'Mission Impossible: Fallout' Review

The best intentions come back to haunt Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) as dangerous plutonium falls into the wrong hands with plans to attack a third of the world's population. Hunt will join up with familiar faces and some new members in order to right the wrongs previously made.

There's nothing worse than seeing sequels being forced out with little care, passion or creativity evident within the final product. After 22 years, you'd maybe think that the 'Mission Impossible' series would end up heading that way like countless other franchises in the past. This most definitely isn't the case, as 'Fallout' is not only the series best film but one that will be looked at as one of the best in the entire action genre. 

Continuing from the high standards set by 'Ghost Protocol' and 'Rogue Nation', 'Fallout' looks to and succeeds in raising the bar once again. With the previous installments in the series, there are specific moments that stand out as the highlights and the most memorable moments of the film; the Burj Khalifa scene in 'Ghost Protocol' and Tom Cruise hanging onto the side of a plane in 'Rogue Nation'. With 'Fallout', there are simply too many to choose from. From brutal fight scenes in bathrooms and cabins to insane motorbike chases and an incredible skydiving set piece, the action in 'Fallout' is second to none with different styles of this genre being displayed magnificently. Each scene is packed with a high level of intensity that is matched equally with creativity, creating highly enjoyable and thrilling moments that leave you in complete awe. 

There's a reason as to why Tom Cruise is held in such high regard in the action genre as his clear passion is evident in each and every role he takes. His commitment is second to none and once again it is on show with him performing countless stunts that really draw you into the film - with his broken ankle making the final cut as well. Not only does Cruise go above and beyond in his action scenes but also delivers fantastic moments of wit and even emotion and his character faces turmoil in his personal life. Alongside a tremendous ensemble cast that features an impressive turn from Henry Cavill and another great showing from the magnificent Rebecca Ferguson, the different tones transition with ease and never feel out of place. Cruise produces another textbook performance as he continues to amaze whilst showing no intentions of stopping anytime soon. 

A lot of credit must go to writer/director Christopher McQuarrie who becomes the first director to return to the series. McQuarrie has created a script around these action set pieces that is full of mystery, intrigue, humour, creativity and sheer cleverness with very little moments feeling overlong in its two and a half hour runtime. 'Fallout' truly deserves to go down as one of the best action movies as the sheer effort and creativity that has gone into this film is easily noticeable. There is nothing generic about 'Fallout' as it looks to push the boundaries further and further as the film goes on and that is due to McQuarrie's fantastic abilities as a filmmaker.


'Fallout' is undoubtedly the best action movie of the year and the best that we have seen since 'Mad Max: Fury Road'. It has everything you want in a great action movie, from kickass heroes - both male and female -, insane stunts, great fight scenes, a perfect mix of humour and seriousness and genuine threats from villains and situations. A pure thrill ride from start to finish, this is easily the year's best blockbuster bar none.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Mission Impossible: Fallout comes out on the 25th July in the U.K