‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ Review

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Writer: Christopher McQuarrie

Cast: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Sean Harris, Michelle Monaghan, Alec Baldwin and Angela Bassett

Synopsis: Ethan Hunt and his IMF team, along with some familiar allies, race against time after a mission gone wrong.

 

*Reviewer Note: This will be a spoiler free review.*

 

Mission: Impossible is arguably one of the best action franchises still around. The franchise has come a long way since the first film back in 1996, and since J.J. Abrams brought back the franchise in 2006, they keep getting better and better with every sequel. However, director Christopher McQuarrie has definitely put his stamp on the franchise, especially since he’s the only director to back came to direct a sequel. So where does Fallout stand in the franchise? Pretty high up there, to be honest.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout follows Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), and his team of Benji (Simon Pegg) and Luther (Ving Rhames), as they track down a dangerous new organization called The Apostles, a spinoff if you will, of the criminal organization The Syndicate from Rogue Nation. The group is run by mysterious and unknown John Lark, who is after plutonium cores to set off bombs around the globe. After a botched attempt to get them before Lark, the CIA’s Erica Sloan (Angela Bassett) forces Ethan and the IMF to have bring along August Walker (Henry Cavill) to insure they finally get the plutonium and Lark. Of course, all of that is easier said than done, especially when Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson) and Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) reenter the picture.

I’m not going to lie, I really, really liked this movie. Fallout is thrilling from beginning to end, and doesn’t really ever let the reigns go for anything. The characters, which have all primarily been in the series before work well together. You believe that Ethan, Luther and Benji care for one another and would do anything to protect each other, while also trying to successfully complete their mission. Ferguson’s Ilsa, even though this is her second film – a rare feat for female characters in the series – also feels right at home when she shows up. These are characters we’ve seen and care about, so when certain things are set into motion, or even when they’re picking on one another, we get an emotion out of it.

I don’t want to take a jab at another long-running franchise – Fast & Furious – but Fallout knows who their characters are, and isn’t afraid to have them outshine one another every now and then. Even though Cruise’s Ethan is the lead, everybody has their moment, and it’s awesome to see them take the reins and roll with it.

When it comes to the new characters, more particularly, Henry Cavill’s Walker, he is the perfect opposite of Cruise’s Ethan. Ethan would rather take care of something as smoothly and hazard-free as possible, Walker will just straight-up walk up to the situation, get his hands dirty and deal with the consequences later. It’s also nice to see them play off with each other, and it’s even more apparent during one of the many standout sequences in the HALO jump.

Mission: Impossible is known now for their big set pieces, and Fallout is no different. While the HALO jump is cool to see – looks great in IMAX – there are two chase scenes in Paris that had me on the edge of my seat, and that’s all I’ll say that about. That said, the series has made itself proud of doing a lot of their stunts and action sequences with no to little CGI, which is maybe one reason why fans appreciate these films – as they should. That’s the case here, and while it looks like they used some CGI in little parts here and there, Fallout is probably the most daring for stunts, especially knowing that Tom Cruise broke his ankle during one of the stunts – which they actually ended up using in the film.

As much as I really liked the movie, there are some things that just kind of didn’t work for me. For one, and this is something I can’t believe I’m saying, Fallout is a just a tad bit too long. Fallout is the longest of the Mission: Impossible films and you can clearly feel it before the third act gets going. Cast wise, Angela Bassett’s Erica Sloan is kind of wasted here, even though her character doesn’t necessarily call for her to be in the film a lot, having someone like Bassett play the role, and having her disappear for most of the film was odd. Sean Harris’ Solomon Lane isn’t as compelling as he was in Rogue Nation, but he’s also now the only villain to appear in two Mission: Impossible films. Lastly, and this is something I didn’t mind, but others probably will, Fallout relies a little bit too much on small twists.

All in all, Mission: Impossible – Fallout is one of the best experiences you’ll have in theaters this summer. It’s got great action, the cast is spot on, the score is also damn great and it’s thrilling from beginning to end. I can’t say enough good things about Fallout. The fact that Mission: Impossible has had the staying power and continues to get better with every installment is amazing and hard to believe, but somehow they keep doing it, and I’m all for it.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout

5 out of 5

‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ Review

Director: Peyton Reed

Writers: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Andrew Barrer, Gabriel Ferrari and Paul Rudd

Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Pena, Hannah John-Kamen, Walton Goggins, Randall Park, David Dastmalchian, Tip ‘T.I.’ Harris, Judy Greer, Bobby Cannavale, Abby Ryder Fortson, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer

Synopsis: As Scott Lang balances being both a Super Hero and a father, Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym present an urgent new mission that finds the Ant-Man fighting alongside The Wasp to uncover secrets from their past.

