The Mission of a Lifetime
PC: Kayla Potts
Nicflix
The first “Mission: Impossible” was released May 22, 1996 — just 3 months after I was born — making me barely older than the franchise. You could argue that I was born to take on the mantle of “Protector of the World” when Ethan Hunt gets too old or more likely, dies. You would be wrong … but you could say it.
Cut to this summer — 22 years later — and the sixth movie, “Mission: Impossible - Fallout,” hit theatres. I wanted to rewatch and rank all 6 films, but that would’ve been the REAL mission impossible. Instead, I watched the first and last movies to see just how much has changed.
The Missions: The first movie had intense plot twists and pretty high stakes but with creative problem-solving and dope-as-flip gadgets, the team accomplished their difficult — NOT impossible — mission, with only a few heart-pounding close-calls.
Five movies later, they stepped up their game with an entire organization of mysterious villains and the threat of nuclear attacks. Too much? Who’s to say?
The Action: As I rewatched the original film I was surprised to see there was little-to no action! A lot of death, one chase scene and a few nail-biting moments, but besides that — nada.
Whereas the new movie consisted of: Game Plan. Shootout. Wing-it. Chase. Fight. Repeat. There’s almost as much choreographed action and chase scenes as there is story-line.
While the action was TIGHT and the cinematography incredible, the newest movie lacked a certain finesse.
The Characters: The first “Mission: Impossible” sucked at developing emotional connections to their characters. I couldn’t give ONE FLIP who got impaled in an elevator or shot on a bridge. If a character died in the new one — whether it was the annoyingly cocky rando that just joined the team, the comedic relief, the sentimental best friend, the ex, the new love interest or Ethan Hunt himself — trust me, I’d be giving flips.
My Thoughts: I liked “Fallout” better than the original. Writers worked humor and sarcasm into the script with fewer cringy lines and interactions. What it lacked in gadgets and gizmos a-plenty, it made up for with insane hand-to-hand combat. Where “Mission: Impossible” TRIED to create romantic tension between characters, “Fallout” successfully managed to introduce a love interest with a similar dynamic to Irene Adler and Sherlock — if that means anything to anyone. Overall, it was a more entertaining film and a great way to finish off the franchise. HOPEFULLY.
ADVICE: Marathon these movies!
-Your Friendly Neighborhood Movie Guy
Nicholas Morrison is a senior studying graphic design.