Movie Review: “Mission: Impossible – Fallout”

I think it’s safe to say that the “Mission: Impossible” franchise and its leading man, Tom Cruise, are mutually dependent. Without Tom Cruise and his death-defying stunts, which he does himself a-la Jackie Chan, the franchise would definitely not have the same impact. At the same time, the franchise continues to establish Tom Cruise as a blockbuster star, while many of his other projects have not worked. So, does the latest addition to the franchise continue to cement this relationship as a successful one? Thankfully yes – “Fallout” is one of the best movies in the franchise, and is a perfect example of a summer thrill ride blockbuster.

The plot is nothing more than an excuse to jump from one insane action sequence to the next. That being said, here goes – Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is given a mission to recover nuclear devices before they get into the hands of the Apostles, a terrorist group headed by a mystery man known only as John Lark, who are loyal to Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), the antagonist of the previous movie. After an initial failure, Ethan and his team (Simon Pegg as Benji and Ving Rhames as Luther) must join hands with CIA operative August Walker (Henry Cavill) and go on a globe-trotting mission to recover the devices and save the world. Add into the mix returning characters like MI 6 agent Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) and IMF head Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin), along with new additions like CIA head Erica Sloan (Angela Bassett) and the mysterious White Widow (Vanessa Kirby), and we have the components for a fun, albeit overcrowded ride.

This is probably the first movie in the franchise where you should have watched atleast the last instalment before this to be able to follow the movie, given that there are returning characters whose backstory is important to the proceedings. There are also callbacks to the previous instalments for those who can spot them. But, even if you have not seen any of the previous movies, chances are you will enjoy the ride since it is the breath-taking action sequences that will keep you glued to the edge of your seats. There are a lot of them, each one as exhilarating as the next. Be it grand pieces like the HALO jump, the bike chase in Paris or the climax featuring a helicopter chase in the mountains of New Zealand (standing in for Kashmir); or the more rooted ones like the bathroom fight scene or the foot chase across London’s rooftops, one cannot help but be impressed at the spectacle on offer. I saw the movie in an IMAX screen, and it definitely does add to the impact.

The other actors are more to rally around Cruise, but everyone does their part well. Needless to say though, the star of the show is Tom Cruise, and full credit to him, as he performs each stunt with so much gusto and enthusiasm, it would put much younger actors to shame. His commitment to the scenes is what makes this movie so much fun.

Is “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” too long? Maybe. Is the plot virtually non-existent? Yes. Do some of the action sequences go on for too long? Possibly. But is the movie just a whole lotta fun? Hell yeah!! If you haven’t caught it yet, definitely go ahead and watch it. It is a thrill ride that is sure to entertain.