Yeah, Ethan Hunt could kick James Bond's ass. Marking one more from this year off my list, Mission: Impossible - Fallout is an absolute must-see and a flawlessly-made action film. The culmination of everything great about this franchise comes full-circle as Tom Cruise leads this incredibly powerful movie. Every scene riddled with intensity, every character overflowing with emotion, and every fight choreographed perfectly, this film is much more astounding than previous entries and managed to completely impress me. Even though I'm mad at myself for not seeing this in IMAX, I'm grateful that I could live in a time where Tom Cruise has strangely become my favorite action star.
Tom Cruise has proven himself over many years how diverse and talented he is, whether it's a romance film or a nonstop action thrill ride. This film is no exception and might even be the best example of the latter genre. Cruise is incredible and absolutely lives up to the hype built into this modern franchise. While Ethan Hunt has evolved over the years, so has Cruise's dedication to this character. In what may be his most riveting and believable performance, Cruise brings so much life to Hunt. Along with the supporting cast including Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, and Simon Pegg, this movie makes it clear how important these characters are to the actors and actresses involved. They have been in this universe for years now and I could clearly see how much care and effort the performers put into their characters. The greatest addition to this film, however, is Henry Cavill as the antagonist August Walker. Cavill's stoic performance and hulking but fluid stature made for some of the greatest scenes, especially between him and Cruise. He has given amazing life to the best villain of this franchise so far and it was incredible to see him take on such an exciting role that's not the Man of Steel.
The writing and directing in this film were also given as much care and it was incredible to see unfold. Christopher McQuarrie, writer and director of the previous entry into this world, took the helm once again, but in a much more effective way. The way he balanced these characters within the world of the events that have occurred was excellent. While much of the plot was nothing completely innovative or groundbreaking, I enjoyed the fresh and darker take on Hunt's secret world of the IMF. Many of the scenes throughout this film surprised me too at how well the twists in the plot were hidden. The scenes with the fake nuclear explosions and the reveal of Solomon Lane's body double were some of the most exciting parts of the entire story. That type of writing, along with much of the action, made for a classic spy movie atmosphere which was fantastic to experience.
While the writing and characters were great, nothing builds up a spy movie as much as its exciting action sequences. The humorous cheesiness of typical spy action is a staple for the genre, but this film was anything but. The brutally raw action of this film fit the tone exceptionally well and its handful of IMAX-shot scenes were just breathtaking. From the perilous thrills of the skydiving shot to Tom Cruise's ankle-breaking chase sequence, I can not rave enough about how gorgeous and authentic the action and choreography were. My favorite two scenes, in particular, were the motorcycle chase and the initial bathroom brawl. Audio played a very big part in making these scenes stand out to me as well, as the supervising sound editor James Mather made this production a complete adventure. No dialogue at all was needed to ramp up the intensity of these scenes, but the sound effects and atmosphere created were fantastic. Paired with Cavill and Cruise's bone-crunching and ferocious punches, this scene alone made the entire film for me.
Mission: Impossible - Fallout is, without a doubt, the best action film of this year. Tom Cruise and Henry Cavill shine as the two leads who eventually end up in a race against the (literal) clock to outsmart each other. This film's production quality is phenomenal and I can't wait to wear out my Blu-ray copy of this over the next few weeks.
My Rating: ★★★★★
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