Mission: Impossible - Fallout

Wow. Wow. Does this movie have some of the most incredible scenes ever shot on film or what? Between the HALO jump, the mad chase through Paris and the absolutely jaw-dropping helicopter chase in the climax, I feel like this movie might have just ended the action genre forever. There's a real sense of power and ferocity in every shot that, in my opinion, really elevates it to be one of the best action movies of all time. The cast is bringing their A-game as well: Sean Harris plays a more unhinged and depraved version of his character from Rogue Nation, Ving Rhames gets some well-deserved spotlight to show his snark and a heartfelt monologue, Rebecca Ferguson feels as intriguing and lethal as she was in the last movie, and Henry Cavill is just an all-around absolute unit. And of course, Tom Cruise does a nice job playing Tom Cruise. One minor nitpick on my part is how parts of the plot don't feel nearly as airtight as Rogue Nation's - the White Widow sequences, while enjoyable, could've done with some more Foreshadowing - and that makes you really feel the movie's two-hour runtime as a result. It feels like a happy mash-up between Skyfall and The Dark Knight Rises, plus a rock-solid ensemble and minus the ideological bombast. And last but not least, it's got one of the best action/thriller soundtracks I've heard.

Edited by eagleoftheninth on Jul 31st 2018 at 5:55:34 AM

This was great. I'm not sure if I'd put this or Rogue Nation as my favorite, but it's close. And Tom Cruise the ageless wonder continues to impress with his stunts. Also I'd totally watch an Ilsa Faust spinoff film, she's that awesome and interesting. Plus Solomon Lane continues to be a delightfully creepy villain.

Edited by Punisher286 on Jul 31st 2018 at 6:56:21 AM

The sheer Gambit Pileup of this film is almost as amazing as the ever-escalating stunts. The bathroom fight scene was one of my favorites in terms of sheer gritty brutality. Mission Impossible films remain as the thing the James Bond films should be.

Solomon Lane is this franchise's best villain so I'm glad he gets this movie in addition to Rogue Nation, and I'm glad he got to fight Ilsa and Benji after being The Unfought in the previous movie. It's funny that he survived again, so I'm almost wishing a third movie so we can have a "Lane Trilogy".

The idea of Ilsa Faust headlining this franchise after Ethan is something that never occurred me before but now that you mention it, I'd absolutely love it.

I know, right? The London tunnels scene alone features something like seven different plot twists rapid-firing in the span of five minutes, and it just works. Having Ilsa as the new lead would be a great way to continue the franchise - there's only so many ways that Ethan could top this movie's stunts, and it would be fairly refreshing to see her tackle her missions in new and different ways.

Also, fun fact: the Lark Decoy is portrayed by veteran stuntman Liang Yang, who did stunt work and choreography for Skyfall, Edge of Tomorrow, Game of Thrones (he taught Pedro Pascal wushu/taolu for the infamous duel scene), MI: Rogue Nation and the new Star Wars movies. He also played the Stormtrooper who beats up Finn in The Force Awakens and one of the Throne Room Guards in The Last Jedi.

They did a very good use of the streets in Paris. In fact, I understand it is quite complicated to be allowed to do that.

Edit: Someone pointed that the scene in which a French cop is hurt by terrorists and may be murdered, is a reference to the terrorist attacks France experienced in 2015. They also stated that normally in French cinema you don't make references to traumatic events that happened lately, but American cinema doesn't mind. This may be a light case of Values Dissonance.

Edited by gropcbf on Aug 5th 2018 at 9:21:09 PM

Just got back from the theater it's probably my second favorite film of the year.

The movie is definitely good at sustained action sequences. There is really only four / five such sequences in the entire movie, but three of them go on for at least 10-15 minutes each. The bathroom fight was probably my favorite, if only because it's the first time in the franchise where Ethan is legitimately outmatched especially as we end up getting a functional nobody, as he was a Lark decoy, absolutely flooring the two lead actors.

