Fallout goes darker and more realistic than ever before, meta-analyzing Hunt’s obscure methods while still following the same tropes and hi-jinks.
By Sean D. Hartman
If you have seen all the Mission: Impossible movies, you would have likely found the pattern that makes the movie: superspy Ethan Hunt chooses his friends over the mission and must now help the bad guy with his mission and then somehow through deus ex machina end up saving the day.
It seems J.J. Abrams got the message, because Fallout breaks that pattern.
What is being hailed as one of the greatest action movies of all time, and rightfully it is up there, Fallout goes darker and more realistic than ever before, meta-analyzing Hunt’s obscure methods while still following the same tropes and hijinks. It takes their old dynamic and reframes it in a new and unique way.
Fallout takes place after Rogue Nation, revolving around a chaotic offshoot of the Syndicate known as the Apostates, seeking to enact a major global catastrophe to create a more peaceful society.
The story follows the normal Mission: Impossible dynamic—evil plot involving WMDs, a traitor on the inside, Hunt is a suspect, and Simon Pegg being Simon Pegg—while bringing in familiar characters from the past, even as far back as the first film.
The film tripled-down on the cinematic feats, most of which Tom Cruise does himself. Heart-pounding sequences of skydiving, helicopter crashing, and violent deaths makes it feel like a roller coaster. This is typical of your Mission: Impossible movies, as it always tries to push the action-packed boundaries.
But this movie is so much more than action. Ever since Ghost Protocol, the Mission: Impossible franchise has slowly moved away from the stereotypical spy movie to a meta-critique on our foreign and national security policies. Villains like Solomon Lane and John Lark represent an anarchistic anti-establishment movement that is currently rising in our political systems. And though their methods are ruthless, their populist philosophy could resonate with some viewers.
Though the story remains the same, you begin to question the morality of the Impossible Mission Force, making you realize their actions are more like state-sponsored terrorists than intelligence agents. The movie takes on a new form for a franchise weakened by the same cliched storyline, by keeping those tropes that work and adapting them for a grittier 21st Century audience.
Sean David Hartman is a reporter for the Central Florida Post, covering entertainment and public affairs. He describes himself as a “Professional Political Nuisance” and goes after politicians on both sides. Hartman is an autism rights activist, and #ProudlyAutistic.
