“All of the Stunts,” a Review of “Mission: Impossible – Fallout”

Recommendation: 4 Stars, SHOWTIME

Director: Christopher McQuarrie, Writers: Christopher McQuarrie, Bruce Geller, Starring: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames

Plot: Ethan Hunt and his IMF team, along with some familiar allies, race against time after a mission gone wrong.

Review: Are you sitting down? Good. I am going to say something controversial. It is something I don’t ever plan to say again about another movie. The plot of this entry into the “Mission: Impossible” franchise doesn’t matter. All you need to know is that Ethan Hunt once again played by Tom Cruise is wrestling with a question that all heroes have had to wrestle at some point in their journey, “Is it better to sacrifice one life if it means you can save all of humanity?” If you are Ethan Hunt, the answer is simple, “BOTH!”

The plot of this film is overly complicated and requires you to dig back into prior movies. But the plot doesn’t matter, remember? Why? Because there should be an Oscar category for stunt choreography and this film should win it every time a new film is released into the wild. Seriously, the stunts are that insane! Jumping from planes, bathroom fights, motorcycle chases through Paris, and helicopter battles through mountain vistas will leave your jaw on the floor wondering how they did what you just saw. Since there is no stunt category, I do recommend this film for both Sound Editing and Sound Mixing Oscars. Pay close attention to the motorcycle chase. You will know what I am talking about.

But the plot! It boils down to bureaucratic bickering, spy vs. spy, a carefully coordinated attempt to fool the audience, a haunted man, and an attempt to discover who is betraying who. That’s not why we go to see these movies, though. They need to make just enough sense to keep the plot moving to the next set piece. Then, we suspend disbelief and watch as a delicate ballet begins. Ballet, that’s the perfect analogy to this film. We go to the ballet for the grace, beauty, and movement, not necessarily the story. We go to “Mission: Impossible” movies for many of the same reasons, not necessarily the story.

Be good to each other,

-Nathan

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