 

*Reviewer Note: This will be a spoiler free review. There is also a mid-credit and post-credit scene.*

 

The twentieth movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ant-Man and the Wasp, is a nice change of pace from the shattering conclusion of Avengers: Infinity War. The sequel not only doesn’t take itself too seriously, it’s a low stakes movie that is a hell of a lot of fun.

The movie follows Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), who has been on house arrest for two years after the events of Captain America: Civil War. He’s also been cut off by Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) after going off to fight without telling them. The daughter-father duo are also trying to find Hope’s mother Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and bring her back from the Quantum Realm, which is realized more after an incident with Scott.

What follows is Hope and Hank getting Scott to help them get Janet out, but also dealing with the mysterious Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), who tries to steal a vital piece of technology, and a black market businessman Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins) trying to profit off Pym’s technology.

Ant-Man and the Wasp is a bit all over the place. We have the main plot which is trying to rescue Janet from the Quantum Realm, which is connected to Ghost’s arc and Burch. We have Scott’s story of almost ending his house arrest, with pesky FBI agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park), and trying to still prove he can be a good dad to his adorable daughter Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson). Then you have random high jinks with some sight gags or Luis (Michael Pena) doing what made him so popular in the first movie.

Everyone is also on the top of their game here. Paul Rudd continues to bring his trademark charisma and excellent timing. Evangeline Lilly thankfully has a lot more to do here, and seeing her play The Wasp is a ton of fun to watch. Also, watching her and Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym trying to rescue Janet leads to one of the more emotional moments – there are quite a few – of the movie. Pena’s Luis is once again a scene-stealer, but he has some competition in Abby Ryder-Fortson’s Cassie.

We then have the new cast members starring with villain Sonny Burch, played by the always reliable Walton Goggins. The character could have easily been one-note, but Goggins just adds something to the character. Ghost played by Hannah John-Kamen does have a more rounded out story than you would think, and she’s played excellently by John-Kamen (who plays one of the leads in the SYFY channel show Killjoys, which I highly recommend). Randall Park has a small role as Agent Woo, but he plays it up with Rudd, and the two have great chemistry.

Finally, the two big additions to the MCU are Dr. Bill Foster, played by Laurence Fishburne, who hopefully we get to see more of, because he doesn’t get too much to do here, but it’s a nice addition for comic book fans. Then we have Michelle Pfeiffer has Janet Van Dyne aka the original Wasp, who sadly isn’t in the movie a lot, even though she plays an important part to the story. Regardless of that, her scenes are where most of the emotional core comes from, and the scenes she does have were great to watch.

All in all, Ant-Man and the Wasp is a hell of a lot of fun, and thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end. It’s a more self-contained story, even though the events of Civil War are brought up, which helps the movie and the audience breathe a little bit. The action is beefed up, and cast is on top of their game. If you want to have a fun time at the theater, Ant-Man and the Wasp is your movie.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

4.5 out of 5

July Movie Releases

Hello!

It’s July everybody! The Summer Movie Season is almost over, but it’s not going down without a fight. July has some great movies coming out, especially some anticipated movies for some. I’d also want to apologize for putting this up late. I started a new job and it’s completely messed up my schedule for everything (you may have notice there’s been no podcast for a few weeks now). So let’s get to it.

 

4th

The First Purge

Written by series creator James DeMonaco, the prequel will focus on the lead up and show the very first Purge event. The Purge movies started out as a small-scale house invasion thriller that had the potential for open-world sequels. Thankfully, that’s what we got and now after three movies, DeMonaco is finally giving us the prequel he’s talked since The Purge: Anarchy. The movies have also always had a political theme to them – at least in some way – and The First Purge looks to fully be embracing that which could be good. The First Purge stars Y’Ian Noel, Luna Lauren Velez, Lex Scott Davis, Melonie Diaz and Marisa Tomei.

 

6th

Sorry to Bother You

In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green (Lakeith Stanfield) discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a macabre universe. As soon as I saw this trailer I was immediately hooked. What’s better, is I don’t know how this movie will turn out in the end, and that’s what has me excited. Sorry to Bother You also stars Tessa Thompson, Armie Hammer, Jermaine Fowler, Omari Hardwick, David Cross, Patton Oswalt, Steven Yeun, Terry Crews and Danny Glover.

 

Ant-Man and the Wasp

As Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) balances being both a Super Hero and a father, Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) present an urgent new mission that finds the Ant-Man fighting alongside The Wasp to uncover secrets from their past. After what happened in Avengers: Infinity War I think we need a good balance of a comedy with Ant-Man, and now we have the long awaited introduction of The Wasp on the big screen. What’s not to be excited about? The sequel co-stars Michael Pena, Laurence Fishburne, Hannah John-Kamen, Randall Park, David Dastmalchian, T.I., Judy Greer, Walton Goggins and Michelle Pfeiffer.

