Mission: Impossible—Fallout is one for the fans.
In terms of its plot and tone, it’s a near-perfect synthesis of everything that’s preceded it, improving upon both the second film’s over-the-top action and the third’s sometimes clumsy attempts to “humanize” Ethan Hunt. It doesn’t quite reach the heights of Brad Bird’s flawlessly-structured Ghost Protocol, but it’s a damn strong runner-up.
Best of all, it’s packed with deep cuts into the series’ mythology. And I’m not just talking about the fact that one of the supporting characters is literally the daughter of Max, the first installment’s information broker/arms dealer. No, what tickled my fancy was the pre-credits sequence, which is essentially a condensed, modernized remake of my favorite episode of the original 1960s television series.
So when I say Mission: Impossible—Fallout is one for the fans, I really mean that it’s one for me in particular.
[Originally written July 28, 2018.]
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