The story, unfortunately, is not really anything special. I've seen it being compared to Mad Max: Fury Road, mostly because of the sustained action sequences (and there is a lot more mistakes and fumbling around done by the heroes, to show them rising from a bad position), but being a franchise spy thriller they are compelled for some Mission Impossible-esque twists that ends up being a lot of plot noise that doesn't go anywhere. Fury Road didn't let extra plotting drag behind them. Even disregarding the trailers outright spoiling Cavill being a bad guy, the movie spent so much time making him unlikable and hinting that he is a bad guy that it's hardly a surprise. I was waiting for the subversion of those hints, that he had some sort of third objective, that him being a lackey of Lane was disappointing. Rogue Nation had a similar problem, but was a little more confident in their plot twists and didn't bank on the chases and fights as much.

I was amused at the lengths the movie went to in order to justify One Second Left.

Really fun romp. What was weird though, was the sheer amount of Informed Ability regarding Walker. He's played up as an uber-badass and referred to as the best killer in the CIA but other than taking out a few mooks, fails to live up to the hype. He botches the HALO jump, gets manhandled by "Lark," doesn't contribute to the "Ethan shoots the Widow's men" scene, hell, Hunley gets in a few licks that don't amount to anything, but by all rights shouldn't really slow Walker down.

It was weird. That said, I liked Walker. Cavill did a good job. Sad to see him go, honestly. Though his Bomb Throwing Anarchist schtick wouldn't really work for a second movie.

Finally saw it. I will say I overall liked it, though I feel like the climax suffers from some sort of climax fatigue. Especially the bit with Ethan. Besides what feels like the LONGEST 15 minutes put on film, the escalation reached a point where I was just... not caring anymore if the bombs blew or not.

Sean Harris offers a better performance. I found him the weak link of Rogue Nation, where he's supposed to be this villain, the man who has Ethan's number, and Sean Harris played him like a mildly disgruntled accountant who had none of the menace the rest of the movie ascribed to his character.

I would like to ask: how would you rank the six movies in the Mission: Impossible Film Series, from worst to best? And if you can do so, what were the reasons for your ranking? Here are my choices:

5: Mission: Impossible II. My god, was this a terrible attempt to ape the James Bond franchise. There were brief glimmers of fun in the action sequences, but it was let down by a weak story, an underdeveloped romance between Ethan and Nyah and a lack of actual cloak-and-dagger moments that defined this franchise. All in all, it made On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Die Another Day bearable in comparison.

4: Mission: Impossible III. Let's be honest: this was let down just a bit by some poorly shot action, and it copies some plot points of the first movie (Eg. One IMF boss is set up to be The Mole (Kittridge, Brassel), only to be revealed that the other IMF boss was the real one all along (Jim, Musgrave)). However, I loved that the film took the time to flesh out Ethan's personal life via his relationship with Julia, and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman stole the show with his oscillating personality as the villain. This was the film that reignited my interest in the series after number two.

3: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. I have heard people say that this was the best of the whole franchise, before it was mostly usurped by the sixth film. But to be honest, it was just a great film, and far from extraordinary. Brad Bird was able to leave his fingerprints of humor over this instalment (Eg. The running gag of the IMF technology malfunctioning), the IMF team had each of its members fleshed out, and the practical stunts and action were still on form. The only gripes were that the film veered a little too close to cartoonish antics, such as when Ethan survives driving a car down a car park, as well as the Generic Doomsday Villain wanting to blow up the world with a nuclear bomb. Gee, we haven't seen that before! However, I still found this leagues better than the second and third, mainly because of its charm and laughs delivered.

