Mission: Impossible-Fallout

During the last decade, it was obvious that Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible" franchise was going to have lasting value but I don't think anyone imagined that it would start to take the form of the James Bond franchise in that it didn't end as a trilogy. The only film I see as being a blemish in this film series was the second instalment and most others agree that we realized that through hindsight. "Mission: Impossible-Fallout" was just as entertaining for me as "Ghost Protocol" and "Rogue Nation". This sixth movie had its funny moments but what I noticed was a greater emphasis on plot twists and action. This film by the way was released only three years after the last film in the series, which is the shortest amount of time between any two films in the franchise.

In the past, we visited a new region with every film in the franchise but "Fallout" is the first time that this has not been the case. Funny enough, "Mission: Impossible" has been to every continent except South America so I was expecting to go there. I liked the first interrogation scene preceding the opening credit montage. Up until the climax, I was able to anticipate the plot twists of the movie but that doesn't mean everyone else who sees this movie will. I believe that most people will have a fun ride. I like how Calgary was featured on a map of possible targets for the Apostles and I love how the White Widow is the daughter of Max from the first film. In past "Mission: Impossible" films, Benji has been looking forward to wearing a mask but never got the chance. It was so satisfying to see him finally get his wish but for resolution purposes, I wanted him to be a little more excited about it. I was impressed by Cruise learning to fly a helicopter and perform stunts with it for this show. What made it even more special was that those sequences were filmed with IMAX cameras. Seeing it in that format was quite eye-popping. You can feel the realism and verisimilitude as Ethan climbs the robe attached to the helicopter and then flies it. The film resolution really adds to the entertainment value because it shows that the filmmakers aren't cheating much. Once again, I can't predict the next stunt that Cruise will perform in the next movie. This was the first movie in the franchise to be converted to 3D and the conversion was quite impressive when I saw this movie for the second time but the IMAX version is still better. While watching it in IMAX, the audience's verbal reactions were apparent and that is further evidence of the power of this movie. By the way, Cruise also jumped out of a plane over one hundred times to film another scene in this show.

Cruise broke his ankle at the start of filming and that had consequences beyond the filmmakers having to take a seven-week break for him to heal. Because of this interruption, Henry Cavill's reshoots for "Justice League" were taking place before "Fallout" was finished filming. That is why Cavill did not shave his moustache and why special effects were used to remove it for "Justice League". If Cruise had not been hurt and if Zack Synder had been able to complete "Justice League", fans wouldn't have had a small glitch to make a big deal out of. Speaking of Cavill's performance in this action movie, I can't think of anything negative. Thanks to his costume and acting, I was able to set aside his Superman persona. I applaud him in this show. There were quite a few characters from the franchise that I didn't expect to see in "Fallout". Lane is in this new story as is Julia. I was grateful to see the latter character because it increases the stakes of the climax and continues the powerful subplot introduced in the third film. Jeremy Renner was absent (probably because of scheduling conflicts with a different superhero movie) but Alec Baldwin is still the secretary of the IMF and I liked his role in this film. The character of Ilsa was seen in the trailers but her inclusion is effective in creating conflict for Ethan. This movie also had Angela Bassett from "Black Panther". It was nice to see that J.J. Abrams is still producing films in this franchise. This sixth film is the first time in the franchise that a new director was not employed. This makes "Fallout" the seventh collaboration between Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise.

The villain has a great line during the climax: "Why won't you just die?" I liken it unto an almost identical line from "Batman Forever". Now that the "Mission: Impossible" franchise has surpassed the twenty-year mark, I think we are all asking ourselves that question about Ethan. Deep down however, we want this hero to keep surviving the impossible. What will surprise us most besides the stunts that Cruise will undertake in the future is how many more times he will play Ethan Hunt before the torch will be passed to another actor if it is intended to be passed on at all. I am pretty sure that the success of "Mission: Impossible-Fallout" will equate to yet another instalment in the franchise and I am happy about that. If I could have one wish granted for the next film, it would be to have a little more fun and humor included so that it can better balance out the action and drama.

4 Stars out of 5