Movie Review Madness: Mission Impossible - Fallout

Mission Impossible – Fallout is incredible movie making and a top notch addition to the whole series. Tom Cruise (plays Ethan Hunt) is aging but still believable as he foils the plot of M16 operative turned anarchist Solomon Lane (Sean Harris). Cruise dives, dashes, zooms, careens, and also climbs into a helicopter. His derring-do stunts are legendary and gasp worthy.  His sidekicks played by Ving Rhames (Luther), Simon Pegg (Benji), and Rebecca Ferguson (Ilsa) are reliable and add some humor and drama to the movie.

There are plenty of double-triple crosses.  Vanessa Kirby’s White Widow brings a lot of energy to the film – is she good or bad?  Henry Cavill’s CIA operative is assigned to shadow the group. Oh, he’s a cool cucumber and there are some tight scenes with Cruise. Angela Bassett is a top dog and she and Alec Baldwin go toe to toe in regards to the departmental power struggle. There’s plutonium out there with the potential for disaster. Tick Tock Tick….

Lots of travel, action, kick moves, and more. The plot almost goes too quick – I had to think a bit to keep track of who was doing what to whom and why? But there’s heart in this film too – some golden moments with Ethan and his people demonstrating a little fatigue, some world weary concern. Whew! This is a quality summer blockbuster. Cruise runs and runs, defies gravity at times, hangs from a rope, and more. He is his own mission impossible against time.  But I recommend you use your time to see MI – Fallout

Movie Review: Mission Impossible Rogue Nation

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is darn awesome summer movie making. It starts off with Tom Cruise (as Ethan Hunt) hanging off a huge Russian airplane. The thrills accelerate from there. I won’t go into plot because of course it’s convoluted. Ethan and gang have been chasing the Syndicate, but the CIA says there is no syndicate, but of course, there’s a syndicate. And these “dead” spies that appear to be alive have gone rogue.  

A key question in Mission Impossible movies is who works for whom?  Where do loyalties lie? Who can we trust or not trust, or maybe sorta trust and they sorta trust us and we all use each other?  Ethan has his loyal crew played by Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, and Jeremy Renner. Poor Jeremy is stuck back in CIA HQ answering to Alec Baldwin – the joke is “I cannot confirm or deny the existence of that.” Meanwhile, Ethan is chasing the syndicate, but keeps encountering Rebecca Ferguson – she’s maybe British intelligence, or maybe working for the bad dude, or straddling many worlds. Either way, she saves Ethan’s butt a few times and vice versa. Ferguson is a pretty actress who appears to have the smarts and the athletic ability to pull off killings, all while removing great shoes. 

Tom Cruise looks great and is so perfect for this role. He can just gaze at someone, crinkle his eyes, toss off a line, and then spring into action. He makes it look effortless after this many years in the business. I think it’s easy to take for granted how smooth he is as an actor. The Mission Impossible franchise keeps upping the ante successfully. It has not jumped the shark or gone cheesy.  Rogue Nation is a worthy addition. So hang on tight, hold your breath, and wear a seatbelt – this movie will take you for quite an entertaining ride.