Rating: ****
Review Date: 7/29/18
Producer: J. J. Abrams
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Cast: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson,
Sean Harris, Alec Baldwin, Angela Bassett, Vanessa Kirby, Michelle Monaghan,
cameo by Wolf Blitzer
After the capture of Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) in "Rogue Nation" (2015), The Syndicate was left in a power vacuum and spawned a new group of terrorists known as The Apostles. When IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) fails to recover a shipment of stolen plutonium, he's forced to work with CIA agent August Walker (Henry Cavill) to negotiate its return in exchange for Lane. Additional complications implicate Hunt as a terrorist, while MI6 agent Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) has her own mission agenda to follow.
It's a gorgeous and superbly crafted action film full of dazzling sights and breathtaking stunt work. Unfortunately, the trailer for the film gives nearly all of the action away, which robs the audience of any suspense and surprises. Additionally, the opening credits of the film actually contain spoilers, which is totally ridiculous. Why would anyone do that? It completely baffles me. Regardless, the stunt work is amazing and the jaw-dropping camera work keeps you constantly guessing how they did it. The car and motorcycle chases are especially exhilarating, and I can only conclude that digital trickery was involved. The bathroom fight scene is another highlight that's executed extremely well, and Henry Cavill is an imposing figure who makes a great brawler. Cruise is once again the central figure, but his teammates are well represented and Rebecca Ferguson does a wonderful job of stealing the show.
The film is loud, fast, tense, and overly predictable, and it's immediately obvious who the bad guys are. The spy tech is outrageously silly and the physics and logic are highly implausible, but that doesn't diminish the fun. Perhaps the most incredible thing about the film is that it exists at all. With each new "Mission: Impossible" movie, you wonder if it's going to be Tom Cruise's last. It's amazing that he's still in top form and eager to put his life on the line for our entertainment.