Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Angela Basset, Vanessa Kirby
Cert: 12A
Run time: 147 mins
Ethan Hunt and his crew of highly trained IMF agents, Benji and Luther fearlessly attempt to stop world renowned criminal John Lark getting his hands on and using three nuclear weapons, with the possibility of taking him down at the same time. Encountering new and old faces along the way it begs the question of who will survive?
"Fate whispers to the warrior. A storm is coming. And the warrior whispers back. I am the storm.”
Tom Cruise’s long awaited return as IMF agent Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible - Fallout has proved to be well worth the wait. The film saw the return of much loved characters Benji (Simon Pegg), Luther (Ving Rhames) and Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson) as well as the introduction of new characters including August Walker, portrayed by Henry Cavill - a great casting decision.
The Mission: Impossible film franchise started in 1996 and is so far made up of six films with two more said to be in the works. Fallout is a direct sequel to Rogue Nation with returning characters and plot lines following on directly from the previous narrative involving ex-MI6 agent Solomon Lane. New characters August Walker, Erika Sloane and and The White Widow fit well into the group and before we even get halfway through it’s like they’ve been there all along.
Stunt coordinator Wade Eastwood has really demonstrated his skill and experience, both as a stunt coordinator and as a stunt coordinator for Tom Cruise, exceptionally well in this film. With monumental action sequences in Paris, London and Kashmir, the film is catapulted into another league of action and adventure. Fallout is not without its nods to the rest of the series however. Starting with the classic “your mission should you choose to accept it” line and followed by Benji’s use of masks and comedic input from all characters, the film still sits well within the Mission Impossible franchise.
The welcome return of Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin) did leave us thinking about the noticeable absence of Avengers star Jeremy Renner’s character William Brandt. We even saw a more noticeable reappearance of Julia (Michelle Monaghan) which left us wondering whether Brandt will return in the seventh instalment of the franchise. August Walker filled the gap well however, an intriguing new character for the audience to get their heads around, and extremely well cast. Henry Cavill fits the role perfectly, and really brought the character to life.
With a complex plotline, the film should have been harder to predict. From the start the ending was rather obvious. As someone who likes to predict and be proven wrong, the film could have been more reserved with its plot points. Having said that, the thrilling experience of watching any Mission: Impossible film more than makes up for the inevitability of it’s ending and it was still highly enjoyable to watch.
There were some softer moments in the film, such as the few times Ethan wakes up worrying for Julia’s safety, but the film does deliver everything expected of a Mission: Impossible block-buster. There’s action (and plenty of it), there’s comedy, there’s masks, and there’s elaborate plans which cannot be pulled off until the last possible second. The sixth addition to this series feels like a step up from previous films and was enjoyable to watch. Now the only problem we face is waiting for the release of the next one!
One last thing to mention too, Lorne Balfe’s incredible reworking of the score! Balfe really put a new spin on the film’s music which reflected the intensity of each scene it accompanies perfectly. This score really reflects the talent and effort behind it whilst still having enough nods to the original score and the globally recognisable Mission: Impossible theme which allowed it to sit alongside the visuals perfectly, increasing tension where needed, and providing a new exciting feel to the film in general. Check out the film music here!
If you’ve always loved the Mission: Impossible franchise or if you’re coming to it later, this film is definitely worth a watch. There’s nostalgia, modern twists and a serious amount of action!
Words by Chloe Pollard.
Trailer from YouTube - Paramount Pictures.
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