‘MI: Fallout’ is a blast in every aspect

By George Haerle

For The Daily World

Few movie franchises have been able to keep their steam like the “Mission Impossible” series. The first film debuted 22 years ago, and even after all that time this series still puts butts in the seats.

“Mission Impossible: Fallout” is a blast whether or not you’ve seen the previous entries, and it’s almost a guarantee that audiences will throw money at it and the inevitable future sequels.

The ridiculous plot has to do with three missing plutonium components that can create portable nuclear bombs. Ethan Hunt’s team briefly acquires them from a shady arms dealer, only to have them stolen from underneath their noses. Sent on a retrieval mission before the components can be sold to the highest bidder (or used by an old enemy), Ethan’s team navigates an international spy’s maze of all kinds of twists, turns, assassins, shady deals and high-speed chases. But this is standard spy movie formula; it’s how “Fallout” does it that makes it so entertaining.

Firstly, the cast is great. Tom Cruise redeems himself for the godawful “Mummy” remake with another top-notch performance as Ethan Hunt. Alec Baldwin, Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg return from previous films as Ethan’s team. Rebecca Ferguson also is back as Ilsa Faust, who might be worthy of her own spy series as her character is easily the most interesting next to Cruise’s, if not more so.

Sean Harris returns as Solomon Lane from “MI: Ghost Protocol,” delivering a solid co-villain performance. (The true villain is yet to be revealed, with only his name given and some decoys used in his stead.)

The best new addition is Henry Cavill as Walker, a CIA agent sent to assist and, if need be, intervene and acquire the nuclear devices for his agency. Cavill really got to flex his action movie chops a bit better here than he did in any of his outings as Superman. Where they go with the character and the intrigue around him is fun to watch unfold, and his onscreen presence here rivals Cruise’s. He’s a human weapon of force and ferocity, beating his way through danger and adversaries with battering-ram fists and an itchy, well-aimed trigger finger.

The performances will engage you, but it’s the set pieces and incredible top-notch action scenes that will keep you glued to the seat. Seriously, this movie has it all, and it does it all well. Shootouts that pack a punch, car chases that are genuinely thrilling, hand-to-hand combat that rivals anything in the current 007 movies, and many entertaining twists and turnarounds that will keep you guessing who is going to get the upper hand next.

It’s viscerally entertaining on every level, and with the amount of practicality in the film’s stunts and special effects, it make it all that more immersive in that it doesn’t feel totally bogged down by superhero-movie levels of CGI.

The only real complaints are that the plot is a bit ridiculous and all over the place with backstabbing and location hopping. Also, the film clocks in at about two and a half hours — just a bit overlong. The lack of any dull moments in this film helps this run time, however, and you’ll be so entertained it probably won’t matter. The setup and story are really just anchors for the entertaining stuff, and the film’s success in that category is undeniable. Since when were we seeing movies like this for Oscar-worthy stories, anyway?

That brings us to the third act, where the movie really shines. The last 40 minutes or so of “Fallout” is one of the more entertaining action movie finales in years. A race to stop the bad guys results in a great helicopter chase, as well as two of the most thrilling and vicious hand-to-hand combat fights in the movie — all with the backdrop of a ticking clock and the Himalayan mountains of Kashmir, India. This alone is worth the price of admission.

Whether you’re up to date on the MI series or not, this one is well worth seeing on a big screen with overpriced popcorn and soda at your side. It would be impossible not to love this “Mission,” should you choose to accept it.

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“Mission Impossible: Fallout” is currently playing at the Riverside Cinemas, 1017 S. Boone St. in Aberdeen.

George Haerle holds a bachelor’s degree in creative writing for media and lives in Cosmopolis.