Movie Review: Mission Impossible - Fallout

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Amazing action scenes

Cons: Plot connecting is boring and predictable

The Bottom Line:

Impossible stunts

Story is just average

Action is worth it

“Hope is Not a Strategy.”  “You Must Be New.”

I had planned on seeing Mission: Impossible - Fallout in theaters, but then life got in my way, so I didn't make it.  Turns out, I wasn't missing much of anything.  The movie definitely has its moments, but overall, it was too drawn out.

Plutonium is loose - specifically three spheres of plutonium.  In an effort to keep it from falling into the wrong hands, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the rest of his Mission: Impossible team head out to intercept a meet.  However, things take an unexpected turn, and the team doesn't take possession.

And thus, we are off on another around the world mission to keep the villains from using them to destroy the world, or at least parts of it in an attempt to take over what will be left.  Can they do it?

You'll notice that I'm being rather vague.  Honestly, does the plot matter in these movies?  They are just excuses to string together massive action stunt scenes, and that's why we tune in entry after entry.

The good news is the action scenes are amazing, edge of your seat stuff.  The climax alone (which takes 15 minutes of action and expands it to 22 minutes) is gripping.  Oh, you know how it will turn out, but they still manage to keep the action and twists coming, which in turn makes it impossible to look away from the screen.  They had to have spent months making everything work because what they got on screen in impressive.

But let's go back to the plot.  Honestly, we've seen it done before in this franchise.  In fact, I was mentally crossing items off my check list as the movie went along.  This is especially frustrating since the movie clocks in at almost two and a half hours.  The action scenes are spectacular, but the plot that holds it together isn't worthy of the run time.  It certainly doesn't help that they spoiled some of the best moments and jokes in the previews.

Over the course of the franchise, we've started to assemble a regular team, and most of them were back for this installment, including Ving Rhames as Luther and Simon Pegg and Benji.  More than any other entry in the franchise, this one requires you to have seen the last one since several characters that were introduced there are major factors in this movie as well.

While I've praised the stunts, the acting is just as good.  Some of the running time is devoted to character development, at least for Ethan, and that pays off.  Everyone does a good job of bringing their characters to life.

The action scenes make this worth watching, but I'm glad I wait until I could watch it at home.  If you are a fan of the franchise, you'll enjoy Mission: Impossible - Fallout, but it isn't a must watch if you aren't.