Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

July 29, 2018 7:25 AM

Ethan Hunt and his IMF team, along with some familiar allies, race against time after a mission gone wrong.

Unlike some of the other MI movies, this one links directly back to more than one of the previous instalments...

posted by adrianhon (28 comments total)

I liked it! The action was fantastic, although I could’ve done with more fun nonsense capers. Perhaps one day, we’ll reach the heights of Brad Bird’s photocopier caper in MI:4.

I noticed the director leaned hard on those fixed-camera-relative-to-character action scenes that I now realise are reminiscent of third-person videogames like Uncharted. So interesting to see each medium feeding on the other! I wonder if the appeal comes from helping viewers more strongly relate to the characters. In any case, real parallels with Nathan Drake in a few scenes. The other comparison, of course, is Call of Duty (MW1 onwards). Like Uncharted, it’s non-stop set pieces set in the mostly-real world with realistic physics.

Also: none of the Mission Impossible Universe baddies have heard of face-changing tech? Still?! Like, rumours aren’t swirling after all these years?
posted by adrianhon at 7:27 AM on July 29, 2018

Also also, my pitch for the next monvie:

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - ART PROTOCOL

Nearing retirement, Ethan Hunt faces his greatest challenge yet - creating the elaborate motion graphics briefings sent to IMF agents against incredible deadlines
posted by adrianhon at 7:28 AM on July 29, 2018 [3 favorites]

Also: none of the Mission Impossible Universe baddies have heard of face-changing tech?

I guess the question is whether its realistic that a tech could remain commercially unexploited and thus be something that everyone is aware of. If that is possible, then it may be possible to know about it and still forget it in the moment, as many of the audience does, and as Henry Cavill's character does in the Benjy/Hale moment here. How soon does the penny drop for you in the two scenes?

Talking of face changes, at what point would someone say 'Hey, Ilsa looks like a younger version of your missus.'?

I thought this was ok, felt a bit long. Pegg could have had more to do.

Shame for Ethan that the millennium bridge hasn't shown up on Benjy's GPS map yet.
posted by biffa at 8:32 AM on July 29, 2018

I loved it. And an action movie that genuinely believes in “the ends don’t justify the means” is a rare treat. Echoes of Winter Soldier and the script does a great job to surround Hunt with terrorists, governments and even friends who believe the opposite.

I’ve not been so tense in a film in a while. Really compelling action and the chase in London is actually accurate and respects the geography!

McQuarrie has been getting better and better as a director; been a fan since Way of the Gun.
posted by slimepuppy at 9:51 AM on July 29, 2018 [3 favorites]

Henry Cavill was great, the usual crew was fantastic (as usual).

I enjoyed the film, but I was really struck by how it's basically two separate movies surgically spliced together. The first half in Paris and London is the best that this series has ever been. I was sitting in jaw-dropped wonder at the bike chase scene—I have no idea how they did that safely because it certainly looks like your multi-million-dollar movie star is about to turn into a pancake at any moment.

The second half just became more and more ludicrous as it went on, like almost a parody of a big budget action extravaganza. But, even with that said, the parts that work *really* work. I didn't notice until after that I'd been gripping the armrest so hard my hand ached during some of the helicopter sequences.
posted by ssmith at 10:48 AM on July 29, 2018 [4 favorites]

I liked the first two hours or so, but at that points my I just started wishing it would end. Could productively have been trimmed 30 min. The helicopter bit at the end was pretty good in spite of the above.
posted by hwestiii at 2:37 PM on July 29, 2018

Talking of face changes, at what point would someone say 'Hey, Ilsa looks like a younger version of your missus.'?

I've never seen a MI movie before, and I finally had to lean over and ask my friend if those were two different women. (Until they got to Kashmir, then it was clear.)

It was great fun, exactly what I expected. Made no sense why the White Widow would need John Lark on that extraction, but I expected a certain amount of ridiculousness.
posted by Mavri at 3:34 PM on July 29, 2018 [1 favorite]

I liked it a lot. McQuarrie has turned into one of the great action directors and this is his best. I love how he knows that we really just want to see action in a film like this and he just throws out anything extraneous to that. There's little character development, no subplots or really anything but stunts and fights and lots and lots of running. I don't think that you even see anyone eat or drink anything.

The end was totally cliched and contrived and completely unbelievable but I was still squirming in my seat and gripping the arm-rest of my seat because it was so well done. It's fun to see an artist at the top of his craft like this.
posted by octothorpe at 6:45 AM on July 30, 2018 [2 favorites]

It was a lot of fun! The action was legitimately thrilling, and the story was fine, although something about the trailer had tipped me off to one of the specific twists so I was waiting for it. It was definitely too long - after all the Paris and London stuff, moving to a third location felt a little deflating, even though the final action scene was very good. Actually I may have been most interested in the fight in the house with Ilsa and the baddie. That was really well choreographed.
posted by PussKillian at 7:19 AM on July 30, 2018 [2 favorites]

Talking of face changes, at what point would someone say 'Hey, Ilsa looks like a younger version of your missus.'?

