over-the-top mayhem that ensures from IMF’s latest threat which sees old foe Soloman Lane (a scraggly bearded Sean Harris) pulling the strings once more as Ethan and co-race to stop him fulling his plans.

There’s so much to praise here but much of it must go to McQuarrie (McQ to his pals) who is our strong conductor, pulling the strings from above as he weaves through the sweaty-palms-inducing madness with the same twisty unpredictability that made The Usual Suspects so memorable. There are shades of Nolan and Mann here but this is undoubtedly McQuarrie’s movie and if he wasn’t considered one of Hollywood’s premium purveyors, he certainly will be after this.

We don’t want to spoil too much here as the experience of watching Fallout with fresh eyes is one of the year’s most magnificent. There are things in here you won’t believe and things in here you may find a little silly but that’s the magic of Mission, its ability to hook you into its grasp and take you on the most electrifying and mesmeric rollercoaster there is. Part Seven cannot come soon enough.

Scott J.Davis | [rating=5]

Action, Thriller |USA, 2018 | 12A | 25th July 2018 (UK) |Paramount Pictures | Dir.Christopher McQuarrie | Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris, Angela Bassett, Alec Baldwin