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In the 22 years since Tom Cruise first played Impossible Missions Force agent Ethan Hunt, the Mission: Impossible franchise has gone through a number of changes in its cast and crew. But the sixth film, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, once again finds Ethan’s loyalty questioned as he and his team try to save the world.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout finds Ethan Hunt and his IMF team called in to stop a network known as The Apostles from controlling enough plutonium to allow a mysterious terrorist who calls himself John Lark to complete his mission to destroy the Old World Order. When their mission takes a deadly turn—and it doesn’t go as smoothly as planned—the CIA brings in one of their own, Agent Walker (Henry Cavill), to work with IMF. And, together, they end up reconnecting with both old allies and old enemies.
If you’ve seen previous Mission: Impossible movies, you’ll have a good idea of what’s in store in Fallout. Each film in the franchise features all kinds of death-defying action: high-speed chases, carefully choreographed combat, and at least one scene (but usually several) with Tom Cruise scaling a cliff or a skyscraper or a rope that’s conveniently hanging from a helicopter. The action is nearly non-stop—and it’s definitely breathtaking. Cruise certainly loves doing stunts—because these films are jam-packed with them.
Also like earlier films, though, the story is minimal. There are bursts of lengthy, complicated expository exchanges, followed by 30 minutes of action. After a series of fights and chases and some general silliness from Simon Pegg, the team will make some kind of discovery to lead them in a new direction—one that comes with more fights and more obstacles. And while the action is pretty remarkable, the lack of story makes it also rather forgettable—or perhaps simply interchangeable with the others in the series. And after nearly two and a half hours of one action sequence after another, all of that amazing action starts to feel rather monotonous.
Fortunately, though, the cast is still likable. Pegg brings the humor, while Cruise brings the charm. And Ethan’s concern for everyone from his team to innocent bystanders gives it more heart than the typical spy thriller. It’s long and shallow and predictable, but the action and cast make it entertaining.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout isn’t necessarily new or different or even especially memorable. If you’ve seen earlier films, you’ll know what’s coming. But it’s still a brainless but breathtaking summer thriller.
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