2: Mission: Impossible and Mission: Impossible – Fallout. Yes, you may be surprised that these two films have tied at the same position. And yes, you can be even more surprised that the latter was placed here, despite its Rotten Tomatoes score. But in all honesty, I just couldn't decide which of the two was better. The former worked because of its actual intrigue and deceptions delivered in the plot, thought-provoking themes of a spy's relevance in the Cold War explored, as well as having one of the most tense and silent sequences in the form of the CIA Langley heist. But it slightly suffered from not focusing much on the IMF team dynamic and having a complicated plot at times. The latter, on the other hand, was able to tell mounds of story through relentless and heart-pounding action sequences (Shot without Jitter Cam), all while delving into the mind of Ethan Hunt like never before, despite the plot not being as strong as the other films, and the villain being so similar to the fourth film, even with his hidden identity.

1: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. Without a doubt, the Magnum Opus of this franchise for me. This was a film that deftly balances darkness and humor at the same time, and had a worthy enemy in the form of Solomon Lane. It was one where the pacing was pitch-perfect, and the action sequences knew when to use music and when not to. But most importantly, this was a film that could subvert my expectations regarding espionage, all while embracing its old-school roots. For instance, the McGuffin they were looking for didn't contain the identities of all of the Syndicate members, but rather, 2.4 billion pounds sterling to fund their operations. How is that not a refreshing goal to strive towards? In other words, I truly loved this film as one that tested the limits of Ethan Hunt, and how his plans-within-plans contrasted against Solomon's.

1. 1: I mean, it launched a bunch of copy cats for a reason. It's the only one in the series that isn't super dumb as hell. I like the more thriller tone and that the movie is more "Tension" than "Pure action" until the end. It's also the only one who really feels like Ethan's a human being, and not some sort of godly avatar in human form the way the other films will make him into.
2. Rogue Nation - Some of the best stunts around some good set pieces. Ilsa and Ethan have great chemistry. Great use of the supporting cast. Main flaw is the weak villain. Lane looks like an angry accountant and doesn't carry the reputation or menace the movie wants him to have.
3. Ghost Protocol - Like Rogue Nation, but I find all of its elements weaker. The "Brant and Ethan but heads but will grow to respect one another" bit already feels tired from having been done in 3 with Fishburne's character. The villain is also a complete non-entity (And somehow is a scientist who can hold his own against Ethan because shut up)
4. Fallout - Good use of the ensemble cast, good action, better villains, but the climax drags a lot. It's trying to up itself so much I was losing interest. The film also blows its load on Walker by the end of act 1 the moment they are done first meeting the white widow. Angela Bassett's character feels like a weaker rethread of Fishburne's and Alec Baldwin's, down to having the same arc. It's a good movie, but the others are better.
5. 3 - At least it's not 2. Has a few cool scenes, though weakened by choppy camera work.
6. 2 - It's awful

Edited by Ghilz on Sep 21st 2018 at 1:42:32 PM

You were right about the first being more of a "thriller"-style film than an action blockbuster. The repeated tilted shots during the restaurant scene between Ethan and Kittridge was effective in conveying one important thing. That this would be the story of all about how Ethan's life got flipped and turned upside-down.

The most famous shot of the first film, the "Mission: Impossible" Cable Drop, isn't an action scene. It's all about tension as Ethan tries to do the task and avoid triggering the alarms (Or being spotted). The only real action scene is the finale with the train sequence.

Sorry but what the first film does with Jim Phelps alone is enough to knock it down several points for me.

Also the Fourth Film was the first to understand fully that one of the appeals of MI to begin with is the team dynamic.

MI 2 is indeed the worst one in the series; I think we can all agree on that. But hey, it at least had a really awesome rendition of the theme tune:

Probably one of the few redeeming qualities it had.

Unfortunately, I somehow wasn't a fan of that theme tune. The rock rendition was too much for me. But there was this scene, which has one of the best Latex Perfection scenes in the entire franchise, ever.

That's the scene where John Woo fondness for Gregorian chanting, dramatic doves, slow-motion and over-dramatic emotional performances all came together to form something beautiful.

