Twenty-two years and six movies on, Tom Cruise is still breaking boundaries (and blowing minds) as IMF agent Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – Fallout.
While the Mission: Impossible series certainly has its tropes and familiar beats, Fallout is actually the first movie of the series to be directed by a returning director. And Christopher McQuarrie’s returning presence is felt almost instantly.
Having first entered the field with Hunt and his team in 2016’s Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, McQuarrie doubles down on his veteran status by building an actual bridge between Fallout and previous chapters of the series reaching all the way to J.J. Abrams Mission: Impossible III.
While this may seem unimpressive in a world with a twenty movie saga about a purple man collecting reality-bending jewellery, it’s important to note that up till recently movies of the soy franchise hardly ever offered proper continuity, let alone recurring lead female characters (looking at you, Bond).
Fallout’s inclusion of not only Rogue Nation’s Rebecca Ferguson, but also Michelle Monaghan who first appeared in Mission: Impossible III in 2000, indicates a new take on the role female characters can play in these otherwise testosterone-fuelled franchises which have almost always placed action and adventure over character growth.
McQuarrie’s second outing with the Impossible Missions Force is also evident in his choice to focus not on plot twists and secret identities (don’t worry, we still get the trademarked rubber mask switcheroos) but rather on the thrills and intensity of action sequences that maximise the risk factors of their landscapes.
Additionally, while the Mission: Impossible films have never really been an outlet for Cruise’s acting skills, Fallout‘s use of characters from his past allows for a more expressive take on Ethan Hunt than one might be used to.
The movie’s strength also lies in the use of the supporting characters, avoiding the frequent cop out of writing out every one but the hero and villain come final showdown.
Christopher McQuarrie’s use of characters and understanding of what makes a compelling plot with a satisfying conclusion keeps this two decade old franchise fresh and audience anticipating more.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout is out in all theatres now!
Also, bonus video!