Seriously, in my head a voice shouted, "WELL APPARENTLY ETHAN HAS A TYPE."

I'll also chime in that the film seemed to run a little longer than necessary - but then again, I went to a 9 pm showing and had expected to get home before midnight. -_- That might just be me grouching.

Overall, I enjoyed the film. Cavill's character felt a little flat at times, like there was a more fun, interesting character trying to break out. The MI team were great in their respective roles and I'm happy that Baldwin's character wasn't foolish enough to fall for the attempted frame job on Hunt.

The stunts were pretty incredible.
posted by Atreides at 11:21 AM on July 30, 2018 [1 favorite]

I'm frequently annoyed by Cruise, but didn't experience it quite so vividly.

I'm constitutionally against the bumbling science/ engineering sidekicks, but Pegg pulls it off with a decent mix and not-quite-too-much bumbling humour.

Pleasantly surprised by Balwin.

I couldn't put my finger on why the main baddie looked so familiar - had to IMDB to realize it from was Micheletto 'The Borgias.'
posted by porpoise at 3:27 PM on July 30, 2018 [1 favorite]

This was really fun. I think the audience was a big part of it for us in the showing we saw. There were a few people who were just really in to it and their enjoyment was infectious. These three guys sitting behind us, every slight joke got the BIGGEST LAUGH. Lot's of WHOA's and LOOK OUT! Usually I'm a total snot and can't stand to hear others but I began actively listening to them respond, it was so sweet how much they loved it. I liked thinking that like any series MI has it's own super fans! and here I was right in front of a few of them.

Then there were these two elementary age kids next to us. One did not speak English so the other spent the entire movie explaining everything. Again this would usually make me nuts! But this time I didn't really feel a big need to follow the dialogue or story super closely so who cares what I missed. One of the kids started crying when Alec Baldwin died. Really?! Again is was just sweet how IN TO IT everyone around us was.

And then I can look at the streets of Paris and London for hours. I love looking at other locales via movies. I haven't had a chance to go to a movie in a while so this was nice treat after a stressful weekend at work. Glad I was in the right place to really enjoy it.
posted by dog food sugar at 1:42 AM on July 31, 2018 [2 favorites]

The helicopter rear ending was fantastic and dumb and totally the best.
posted by nikaspark at 2:05 PM on July 31, 2018 [6 favorites]

Such a great, above average action movie. McQuarrie seriously has to be among the greats working today. Still, if I'm going to predict based on the unexpected appearance of lore, canon, and continuity in this franchise, the next couple of movies will probably be all about 'fambly' a la F&F. Lol I can't wait for that ridiculousness.
posted by cendawanita at 7:31 PM on July 31, 2018

Agree with PussKillian the fight between Ilsa and Lang in the house in Kashmir was fantastic. So many great bits, like immediately tossing the box under Benji's feet to keep him alive for a few moments longer, using her legs against Lang's superior strength, and then the desperate race between how long Lang can stay conscious vs. the desire to save Benji. That was one of the best, tension-filled moments in the film.

Also, the entire Paris sequence from the start of the motorcade ambush to the escape from Ilsa is just amazing. Including Hunt's desperate desire to make sure no good guys are killed. Not too many movies that would have included the scene with the Parisian traffic cop, but it works so well and then, of course, has additional unanticipated consequences with the White Widow.

Glad I caught this one, and now I think I'll have to watch the previous one that I missed as well.
posted by dellsolace at 7:10 AM on August 2, 2018 [7 favorites]

FYI, the previous one was fantastic.
posted by Atreides at 12:58 PM on August 2, 2018

Made no sense why the White Widow would need John Lark on that extraction

Ostensibly:
Lark wants the plutonium. The price is Lane. Lark needs Lane. Widow has a plan to get Lane, but Lark needs to share in the risk of getting Lane.

What the Widow doesn't know is that the real Lark wants Lane for the sake of Lane because Lark's crew already has the plutonium. Lark played the Widow into figuring out when and where Lane would be exposed for extraction.

To anyone in the thread who hasn't seen Rogue Nation, this is the first film in the series that is a direct sequel. I would definitely go back and watch that movie to get a better perspective on Fallout.

To anyone in the thread who hasn't seen any MI film before, go back and watch the first one. It is the pinnacle of the franchise and still holds up after 20+ years.
posted by King Bee at 5:09 AM on August 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

I've never seen the first one, which is odd because I'm generally a DePalma fan. I mean even his bad films have at least one scene that makes it worth watching. I'll try to catch up with it this weekend.
posted by octothorpe at 8:25 AM on August 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

Hmmm. Well, it was pretty good. All of the Paris stunts were really exciting and presumably very difficult to pull off. The only wait-that's-Tom-Cruise moment I had was when he was on the motorcycle in the middle of all that traffic. It definitely felt like a more dangerous stunt the usual ones, since they would've had to...y'know, rely on a bunch of different drivers to not run over Tom Cruise. I wonder if they filmed it done slowly and then sped up the film?

