Mission Impossible: Fallout

Growing up with the Bond films and loving the Bourne trilogy, the Mission Impossible franchise is proving itself above, if at least not in line with, those behemoths. Granted, M:I Fallout certainly borrows a lot from the Bourne films (as well as hints of The Dark Knight) but gives the Bond films a good run for their money – compared to this, they are becoming tired, thin on plot, and outdated. The bathroom fight scene alone in M:I Fallout makes the opening of Casino Royale look like a draft rehearsal.

The writer of the crafty and intricately plotted The Usual Suspects (1995), Christopher McQuarrie brings his incredible mind to the table here in his combined roll as writer/director, following on from his efforts on the previous Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation which was super classy and slick. Continuing the plot here, with an equally fantastic cast, familiar with the talent and material, his process involves starting production with a rough outline, never advancing to a completed script, riffing with the cast and globetrotting for locations, he still manages to wrangle the scenes into a tightly knit drama that is exciting, tense, current, intelligent, and never dull; compare that to the mess that exists in several recent franchises that throw multi-millions at several writers to come up with half-baked storylines.

There is also plenty to discuss in regards to the technical feats in cinematography, probably some of the best going on right now, from following Tom Cruise jumping out of an airplane and skydiving in a single shot, to chasing him on a motorbike through traffic filled Paris.

Whilst the titles of each of the films in the series are interchangeable, the positioning of this film as the 6th, arguably, is not. It draws elements from all the previous films in its returning characters, the fate of each of those characters, the amazing stunt work, but most importantly, comes full circle in its drawing from Brian de Palma’s genius first instalment back in 1996, bringing back some of what was lost in the flashier middle episodes; the classic tropes of masked disguises, double dealing and misdirection. An intense, breathtaking, awesome and hugely satisfying action spy thriller, way above the rest.