There is a scene in “Mission Impossible: Fallout,” hitting theaters tonight, Thursday, July 26, in which a news report says that a nuclear bomb has hit the Vatican, and that the pope was there.
And that’s all I’ll say about that.
The sixth installment of Tom Cruise’s reboot of the 1960s TV hit — which began in 1996 — is a wild ride that simultaneously asks some big questions: Is one life worth more than many? Is it worth risking everything for love? Should we kick helicopter pilots — whose guilt in any crimes is not actually delineated — out of the chopper to fall, screaming in terror, to their deaths? (Spoiler alert: the answer to that one is “yes, without a second thought.”)
I love a good action movie, but not enough to have seen any of the “Mission Impossible” franchise since the first one, which was awesome. However, I was able to track the plot of this one and figure out who’s who, so don’t worry if you’re in the same boat. My first impression of “Fallout,” directed by Christopher McQuarrie, is that it is a very silly movie, which isn’t to say it’s not fun to watch, provided you don’t think about the following things:
- How many people had their lives ruined because of car accidents during chases in glamorous locations?
- Do all the supposed bad guys shot without a second thought have moms and dads or wives and kids?
- How many spectacular falls, tumbles, leaps and outrageous fistfights can people endure and hardly come away with more than a scratch? (Hint: it’s a big number.)
There’s also a nod to a terrorist being anti-religious, but the individual in question is pretty much anti-everything, so that’s a wash.
If you’ve seen the previous installment, “Rogue Nation,” everyone (Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris) will look very familiar to you. If you haven’t, well, never mind. I didn’t need to know, and neither will you.
“Fallout” adds the delectable British actor Henry Cavill, whom I love-love-loved in “The Tudors” (but not enough to see him as Superman in any movie except “Justice League,” which was ridiculous — but it wasn’t Henry’s fault). He plays some sort of a CIA assassin/agent/frenemy here, both the sidekick of Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt and his adversary.
The 35-year-old is also stuck with a ridiculous 1970s mustache, which may have been an attempt, albeit in vain, to make him less attractive than 56-year-old Tom Cruise. But, I must say, Cruise (all Scientology weirdness aside) looks good for 56 and, from his obvious participation in much running and many stunts, has kept himself in tip-top shape.
Producer J.J. Abrams is known for preferring practical stunts over CGI ones, and that always gives them greater weight and impact. Directors too enamored with the digital toybox, take note.
One thing this film lacked that some of my favorite action franchises have is a plethora of well-timed quips to undercut the grim seriousness of scenes. “Fallout” has some, but I felt there were many comic opportunities that slid by. There are also a couple of syrupy exposition speeches about lost love and whatever, so there’s an attempt at heart. And of course, a loved one must be put in peril, or it wouldn’t be a proper action franchise. But, for once, it’s not a teenage daughter, so that’s something.
Alec Baldwin also has a lot of fun as the blustery new IMF head, as does Angela Bassett as the slithery head of the CIA.
“The Crown” star Vanessa Kirby (who played Princess Margaret) has not nearly enough screen time as a deliciously arch “broker” called the White Widow.
According to my “MI”-loving screening-mate and other reviews I’ve read, if you like the “MI” franchise, you’ll like this one. And, really, isn’t that all you wanted to know?
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