Everything felt less visually exciting this time, unfortunately. There was no hurtling down a skyscraper while a sandstorm approached...nor even anything approaching the beautiful, gripping opera sequence in the last film and the madcap underwater vault heist/motorcycle chase that followed it. "The White Widow" was a really cheesy Bond villain, so I'm glad they explained that the CIA was underwriting her schemes. Jeremy Renner seems like kind of a jerk as a person, but I've always found his wry action hero schtick very effective on screen. I missed him here.

I was surprised Baldwin died, but maybe he's too busy for the franchise? Either way, it sends the message that being head of IMF might be more dangerous than being a field agent. It also feels like they're telegraphing a return for Ilsa next film (yay lady spies), but in the worst possible way (boo romance).
posted by grandiloquiet at 2:13 PM on August 5, 2018

This was entertaining, but I think I faded out for a minute in the transition to the mountains at my 10:30p showing. I haven't seen Rogue Nation yet and I did have a feeling that some characters were supposed to be more familiar than they were. Still fine! Tom Cruise had some new expressions that I hadn't seen before.
posted by rhizome at 3:00 AM on August 6, 2018

Just saw this, and the way it started off, with that long exposition about who the Apostles were, what the plan was, where the plutonium came from, who the weapons designer was - it was like, commit this data dump to memory because we are not going to have time for any of this in the rest of the movie. And then, boom. That was a rocket.

Sure, all the usual flaws - a way, way over-complicated plan by the all-knowing, all-anticipating villain; obvious allies who want the same thing working at total cross-purposes; utterly miraculous escapes from any number of death-defying scenarios that should have brought things to a complete halt in real life.

But that was a white-knuckled thrill ride!
posted by RedOrGreen at 12:18 PM on August 6, 2018

I mean, they went through all that Apostles stuff and...left it there? It wasn't super clear (without RN maybe) what the rest of the movie had to do with them. They certainly weren't mentioned in this installment more than a couplefew times.

This movie is helping to solidify a directorial theory that I have, where the protagonists are only ever doing one of two things: fighting, or driving to the next fight. The acts are delineated by meetings with complicated gestural presentation monitors, a la Minority Report.
posted by rhizome at 4:56 PM on August 6, 2018

Just watched the first one and the action scenes do hold up well, especially the Langley break-in but the overall tone is pretty goofy. De Palma is pretty close to self-parody here with all the canted angles and giant focus pulls but you could tell that he was having fun with it.
posted by octothorpe at 8:47 PM on August 8, 2018

I also thought the pacing was breakneck after the initial info-dump. But it was a great ride! My only cynicism was that there's no way he was able to complete the entire helicopter sequence including the cliff showdown in 15 minutes. Same for Benji and Ilsa finding the second bomb, fighting off Lane, and then defusing it. But hey, movie magic!

I'll have to rewatch the previous ones. I barely remember them now.
posted by numaner at 5:17 PM on August 13, 2018

Hah, someone like Terence Malick should make a real-time action movie. Great sequences separated by oceans of bureaucracy.
posted by rhizome at 11:12 PM on August 13, 2018

I enjoyed the shit out of this, and it's actually my favourite mission impossible since the first one. McQuarrie doesn't fuck around and I really appreciate it.

I also thought it was beautifully shot. The slightly muted colours were lovely and there were some great compositions with slow zooms.

My only regret is he didn't make the most effective use of the theme song. I love a bit of that classic theme song played over some bad ass shit.
posted by smoke at 3:35 AM on August 15, 2018 [2 favorites]

Next movie they should also include Evangeline Lilly. It’ll be like a fun house hall of mirrors.
posted by supercres at 6:52 PM on August 20, 2018

I thought the doublecrosses and general IMF-ery in the first half was a bit overwrought, especially with the Lark and Lane... I dunno, felt like a bit of a shell game there on top of the good cop / bad cop / rogue nation hijinks. Like, don't think too hard about the necessities of the plot, I'm not sure it hangs together all that well without some degree of omniscience on _somebody's_ part...

But the action was so well executed that it mostly kept rolling along regardless, and the last third at the refugee camp was nicely tense. I mean, the MI series doesn't shy away from killing off Ethan's teammates, and they had plenty of opportunities there. On the other hand, they sort of established a theme that Ethan will do whatever it takes to keep his team alive, even if it means excuses for more action sequences. (And honestly, the way they lost the plutonium at the beginning was stuuuuuu-pid. Like OK, the baddies are scattering, secure the plutonium and GTFO, rushing up to Luther isn't going to change anything.)

And yeah, deffo on the "Ethan has a type" vibe.
posted by Kyol at 12:29 PM on December 27, 2018