I personally would rate them as such:

1. Ghost Protocol- It's the film that finds the perfect balance of team based espionage with big scale action sequences. The tower climb is nail-biting without being grandiose. Ethan is the main character but everyone team member has their own character arc. The story also progresses in a natural way, simple goals with high tech devices, tension filled spy work and logical problems that show up.
2. First Film- The vault raid ranks among the most classic heist moments in cinema. The story can certainly get over-complicated but such a thing is part of the espionage thriller genre. Phelps reveal as The Mole is disappointing, but I fault that more of a franchise mistake than a story mistake.
3. Rogue Nation- It was about this point when I was getting tired of the "Ethan goes rogue" plotline, although this at least explores it in a more interesting manner as he goes off the grid for months working his own mission. The plot isn't exactly original and you can see the twists but that is part of the fun. It does set the stage where the plot exists to connect the action scene, such as the amount of stuff to justify the water tunnel sequence.
4. Fallout- It has some amazing action and stunt pieces, but the plot is so bare bones it barely holds together. The bad guy is so obvious it is barely a twist. It also exaggerates the same problem with Rogue Nation, spending a lot of time justifying why the plot needs to turn into an insane stunt instead of actually developing the story.
5. III- A nice return to team-based work, but like most of Abrams directoral efforts it feels more than a little bit "paint-by-numbers." The action also tends to feel cut short or truncated, where we are only seeing part of what is going on.
6. II- The one everyone agrees is the weakest. The movie is desperately trying to sell Ethan as an American James Bond, and this was even stated by the production team as their goal. The action can be goofy but often a lot of fun, and John Woo's visual style does give it a nice bit of flair.

For all readers, which composer from all six films did you like the most? For me, it has to be Lorne Balfe from the sixth. Although people have been comparing it to the works of Hans Zimmer, that may have been the point, considering Lorne Balfe was a protege (Correct me if I'm wrong on this fact). My favorites in particular were these:

1: That Imagine Spot with the police was haunting, especially with the music accompanying it:

2: Just like The Dark Knight Rises, eh?

3: This synced very well with the motorcycle chase, especially 2:53-3:33.

4: Combined with Ethan's relentless pursuit on foot towards August Walker, the piano and choir sections were placed perfectly.

5: A fitting end to the movie, but it was one I felt should have been used in the intro instead.

Good morning, Agent Margaret Carter:

Your involvement with the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division has gotten our curiosity and attention.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to join the IMF.

Edited by TargetmasterJoe on Sep 9th 2019 at 11:49:08 AM

I believe that Mission: Impossible 7 is what happened to Peggy Carter after her show was cancelled...

You probably heard about how Mission Impossible 7 was supposed to have a sequence where they honest-to-God blow up a bridge. A functional, century-old, protected landmark bridge.

People, including locals, historians and construction engineers, got PISSED. Not just at the production crew, but the government that not only allowed it, but promised to give the production company a million dollars and a couple of other incentives. So the director and the government both went into defense mode...

...that turned out to be the most pathetic, ridiculous attempt at Stereo Fibbing I've heard for quite some time. The government said the bridge hasn't been maintained in ages, being a hundred years old, and it's falling apart (the last time trains went across it was five years ago and nothing bad happened, the line wasn't profitable so they canceled it to save money). The director said it's not a century-old bridge, because the Germans blew it up during World War 2 and it was rebuilt after the war, and it doesn't even matter anyway because there's another bridge over that same river not far from the one he wanted to blow up.

Not only it's all bullshit, the production company ditched the guy who was unable to secure the permission to blow up the bridge and decided to work with some imbecilic sycophants who promised them a pie in the sky.

So. Erm. Filming for Mission: Impossible 7 is going on and...

Tom Cruise REALLY wants you to wear a mask.

Context: Apprently Tom found some crewmembers not following COVID-19 rules and went bat-ape-shit crazy on them. Like livid AF.

Edited by TargetmasterJoe on Dec 15th 2020 at 4:42:11 AM

Good on him.

I mean. I recall reading how much of a powder keg he tends to be (and let's not even bring up the Scientology stuff) and it's always scary to hear this kind of stuff, but given the context here? He's not exactly wrong?