MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT Review

For the longest time, the Mission Impossible franchise has been a phenomenon I've been observing almost strictly as an outsider… that is until I actually sat down to marathon all of them before watching this new entry in the series earlier this week. On a few occasions, I've gone on record for calling this series "Fast & Furious but for smart people" and I turned out to be right in the assertion. These are all very similar with a new director for each new installment; however, what makes these far superior to all those dudebro car worship flicks is a sense of reverence for classical action filmmaking techniques and a noticeable evolution as the years went on. Now then, how does all of this relate to Fallout? Because the series has had something of a high streak since 2011 and this raises the bar even higher.

I can't think of much here that isn't a superb display of craftsmanship. Seeing a PG-13 action movie with violence that feels visceral and (most importantly of all) consequential is always appreciated. The action here is relentlessly hard-hitting while having enough levity and playfulness to keep things from getting too dark. For a picture that clocks in at about two and a half hours, it sports a rather tight screenplay that doesn't waste any time and manages to keep the stakes high up until the very end. Rob Hardy's cinematography is top notch, capturing the action clearly while managing to plant striking frames in between the chaos (in the first fifteen minutes, there’s a shot of Tom Cruise's silhouette contemplating in a warehouse that brought to mind legends like Walter Hill and John Boorman). Having the whole thing shot on 35mm film also adds a texture of clarity and grittiness that enhances every shot. All of the setpieces are top notch. From an early white-knuckle scuffle in a nightclub bathroom to the climatic helicopter shootout (a scene that's on par with the Burj Khalifa sequence from Ghost Protocol for excellent tension and stunt work), the cast and crew gives it their all and it consistently pays off.



The Mission Impossible franchise may not be one of the best action franchises of all time; but, it's one of the most dependable and consistent. All of these films are well-done thrillers but this is the peak of what can be done with this series. Fallout is terrific blockbuster entertainment with some of the finest craftsmanship put into any genre film this year or any other. It's a stone cold stunner that demands to be seen in a big theater with great projection. Don't miss it!

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT gets a...
TOTAL KNOCKOUT out of TEN

Before I go, I'd like to encourage everyone here to rewatch Rogue Nation before seeing Fallout because this acts as a direct sequel to that.