 

13th

Limited Release: Don’t Worry He Won’t Get Far on Foot

A biography about John Callahan. On the rocky path to sobriety after a life-changing accident, John Callahan discovers the healing power of art, willing his injured hands into drawing hilarious, often controversial cartoons, which bring him a new lease on life. The rest of the cast includes Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara, Jack Black, Carrie Brownstein and Udo Kier.

 

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

Mavis (Selena Gomez) surprises Dracula (Adam Sandler) with a family voyage on a luxury Monster Cruise Ship so he can take a vacation from providing everyone else’s vacation at the hotel. Once there, romance arises as Dracula meets the ship’s captain, Ericka (Kathryn Hahn). Little do they know, Ericka is a descendant of Dracula’s ancient nemesis, Abraham Van Helsing. The rest of the voice cast includes Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, Fran Drescher, Keegan-Michael Key, Molly Shannon, Andy Samberg and Mel Brooks.

 

Skyscraper

FBI Hostage Rescue Team leader and U.S. war veteran Will Ford (Dwayne Johnson), who now assesses security for skyscrapers. On assignment in Hong Kong he finds the tallest, safest building in the world suddenly ablaze, and he’s been framed for it. A wanted man on the run, Will must find those responsible, clear his name and somehow rescue his family who is trapped inside the building. As much as I love Dwayne Johnson on the big screen being our modern day action hero, Skyscraper’s trailers have been rather mixed. I’m sure the movie will be entertaining as hell, but the trailers just aren’t selling it for me right away. The cast includes Neve Campbell, Pablo Schreiber, Roland Moller, Byron Mann and Chin Han.

 

 

20th

Limited Release: Blindspotting

A timely story about the intersection of race and class, set against the backdrop of a rapidly gentrifying Oakland. The film stars Daveed Diggs, Rafael Casal, Janina Gavankar, Jasmine Cephas Jones and Tisha Campbell-Martin.

 

Unfriended: Dark Web

A teen comes into possession of a new laptop and soon discovers that the previous owner is not only watching him, but will also do anything to get it back. I never saw the first movie, merely because it didn’t look that great, but the sequel  looks to be upping the ante a bit on the concept. The movie stars Getty Gabriel, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Chelsea Alden, Colin Woodell, Stephanie Nogueras, Andrew Lees and Douglas Tait.

 

Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again

The sequel follows Donna’s (played by Meryl Streep and Lily James) young life, experiencing the fun she had with the three possible Dad’s of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried). Sophie is now pregnant. Like Donna, she will be young when she has her baby. This is where she realizes she will need to take risks like her mother did. The cast includes Dominic Cooper, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Andy Garcia, Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgard, Colin Firth and Cher.

 

The Equalizer 2

Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) serves an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed, but how far will he go when that is someone he loves? The Equalizer was one of my surprises of 2014, and seeing Washington and director Antoine Fuqua reunite was great. Now, we have another reunion between the two, but also the first sequel for both men, and it looks like they’re upping the ante in both story – making it personal – and action, which going off the first film’s final act, it should be good. Cast also includes Pedro Pascal, Sakina Jaffrey, Bill Pullman and Melissa Leo.

 

27th

Limited Release: Hot Summer Nights

A boy comes of age during a summer he spends in Cape Cod. This was filmed before Chalamet became a household name after Call Me By Your Name, so I’m sure the studio is hoping that will sell the movie. The film stars Timothee Chalamet, Maika Monroe, Jack Kesy, Alex Roe, Emory Cohen, Maia Mitchell, William Fichtner and Thomas Jane.

 

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies

The Teen Titans are determined to get their own superhero movie, so Robin and the others try to get noticed by Hollywood’s hottest director. Certain they can pull it off, their dreams are sidetracked when a super villain tries to take over world. The voice cast includes Tara Strong, Khary Payton, Greg Cipes, Scott Menville, Hynden Walch, Kristen Bell, Lil Yachty, Halsey, James Corden, Will Arnett and Nicolas Cage.

 

Mission: Impossible – Fallout

Written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, once again, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team, along with some familiar allies, race against time after a mission gone wrong. I don’t know how the Mission: Impossible movies do it. They keep getting better with each installment AND they keep looking great in the trailers, so hell yes I am excited for this. Fallout co-stars Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Henry Caavill, Alec Baldwin, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris, Vanessa Kirby, Michelle Monaghan and Angela Bassett.

 

What are you looking forward to?