Review - Mission Impossible: Fallout

I've been having a rough summer in terms of the cinema. Sure, I've watched some great films at home such as Before Sunrise but in terms of films actually at the cinema, it's been a massive flat line for me. Thank God then, for Tom Cruise and his gang, roaring onto the big screen with Mission Impossible: Fallout, one of the best action films I have seen in years. We'll get to the actual action side in a second but as is custom, I'll break down the plot first. In Fallout, for the first time in the franchise, we carry on from the last film Rogue Nation with many of the big characters being those who've returned from that film. Ethan Hunt is, as ever, pulled into a conspiracy involving three potential nuclear bombs, arms dealers and the CIA looming ever closer over the IMF. In a lot of ways it's your typical Mission Impossible plot with plenty of double crossing, plans that the audience aren't in on and pulling off masks but 22 years after the first film, six films into the franchise, it's impressive how the formula still feels fresh. Essentially, it's a twisty plot, full of surprises which in itself, shouldn't be a surprise.

On the one hand, talking about acting in a movie like this is a little pointless but actually given the amount of physicality every actor puts into every scene, it's something that shouldn't go ignored. Obviously, Tom Cruise is the star and he's the main draw here, putting his life on the line in basically every scene. Whether he's skydiving or driving around Paris or clambering on helicopters, he is genuinely doing all of them and it's exhilarating. Bad news for the rest of the cast though as that means they have no excuses and also have to put everything on the line. All the returning characters are as great as ever, Simon Pegg delivering laughs and a surprisingly good fight scene, Ving Rhames bringing the legacy charm and Rebecca Ferguson riding that fine line between handy ally and femme fatale. Franchise newbie Henry Cavill is just sensational too though. He's another character who rides the line between ally and villain as the CIA agent keeping an eye on Cruise and is a formidable presence on screen, not least because of the moustache that sunk Justice League. Hell, the moment where he reloads his arms deserves to go down as an all time franchise great.

Time to talk action, finally. Now, a lot of the critics have been comparing Fallout to Fury Road and while that could initially lead you to think of the beautiful, bright colour palate of that film, what they actually mean is that there is a dizzying array of practical stunts performed. In the same way that you don't quite believe that Fury Road had guys swinging between cars on massive poles, it remains near unbelievable that it genuinely is Tom Cruise leaping from that plane, zipping between Parisian drivers and clambering around on the outside of a helicopter. That commitment to stunts however means that pretty much every single action scene will leave you with piss palms, right on the edge of your seat and probably forgetting to breathe. In a year when most action scenes are packed with CG and you can't see the action stars as anything other than actors on a green screen set, Mission Impossible: Fallout deserves a goddamn standing ovation for pushing cinematic action to the lengths it does.

I don't know if I can express the joy this film gives me, especially as someone who has been witness to so much cinematic mediocrity this year. The plot crackles with this wonderfully unpredictable energy, the stars commit to every scene and the action is near unparalleled. I saw it with my Dad and brother and they both enjoyed the film enough but if you're as sick of action films right now as I am, it's a treat. Personally, I know I'm going to go see Fallout at least one more time (hopefully at least once in IMAX) and I very easily give it a