Review Summary: Absolutely bonkers!
The Mission: Impossible franchise has been built (at least lately) on old-fashioned shock-and-awe. 56-year old Tom Cruise has been living, as my Dad said, "on the edge". The fact that he can still his do his own stunts is pretty outrageous. In the meantime, he made headlines for injuring his ankle while performing a stunt for this film, causing production to shut down for nine weeks. One has to wonder if this man has reached his peak, or will continue until he dies trying.
Three years ago, I felt that Cruise and the Mission franchise had topped themselves with Rogue Nation. That was a very solid and memorable entry that also had its strong share of humor and heart. I've rewatched it a couple of times, and it has grown on me more since. Going into Fallout, I wondered if anything would top that airplane stunt. And, granted, there are many action-filled moments that (in terms of insanity) top the stunts in every Mission film that came before.
Yes, this film is downright crazy at times. From a deadly helicopter chase to a grimace-inducing bathroom brawl, Fallout puts its foot on the gas and never lets off. There is a darker, more mature feel here than last time. Instead of the admittedly old-fashioned spy feel of Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation, Fallout felt more gritty and developed in terms of its story. A lot of this comes full circle in the third act. A character from Ethan's (Cruise) past comes back into play. The stakes become insanely higher.
For once, we also get more of a grip on Ethan's ambitions and motivations behind his actions. It's also important to note that the villain from Rogue Nation (Sean Harris) plays a stronger role here too, becoming even more intimidating in the process. Rebecca Ferguson (perhaps more famous now for lip-syncing "Never Enough" from The Greatest Showman) also returns from Rogue Nation, and works better here as someone who's a bit more behind-the-scenes than last time. The new cast members are also solid additions. Henry (Superman) Cavill makes a formidable villain, while Angela Bassett shines in her few scenes as a CIA head.
The main flaw with this particular installment is that it is oftentimes too serious for its own good. The real comedy relief here is notably missing. In fact, Benji (Simon Pegg), perhaps the best character in Rogue Nation, disappears for a lot of the first act. There are a few laughs, but they aren't from really good jokes. Fallout didn't necessarily need to take a darker or more mature route here (that goes for the script too, which contains too much swearing). The ending helicopter action scene also goes on for too long.
I also found the appearance of both main females in the film to be looking too closely alike. This isn't to criticize Ferguson or Michelle Monaghan's performances. There were a few moments, however, where I questioned who was who. Vanessa Kirby, on the other hand, looks more distinct and gives a femme fatale flare to the White Widow. There are quite a few strong women in this picture, to be sure.
The cinematography and editing, in the meantime, are definitely up to par for this franchise. Lorne Balfe does the "Mission" theme justice, along with a few other strong moments. The multiple plot threads (with multiple characters) to the villain's and hero's plans are well-executed, if confusing at times.
I don't find Fallout to be the best of the Mission: Impossible movies. For me personally, I found Rogue Nation to be more enjoyable and memorable. But, it's definitely the most insane of the bunch, however, with perhaps a dizzying action scene too many.
My Score: 7.1/10
Content Concerns for Family Viewing: Mission: Impossible - Fallout is rated PG-13 for "violence and intense sequences of action, and for brief strong language". Parents be warned, this film is not appropriate for kids under the age of 13. There are several intense action scenes that sometimes have nasty results. An intense bathroom fight includes someone smashing an opponent through a mirror, someone nearly getting impaled with a sharp pipe, and then someone getting shot. That person is then dragged through a pool of blood to a toilet to get scanned.
Someone else is shot in one scene. Another is impaled in dark lighting with a knife (and dies). A helicopter smashes into another and then crash toward a cliff. Someone is shown with part of their face somewhat horrifically smashed. Another fight scene involves knives, fists and guns (though no blood is shown). Someone falls a huge height to an explosion. Ethan's face ends up bloodied on a few occasions. One character is gagged and another is nearly hung to death in a scary confrontation in a dark cabin. A police prisoner transport is knocked into a river (someone nearly drowns). A fantasized scene involves characters shooting and killing police officers at point blank (without any blood seen). Ethan lands hard on his legs on a building. He also (along with another character) skydives out of a plane in the middle of a storm.
There's also a lot more language to deal with. Cavill's character blurts out the f-bomb at one point. Infuriated with Solomon Lane, he says, "Why do you have to be so ******* complicated?!" I also noticed one more mouthed f-word. The s-word is used 10 times. Other profanities include "h---" (5 times), "b--ch" (4 times), "d---" (twice), "a**" (three times), "J----!" (four times) and "oh my g**" (five times). In the bathroom scene mentioned earlier, a group of French guys come in and see the three pairs of legs under the stall. They then mockingly knock and laugh, suggesting they think another inappropriate act is occurring. The subtitles reveal they want to join them. The guys then leave in pairs with arms around each other.
