Mission: Impossible - Fallout

        Mission: Impossible - Fallout is often considered the best in the franchise. It was my first exposure to the franchise proper since I was curious to watch it. Even though it was the sixth entry, I immediately understood what was happening, to the point that the level of engagement I had was phenomenal. Like, it’s one thing when you’re all in to the movie, but to have it be where there’s the right amount of action set pieces and keeping the story pounding is what I think is the representation of the franchise. 

1. Hunt and Agent Walker

        Let’s get started with this one. It really says something where this one particular entry is ranked highly in my favorite films list. Like, of course only I would get into a series way later, but hey it’s incredibly something to marathon these and to tell y’all just how this franchise elevated itself. I think what sets this one apart, aside from being a direct sequel, is the camaraderie between Ethan and the new agent that’s been tasked with shadowing him. Henry Cavill joins the franchise as Agent Walker, to think that his moustache would be a contributing factor to a change in another franchise, but that’s a talk I already had. 

        We see Ethan as he’s been tipped by the IMF that three plutonium cores have gone missing. The Syndicate from Rogue Nation, now go by The Apostles have continued with the mission to subjugate the world through chaos. I think just the opening moments help set up the film by having it be where it amps up the plot in order for Ethan to track the cores. Just the moment involving Benji in a clever disguise practically set me up that I was going to have a good time with this one. 

        So let’s talk about Cavill’s character. He’s a worthy addition to the cast and he can actually stand up for himself without Cruise having to carry his performance. It seemed like an Odd Couple situation where Ethan is attempting to do his thing while Walker is trying to go another method. And if you saw the movie second time, there’s clues that clearly show just how Walker was meticulously and unintentionally for the casual viewer messing up on Ethan’s accord. Both of them have good chemistry and the fight scene in the Parisian club bathroom is one of the film’s highlights. 

        I should highlight too that the action is probably the franchise’s best just after Rogue Nation. Something about the action set pieces in this one feels even more crazier than the prior entries. There’s no flashy style to it, but the level of stunt work that Cruise goes through is something else. While I’ll elaborate on that, I should highlight the stunts that are used in the film. Much like the last one, this film has two of them. The best one in my opinion is the Halo jump when Hunt and Walker skydive and parachute down to Paris. Even though it has that illusion of being shot in one take, I like how it adds to the excitement as Walker gets zapped and Ethan tries to save from being pavement splat. 

        The side characters do their usual job as Benji and Luther help out Ethan. I was surprised that Jeremy Renner’s Brandt didn’t come back in this one. While his absence was noted, the movie didn’t even mention it. Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa makes a return as she tries to find the mole that is attached to the missing plutonium cores. I like that there’s tension between her and Ethan, since they seemed to hit it off in Rogue Nation. I liked that she was back, but this time she’s on Ethan’s side. 

        This is my first introduction to Vanessa Kirby. She portrays Alanna but is known as the White Widow. She’s in the grey section where she’s not completely bad but is mostly in the neutral realm. Her interaction with Ethan is something akin to a flirt but also that he needs her to get what he needs. And I like that it shows just how Ethan has to maneuver through an arms dealer to get information for the plot to continue. Like, it’s one thing where it’s expected to believe that Hunt just happens to get something, but I like that he’s very procedural with his methods. In a way, he uses the Widow to get the villain from the last movie. And that leads to a great chase in Paris. 

2. The Youthfulness of Tom Cruise

        If there’s one thing that I don’t think I mentioned in the past five entries is that Cruise is on another level when he’s in these movies. Now, I won’t be too rose tinted in my perspective. Although I will highlight just how much he goes through the craft to make these movies be interesting and not too interwoven where you have to watch the prior entries to get an understanding of what’s going on. It’s clear that the main reason we watch the movies is to see him do these death defying stunts. And it’s apparent that he keeps upping the ante as he goes from climbing a massive building, to hanging on to an airplane. 

        With these it’s like a double whammy of him doing a High-Altitude skydiving and piloting a helicopter. But the key thing that doesn’t get address is the age that he’s doing these things. Now, it could be just that genetics has blessed him to look youthful that any actor in his age, but he’s willing to commit to the stunt in order to give the audience what it wants. And I’m sold since it’s not just stunts in the context of the movie, but scenes to show us where Ethan has to go. In a way, I thought that the series would end here. A saga where Ethan and the IMF saved the world in six entries. Unfortunately, with the box office success of this one, it made sense for Paramount to milk this one. 

3. Overall

        Mission: Impossible – Fallout is the best of the franchise.