Review of Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) by Thequietgamer — 30 Dec 2018

Immaculately crafted with a charming cast and spectacular stunts, this is everything you could ask for from a traditional spy movie. But it suffers from the same problems that begin to plague every long-running franchise at some point or another. Mainly a lack of danger and a larger history that makes it somewhat inaccessible to newcomers. I mean, are the IMF ever not going to save the day? I think not.

We already know that Hunt and his crew are going to be okay so there's no real urgency. Luckily, the people behind the movie knew this and took a more sentimental approach that celebrates the characters and their relationships with one another. It's surprisingly effective, but only if you've been keeping up with the series over the years. Naturally this won't have any impact on those popping in for the first time to see for themselves why this is being heralded by so many as "one of the greatest action movies ever made." A praise I find to be a little overzealous.

The set-pieces are gorgeously shot, I don't have words to describe how clean the choreography for the fist-fight and shootouts is, and it's crazy to think Cruise performed all these stunts himself. That being said, I found nothing here that was able to top anything from Rogue Nation. How do you beat a guy hanging on side of a plane after all?

The plot is your standard collection of spy movie cliches, only dialed up to 11. There are more twists, double crosses, and hidden agendas than I would have ever thought could be fit into a single movie. And, big surprise, the new characters are the ones you can't trust. Because of how melodramatic all of that seems, Fallout is at it's best when it's focusing on the action at hand. Mostly because it's a lot of fun to watch Cruise and Cavill make a mess out of what should have been smooth operations. These are some of the most buffoonish spies you'll ever meet. Not only is luck almost never on their side, but they do a great job of regularly screwing themselves over in humorous ways.

Main character Ethan Hunt is by far the most compelling part of the package. The way he analyzes every move he makes to ensure that his friends and civilians aren't harmed all while being riddled with guilt over past actions is endearing. I loved how the film explored his selfless motivations and sacrifices all while being backed up by a wonderfully layered performance its star. This is coming from someone who's not a Tom Cruise fan.

Henry Cavill makes a better villain than he ever has a hero, but is still vocally stiff. His monotone delivery of lines is at odds with his wonderfully expressive face. Those looks of condescension are pure gold.

Mission Impossible is still perfectly capable of delivering a steady supply of thrills, but at the same time has become dreadfully familiar. As a result it's hard to care about the needlessly complex and somewhat melodramatic quest for plutonium even with the added emotional edge that comes from the returning characters and thoughtful exploration of its lead. This might be the best put together in the series, but it falls just short of its most direct predecessor in terms of unforgettable moments. None this is to say I didn't enjoy the movie. It can be very exciting. I just think that it, and the spy genre as a whole, could use a bit of reinvention to make things feel fresh again because the predictability is only getting more noticeable with each passing release.