{"id":358,"date":"2018-07-29T00:26:09","date_gmt":"2018-07-29T00:26:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.granitecitynow.com\/?p=358"},"modified":"2018-07-29T02:30:18","modified_gmt":"2018-07-29T02:30:18","slug":"mission-impossible-fallout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.granitecitynow.com\/?p=358","title":{"rendered":"Mission: Impossible – Fallout"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It was 1996 when Tom Cruise took on his first impossible mission as IMF Agent Ethan Hunt.<\/p>\n

Twenty-two years later these \u201cMission: Impossible\u201d flicks \u2013 now totaling six \u2013 gradually have gotten bigger, the action has become bolder, and Cruise? He\u2019s just gotten better.<\/p>\n

Maybe that\u2019s because the action-spy genre continues to raise the bar, with Daniel Craig being arguably the best James Bond there\u2019s ever been, and the Jason Bourne movies redefining what we expect in terms of movement and adventure.<\/p>\n

Or it could be (hint: it is) because Cruise himself is performing the jaw-dropping stunts we see onscreen, virtually becoming Ethan Hunt and subsequently impressing the hell out of audiences.<\/p>\n

Cruise has, among other seemingly impossible stunts, jumped off a skyscraper in 2006\u2019s \u201cMission: Impossible III,\u201d scaled the world\u2019s tallest building in 2011\u2019s \u201cGhost Protocol,\u201d hung from side of an airplane as its taking off in 2015\u2019s \u201cRogue Nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now Ethan Hunt and his team \u2013 including Luther (Ving Rhames) and Benji (Simon Pegg, god bless this guy and his perfectly-timed quips) \u2013 are back to wow us once again in \u201cMission: Impossible \u2013 Fallout.\u201d<\/p>\n

And honestly, it\u2019s one of the most suspenseful and exciting action flicks I\u2019ve ever seen.<\/p>\n

The mission in \u201cFallout\u201d seems fairly straightforward \u2013 on its surface.<\/p>\n

Ethan receives a message in typically cryptic fashion, and we watch and listen in as the details are explained: \u201c\u2026 syndicate of rogue operatives\u2026 remnants of an extreme splinter cell\u2026 destruction of the current world order\u2026 plutonium cores\u2026 nuclear weapons\u2026 72 hours\u2026 your mission, should you choose to accept it\u2026 secretary will disavow\u2026 good luck, Ethan.\u201d<\/p>\n

You know the drill.<\/p>\n

But there are constant twists and surprises, and these crafty layers of deception add complexity and intrigue to this task, thereby bestowing its \u201cimpossible\u201d status.<\/p>\n

And, of course, there\u2019s the ever-present sense of urgency because of the time element \u2013 and if you happen to forget, the background score will provide the rapid heartbeat with which to sync your pulse.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s helpful to have at least seen \u201cRogue Nation<\/a>\u201d before checking out \u201cFallout,\u201d because a few familiar faces pop up, including those of exceptionally-breathy baddie Lane (Sean Harris) and former MI6 agent Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson).<\/p>\n

A mustached Henry Cavill (y\u2019know, \u201cSuperman\u201d) is a new addition, bringing some muscle and unexpected but welcomed humor as CIA Agent August Walker.<\/p>\n

Cruise again outdoes himself, performing his own stunts and bringing an unmatched level of authenticity to the franchise.<\/p>\n

He jumped 106 times from a plane to get that HALO jump (High Altitude, Low Opening) just right; a special helmet with a wider shield was used, allowing us to see that it\u2019s Cruise doing the work.<\/p>\n

He broke his ankle during the rooftop jump but managed to hobble through the scene so the footage wouldn\u2019t be wasted.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s him weaving in and out of Paris traffic during the motorcycle chase, with \u201cno safety gear or helmet,\u201d according to the film\u2019s director Christopher McQuarrie.<\/p>\n

Cruise trained for and earned a helicopter license to fly the craft during that spiral descent, the presentation of which is literally breathtaking \u2013 a clearly panicked Ethan at the yoke with the background rushing toward the camera.<\/p>\n

Oh, and that payload rope scene on the helicopter? Yep, that\u2019s him, too.<\/p>\n

Your<\/em> mission is to remember to freaking breathe <\/em>during this flick; it\u2019s chock full of so much intense action and ridiculously insane stunts that the anticipation alone might cause all involuntary behaviors to cease.<\/p>\n

But this is how big action movies should<\/em> be \u2013 filled with grab-you-by-the-throat ferocity and heart-stopping uncertainty that only lets up when it\u2019s damn good and ready, at which point the audience that has been knotted with tension while holding its collective breath finally can exhale.<\/p>\n

\u201cMission: Impossible \u2013 Fallout\u201d is a ton of fun.<\/p>\n

The scenery is achingly gorgeous; the film\u2019s visuals are brilliant and flashy and quick and purposeful; it\u2019s got the best bathroom fight scene since \u201cCasino Royale\u201d; and McQuarrie\u2019s use of light and shadows bring a whole new level of mystery.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t wait to see what this crew does next.<\/p>\n

You have just enjoyed the insights of Movie Addict Mel, a cinema dork and conversational writer. Follow her on Twitter\u00a0@movieaddictmel<\/a>, and \u201clike\u201d her Facebook page\u00a0www.facebook.com\/movieaddictmel<\/a><\/em>. You also can email her at movieaddictmel@outlook.com<\/em>.<\/p>\n