Our mission, should we choose to accept, is to review this movie. Let’s recap.

CIA director Erika Sloane (Angela Bassett) arranges for an operative named August Walker (Henry Cavill) to join forces with Hunt to recover the plutonium. It becomes clear that there is a double-agent in their midst named John Lark, and Ethan Hunt is suspected to be Lark, especially after Hunt agrees to pose as Lark in meeting with the White Widow (Vanessa Kirby). Walker appears to have successfully convinced IMF Director Hunley (Alec Baldwin) that Hunt is Lark, but things eventually backfire for Walker.

Greg, I agree. There’s no doubt Tom Cruise earned his paycheck with this film. His starpower is imprinted all over this latest brilliant installment of Mission: Impossible, a movie that sets a new standard for all future action films. Director Christopher McQuarrie deserves great kudos for raising the bar on how action scenes are done involving moving vehicles and flying fists. But Fallout’s excellence also lies in its storytelling, with the integrity of our hero Ethan Hunt once again questioned and once again corroborated. The film centers on Hunt’s ability to do whatever it takes to accomplish his team’s mission and maintain his good name.

In our Reel Heroes Books, Greg, we’ve discussed the “great eight” traits of heroes: smart, strong, reliable, resilient, caring, inspiring, charismatic, and selfless. Ethan Hunt possesses all of these qualities, no doubt, but what Mission: Impossible has always done is showcase the heroic traits of cunning and intelligence. Hunt has to outsmart the bad guys, not just out-muscle them. The original Mission: Impossible television series never underestimated viewers’ intelligence, and neither does this film series. It’s also refreshing to see a movie franchise that improves with each installment rather than declines.

Is Fallout a perfect movie? No. Scenes of violence that should have shredded Cruise’s face instead leave him nearly unmarked. Scenes of superhuman strength and speed suggest that Cruise should be wearing a Superman cape. If we can overlook these obvious liberties with “truthiness”, then we’re left with a great film that portrays sublime heroism. I’m getting to the point where I’m willing to suspend a tremendous amount of disbelief in the movies. My reasoning is this: If I can watch (and enjoy) the super-abundance of superhero movies with freakish looking beings possessing super-unrealistic superpowers, then why can’t I overlook Tom Cruise’s face remaining pretty after being hit with steel beams?

Mission: Impossible – Fallout is pretty much the perfect action hero movie. Tom Cruise has always earned my respect as an actor, but here he’s on a mission to raise the bar in ways I didn’t think were possible. His character, Ethan Hunt, has also developed an endearing softness to his character that elevates him beyond the classic action hero. Hunt is now apologizing to people and in general showing a heart that makes us root even harder for him and even more against his enemies. I don’t see how this film could be improved, and as such I give it the full 5 Reels out of 5.

Ethan Hunt as a hero is as good as it gets. The remarkable hallmark signature of Tom Cruise’s acting is his insistence on doing most of his own stunts. For a man in his mid-50s — or for any age man for that matter – he does some acrobatic and dangerous things that have me admiring his integrity and courage but also questioning his good judgment. Cruise broke some bones, literally, during the filming of Fallout. He and Ethan Hunt truly achieve rarified air as heroes. I give Hunt 4 Hero points out of 5.

With regard to archetypes, there are the usual archetypal characters that one would (and should) encounter in spy movies. There is the spy, of course. There is also the rogue good guy, the double agent, the femme-fatale, and the comedian-turned-serious-actor in Alec Baldwin. (Ha!) I award the archetypes a solid 3 Arcs out of 5.

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