Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

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I'm going to put my cards on the table and say that when viewing these films theatrically, their respective release dates have been spread so far apart that some things can start to get confusing. It's much easier to piece together when you watch them back-to-back-to-back, and even then, parts of it can be iffy. That's not a criticism but rather a confession that I find these a little hard to follow from time to time, and without mentioning names, I have discovered I'm not alone in this. Anyway, I'll do my best with this review.

The film opens with a harsh reminder, connected to 'Ghost Protocol,' that Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) once staged the death of his wife, Julia Meade (Michelle Monaghan), which occurred in 'M: I-3,' to help her get out of the espionage game, and lead an otherwise everyday life. At the same time, he continues to put his life in danger for the sake of the world, but their feelings about their situation are mutual. The tone is then set for the rest of the movie, as it comes across as affecting Ethan on a more personal level than usual.

Two years following the capture of Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), who headed a rogue network of terrorists called "The Syndicate" (as seen in the previous film), a group has formed from their ashes known as "The Apostles," who have been hired by the faceless "John Lark" to find three plutonium cores for use in a nuclear strike in hopes of tearing down the current world order. Ethan and his team, consisting of Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and Luthor Stickell (Ving Rhames), are sent to intercept the plutonium in a fake business deal. Things go awry, and Hunt chooses the lives of his team over the plutonium, which is seen as a bit of a "screw-up."

Reassigned to retrieve the plutonium cores before The Apostles can use them in their plans, Ethan is sent with an agent named August Walker (Henry Cavill) by CIA Director Erika Sloane (Angela Bassett), who is tasked with keeping Ethan on track and ensuring he doesn't falter again. Watching the pair interact is often entertaining, and Ethan often exposes his fallible side, fighting alongside Walker, which is a breath of fresh air. We don't want to see Ethan fail, but it's interesting to think that, up until this chapter of the series, it hasn't happened that often. Here, the film does a good job of exposing how "human" Ethan Hunt still is.

With that said, it should also be pointed out that, as mentioned earlier, 'Fallout' does a better job of delving into Ethan's personal life a bit more to show us he's not just some robotic spider monkey who can pull off impressive feats, defying death every step of the way. This is generally illustrated by the care he shows for his recent on-and-off IMF partner, Isla Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), and, again, his memory of Julia, which is mainly demonstrated through a combination of Hunt's actions and a heartwarming conversation Luthor has with Ilsa.

Returning to the main points of the film, however, I'll reiterate that it's possible for the viewer to become a bit confused at times. Of all the 'Mission: Impossible' films in the franchise, this one stands out for seemingly having the most twists and turns throughout the story. It does a good job of keeping the audience guessing as to the loyalty of more than one character - and one of those characters is still Ilsa Faust, whom we had a hard time figuring out in the last film. It can get confusing. But it still has everything we look for in a 'Mission: Impossible' movie.

The action is on point, as usual, once again topped off by a real stunt or two that range from skydiving to a helicopter chase, which Cruise still considers one of his "hairiest" stunts. Without a doubt, it's one of the best in the series, combining solid storytelling and character development with high-octane action and edge-of-your-seat stunt work while also connecting nicely to the series' past films. 'Ghost Protocol' may be my personal favourite, but it goes without saying that 'Fallout' is among the highest-rated in the series, and with good reason.

5/5

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