More than just another great sequel, Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) is the culmination of years of character development, world-building, and a filmmaking philosophy rooted in authenticity and spectacle. It respects its audience enough to trust that they’ll appreciate the realness, the precision, and the daring of what’s on screen. This isn’t just the best Mission: Impossible movie—it’s one of the finest action films of the 21st century.
‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ Movie Review
Mission: Impossible – Fallout, directed by Christopher McQuarrie and starring Tom Cruise, isn’t just the high point of its own franchise—it’s a modern action masterpiece, arguably one of the greatest action films ever made. As the sixth installment in the Mission: Impossible series, Fallout takes everything that made the previous films thrilling and dials it up to a level that almost feels physically exhausting—in the best possible way.
By 2018, audiences had already seen Ethan Hunt scale the Burj Khalifa, dangle from airplanes, and infiltrate high-security government facilities, but Fallout still manages to surprise with jaw-dropping stunts and real-world spectacle that few blockbusters even dare to attempt. Cruise, now deep into his 50s during filming, throws himself into every sequence with the kind of relentless intensity that has come to define his late-career resurgence. Whether it’s the HALO jump from 25,000 feet, a roaring motorcycle chase through Paris, or a helicopter pursuit through jagged mountain terrain, Fallout pushes the boundaries of what real, practical stunt work can look like in the modern cinematic landscape.
The plot, continuing directly from Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, is more than just connective tissue for these stunts. Sean Harris returns as Solomon Lane, the villain whose ideology and presence still haunt Ethan. Lane’s old organization, The Syndicate, has rebranded as The Apostles, a terrorist collective plotting to use three plutonium cores to destabilize global order. The IMF team—Benji (Simon Pegg), Luther (Ving Rhames), and Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson)—are once again pulled into an international mission with the highest of stakes. But this time, they’re joined by CIA operative August Walker, played with brutish swagger by Henry Cavill, whose infamous bathroom fight scene with Cruise is one of the film’s many highlights.
One of Fallout’s most clever achievements is how it balances relentless momentum with emotional weight. McQuarrie builds a story that isn’t just about saving the world, but also about Ethan Hunt’s internal reckoning—his fear of failing the people he loves, and the cost of his unwavering moral code. These themes surface organically through the action, lending deeper meaning to sequences that are already jaw-dropping in their execution.
And yet, the emotional stakes never drag the film down. Fallout is exquisitely paced, shifting gears between close-quarters brawls, edge-of-your-seat chases, and globe-hopping espionage without a single wasted scene. The editing is razor sharp, the cinematography from Rob Hardy is kinetic yet elegant, and Lorne Balfe’s score pulses with tension and energy throughout. The supporting cast delivers, too—Pegg remains a franchise MVP for his comic timing and grounded reactions, while Rhames adds warmth and history to the IMF team’s dynamic. Ferguson’s return as Ilsa continues to enrich the franchise’s most compelling and well-balanced female character.
What makes Mission: Impossible – Fallout feel different—better, even—than its peers is its commitment to grounded, practical action. Much like Mad Max: Fury Road or Top Gun: Maverick, the audience can feel the weight of the stunts, and the camera never flinches or cheats. The danger feels immediate. The exhaustion on the actors’ faces is real. And the reward, as a viewer, is total immersion.
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More than just another great sequel, Fallout is the culmination of years of character development, world-building, and a filmmaking philosophy rooted in authenticity and spectacle. It respects its audience enough to trust that they’ll appreciate the realness, the precision, and the daring of what’s on screen. This isn’t just the best Mission: Impossible movie—it’s one of the finest action films of the 21st century.
Score: 10/10
Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
- Cast: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Alec Baldwin, Angela Bassett, Vanessa Kirby, Michelle Monaghan, Wes Bentley, Frederick Schmidt
- Director: Christopher McQuarrie
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
- Runtime: 147 minutes
- Rated: PG-13
- Release Date: July 27, 2018
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- Read More: Mission: Impossible – Fallout on Wikipedia and IMDb