The adorable catchphrase offers you a spectacular wonder of the action movies of all times: “Your mission, should you choose to accept it…”.
The sixth installment of the famous spy action series Mission: Impossible – Fallout is playing in theaters in Istanbul as of 27th of July 2018 after only two weeks of its world premiere in Paris.
It would be pointless to go back to 1996 and start reviewing all the way from the initial Mission: Impossible that was adapted from a TV series by Brian de Palma. However, it is certainly noteworthy that the franchise was born to be a sparkling star of its kind from the very first and advanced itself on each “+1”.
The brand-new picture welcomes the audience with a bad dream sequence at a safehouse in Belfast. The dream starts with Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) getting married to Julia Meade (Michelle Monaghan) after which yields to be a nightmare since this dreamy marriage turns out to be conducted by Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), the anarchist Syndicate criminal that Ethan imprisoned in Rogue Nation, the former of the series. Lane says to Ethan “you should have killed me” while an explosion is fading Ethan’s face off as he holds Julia.
This tricky opening whispers gently what the theatergoers will be witnessing on the silver screen for about two and a half hours time..
Ethan, then, wakes up and receives his “mission” hidden under the cover page of the Odyssey by Homer for sure which has been concluded to lay another cue before the audience..
Actually, two years after Ethan’s capture of Lane, other Syndicate villains, so-called the Apostles, have continued their terrifying events including the release of a smallpox outbreak in Kashmir.
But.. the worst always happens!.. Their recent plan is to use three nuclear plutonium cores to blow up the Vatican, Jerusalem and Mecca. And it is all tied somehow to a mysterious client named John Lark…
The mission is to prevent the Apostles from having the plutonium for evil purposes. And here we go then!..
The next scene takes Ethan to a dark Berlin night with Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) at the front and Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) back in the van. They are so close to making a trade for the plutonium. However, when Luther is taken unexpectedly by one of the Apostles, Ethan has to make a quick decision either to choose one life right over there or millions of others’ for the future. He chooses Luther… In the meanwhile, the plutonium cores are completely stolen.
Ethan meets Impossible Missions Forces (IMF) Secretary Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin) to discuss on an alternative plan. The next plan accordingly is to meet the White Widow (Vanessa Kirby) in Paris at a party at the Grand Palais, to introduce himself as Lark and to get the plutonium.
Every mission has its thorn, and CIA comes up the stage during the discussion of the plan! Echoing our daily jobs, Ethan is blamed for his “weakness” in Berlin by the IMF competitor (sort of) CIA. CIA Director Erica Sloan (Angela Bassett) exhibits a straight lack of confidence in IMF for this operation. Because the mission in Berlin was not accomplished. Sloan does not let IMF operate on their own, and hitches her agent August Walker (Henry Cavill) to go with Ethan to make sure that the mission is completed. Neither Alan nor Ethan is actually blissful for that…
It will be unfair to give away any spoilers regarding the rest of such a fantastic piece! Therefore, the plot is ending here slightly!… And the role of the critic starts…
It is a great opportunity to have such a structure-minded script writer and director, Christopher McQuarrie for the recent Mission: Impossibles. There is not even one tiny unaddressed point in the scenario which is extremely exciting (and rare) nowadays!..
McQuarrie routed the ship
- through a predetermined route (dramatic actions with several climaxes moving all in the same direction)
- by strengthening and expanding the adventure with emotional touch
- and keeping the integrity of the theme safely during the loading and unloading of passengers (as characters) and surprising pieces (as events).
The audience is proposed to more metaphors than one can imagine in an action film (e.g., mission delivery within a Greek myth; choice of the plutonium – Pluto’s Gate or Gate to Hell; physical appearance of Lane; naming of the remaining of the Syndicate; masks – trick or treat! etc.). Furthermore, these are placed so calmly (not being heard interruptingly) and leave an extra-delicious flavory taste…
One of the major characteristics that differentiates it from the other spy action settings is that it does not depict a flawless and obsessively mission oriented motif. Indeed, all these characters have their own flaws which are actually their capabilities. This has also made the plot unique to create its own intensity and depth.
The argument that credits a visionary directing and script is proven in Mission: Impossible – Fallout once again!…
Before telling about the cast, a respectful silence is what we all may need to talk about the incredible acting of Tom Cruise. Exclusively, he may be the most handsome man in the world & apparently at his twenties! However, apart from this physical advantage, he is Ethan Hunt, not more – not less! A perfectly performed Ethan Hunt, and doing all these stunts himself – leaping off rooftops, commands any vehicles including a helicopter, climbing up a rope attached to a helicopter and flying over thousands of feet, skydiving, signs the best running scene in a movie!… Unfortunately, he was reported with a broken ankle last August during filming which should conclude eventually that he deserves each and every compliment on his acting again and again!..
Keeping the cast from the previous series including Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson) and other IMF team has also brought a good deal of familiarity and continuity to the flow. This surely has facilitated a conceptual coherence among the actors as well. Having all the cast concentrate on this emphatically real-time fifteen minutes countdown and pass it directly to the viewers is an obvious example to that!..
Cruise is leading the game, however the others do definitely belong to the game!.. (hey Cavill, sorry but, at the end of the day, there is no other super-hyper man than Tom ;))
I liked the CGI devoided (to its best) cinematography (BAFTA awarded Rob Hardy). Especially, nothing could be thought better than a running ground level drone presented in 3D! It is also notable to acknowledge the camera operating for all the chasing through Paris streets, and surely another appreciation for the bathroom fight.
The score (Lorne Balfe) is also well-balanced or served vis-á-vis details of the plot. I must add that my favorite soundtrack song will be the epic version of the original theme (Lalo Schifrin) at closing.
The production companies Paramount Pictures, Skydance, Alibaba Pictures, and Bad Robot must be smiling gladly as well. Because, within three days of the opening, Mission: Impossible – Fallout delivered the franchise’s highest-gross with $61.5 million via topping the weekend box office charts (US, Canada). A total worldwide gross of $153.5 million is reported just for now… It is now playing in 37 countries in RealD 3D, IMAX and my favorite IMAX3D.
Last but not least..
Mission: Impossible – Fallout is a very exciting and surprising action film with a high quality of technique embedded into a great flood including outstanding performances.
It is also a gentle and intimate sigh perhaps: There can be peace without great sufferings if we may recall the human parts of ourselves… We sleep well at our homes due to some other unrecognizable fall out masks in the field, and those some others sleep well due to our timely realization of our daily tasks even if there is a blinding fallout…
Oftentimes, our weaknesses turn out to be our strengths; and as Ethan is appreciated by IMF “we need people like you (Ethan) who care about one life as much as they care about millions of others!..”