Mission: Impossible - Fallout
3/4
Starring: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Alec Baldwin, Sean Harris, Angela Bassett, Vanessa Kirby
Rated PG-13 for Violence and Intense Sequences of Action, and for Brief Strong Language
In 1966, Bruce Gellar created the "Mission: Impossible" series about an elite team of spies who ran missions without a safety net. If they screwed up, no one would bail them out. The show ran for 7 seasons. Thirty years later, Brian DePalma rebooted the series in film form with megastar Tom Cruise in the starring role. That was 22 years ago. Now it's a hamster wheel for Paramount. A way to cash in on a brand name (and whatever star power Tom Cruise still has...his age and his off-screen antics have diminished it considerably) with no risk and high rewards. However, Cruise has one crucial leg up on the MCU (which ran the superhero genre into the ground a decade ago): the movies are still fun.
Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team of Luther Stickell (Rhames) and Benji Dunn (Pegg) have successfully stopped former MI6 agent Solomon Lane (Harris) and his criminal organization known as The Syndicate at the end of "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol." Two years later, former members have regrouped into an organization known as The Apostles, who have become terrorists for hire. They plan to acquire three plutonium cores for a man known as John Lark. The handoff will take place in Paris. Actually, this would have been unnecessary had Ethan gone for the job rather than a colleague. To make sure he doesn't screw up again, CIA Director Erica Sloane (Bassett) has August Walker (Cavill) accompany him, with orders to get the job done by any means possible. It turns out to be not so simple, but then again, this is a "Mission: Impossible" movie, so it never is.
Tom Cruise is a fine actor, but at age 56, he's getting a little old to be doing this sort of thing. Ever the trooper, Cruise did his own stunts, but Cruise is looking his age, and it's becoming harder to believe that he could do some of the things that he does in this movie. Henry Cavill is a scene stealer as the tough guy who prefers to use his fists rather than his mind. Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames show up to do their thing (Rhames has a scene of genuine pathos that is quite effective). And who can say know to appearances by Michelle Monaghan and Angela Bassett? Worth mentioning is Vanessa Kirby, who plays The White Widow, a terrorist "broker." She's exciting and sexy, and far more interesting than the real love interest played by Rebecca Ferguson.
The problem with this movie is the set-up. It's poorly explained, which makes the machinations of the first half confusing. Ultimately it really doesn't matter, but another rewrite of the crucial first speech (you know the one..."Your mission, should you choose to accept it...") could have helped give the film more punch.
Of course, no one goes to a "Mission Impossible" movie for nuanced plot. They go for the stunts, the special effects and the explosions. Ironic for a movie like this, since spies are ideally known for their discretion. But I suppose if James Bond can get away with "blowing stuff up real good" for two hours, I should extend Ethan Hunt the same courtesy. On that level, they don't disappoint. And there are a lot of them. Highlights include a chase through the streets of Paris and a battle of bumper helicopters. I'm dead serious about the last one.
Look, the bottom line is that the audience has certain expectations for a movie like this. Is it fast moving and exciting? Yes. Has the budget of $178 million been well spent in the "ooh and ahh" department? Yes. Did I enjoy myself? Yes. It's not the smartest action movie of the past few years, but it works.
Starring: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Alec Baldwin, Sean Harris, Angela Bassett, Vanessa Kirby
Rated PG-13 for Violence and Intense Sequences of Action, and for Brief Strong Language
In 1966, Bruce Gellar created the "Mission: Impossible" series about an elite team of spies who ran missions without a safety net. If they screwed up, no one would bail them out. The show ran for 7 seasons. Thirty years later, Brian DePalma rebooted the series in film form with megastar Tom Cruise in the starring role. That was 22 years ago. Now it's a hamster wheel for Paramount. A way to cash in on a brand name (and whatever star power Tom Cruise still has...his age and his off-screen antics have diminished it considerably) with no risk and high rewards. However, Cruise has one crucial leg up on the MCU (which ran the superhero genre into the ground a decade ago): the movies are still fun.
Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team of Luther Stickell (Rhames) and Benji Dunn (Pegg) have successfully stopped former MI6 agent Solomon Lane (Harris) and his criminal organization known as The Syndicate at the end of "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol." Two years later, former members have regrouped into an organization known as The Apostles, who have become terrorists for hire. They plan to acquire three plutonium cores for a man known as John Lark. The handoff will take place in Paris. Actually, this would have been unnecessary had Ethan gone for the job rather than a colleague. To make sure he doesn't screw up again, CIA Director Erica Sloane (Bassett) has August Walker (Cavill) accompany him, with orders to get the job done by any means possible. It turns out to be not so simple, but then again, this is a "Mission: Impossible" movie, so it never is.
Tom Cruise is a fine actor, but at age 56, he's getting a little old to be doing this sort of thing. Ever the trooper, Cruise did his own stunts, but Cruise is looking his age, and it's becoming harder to believe that he could do some of the things that he does in this movie. Henry Cavill is a scene stealer as the tough guy who prefers to use his fists rather than his mind. Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames show up to do their thing (Rhames has a scene of genuine pathos that is quite effective). And who can say know to appearances by Michelle Monaghan and Angela Bassett? Worth mentioning is Vanessa Kirby, who plays The White Widow, a terrorist "broker." She's exciting and sexy, and far more interesting than the real love interest played by Rebecca Ferguson.
The problem with this movie is the set-up. It's poorly explained, which makes the machinations of the first half confusing. Ultimately it really doesn't matter, but another rewrite of the crucial first speech (you know the one..."Your mission, should you choose to accept it...") could have helped give the film more punch.
Of course, no one goes to a "Mission Impossible" movie for nuanced plot. They go for the stunts, the special effects and the explosions. Ironic for a movie like this, since spies are ideally known for their discretion. But I suppose if James Bond can get away with "blowing stuff up real good" for two hours, I should extend Ethan Hunt the same courtesy. On that level, they don't disappoint. And there are a lot of them. Highlights include a chase through the streets of Paris and a battle of bumper helicopters. I'm dead serious about the last one.
Look, the bottom line is that the audience has certain expectations for a movie like this. Is it fast moving and exciting? Yes. Has the budget of $178 million been well spent in the "ooh and ahh" department? Yes. Did I enjoy myself? Yes. It's not the smartest action movie of the past few years, but it works.
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