Mission Impossible: The Franchise That Keeps Getting Better

 The fuse was lit on Mission Impossible back in 1996. We've seen Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) covertly save the world on five different occasions, but the sixth might be the best yet. A franchise that has thrived despite Tom's wavering public opinion. People might not love the Scientology cloud that surrounds him, but there is no denying the guy makes a good movie.  With an aging cast, you might ask how much further the franchise can go?  Fallout goes next level.


 After the events of Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Hunt and the team face the challenge of rounding up the remains of the syndicate. Things escalate with the threat of nuclear weapons and a government that is losing faith in them to fix the problem. Can Hunt and the team defeat and old enemy, a new threat, and a looming nuclear disaster?

  The cast is outstanding as usual. The chemistry between Simon Pegg, Cruise, and Ving Rhames is on point. We do miss Jeremy Renner, but do to his commitment on Avengers, he was unable to be a part of this. Instead, we get Henry Cavill as the predictable bad guy. Superman is a nice addition. Seeing this group on screen still doesn't get old. The comedy is done well and fits into the situations.
The action is what you would expect from the franchise and the story is one of the best they've told.

  We get nods to the first film in a very clever way and we revisit characters from the past. All of it comes together in a near flawless film. You have to suspend belief with some of the stunts, but they are still fun to watch. The car chase is one of the best I have ever seemed filmed. It is cut together and edited so perfectly. The whole film is very well paced. The twists, while sometimes predictable, are fun to see play out. 

   Henry Cavil is good, but I spent a lot of time staring at the mustache that caused so much problems for Justice League. He plays a good bad guy, but one thing ran through my head constantly. Superman wouldn't do that!  All kidding aside, Mission Impossible: Fallout is top notch. The fact that Tom Cruise can pull this off at age 56 is incredible. It is hands down one of the best movies of the summer!  Your mission, should you choose to accept it? See this movie while it is in theaters on the big screen. This review will not self destruct in five seconds. Hopefully.

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP : MARVEL DOESN'T MISS

   Marvel just gets it right. Avengers: Infinity War is the biggest movie of the year. We have to wait another year to see what happens to our favorite heroes. One of whom, was missing from the epic battles. The Ant-Man sequel takes place at the same time as the events of Infinity War. Do we get any answers? Does it tie? Is it good? Let's take a look.

 Scott Lang ( Paul Rudd) has followed up Captain America: Civil War with a 2 year house arrest stint. He has all but stopped being Ant-Man and has earned the ire of  Hank Pym and Hope Van Dyne. After a dream about Hope's mom prompts the team to reunite to bring her out of the sub atomic world she's been trapped in for the last 30 years. A strange new villain and and evil clandestine group make the rescue even more of a challenge.

  Like every Marvel movie, the effects are top notch. The shrinking, growing, and fighting scenes are fun to watch. Ghost is no Thanos, she is a villain worthy of sympathy. The overall story is good and takes steps to expand the microscopic universe that the previous film established. There are a lot of science terms that make it hard to understand, but the fun is the fact that the lead hero doesn't understand either.  The star of this film is it's cast.

  Laurence Fishburne is a welcome edition and the returning cast is great.  Michelle Pfiefer has a small, but pivotal role. The film even digitally recreates younger versions of her and Michael Douglas. It is cool to see, but I am not crazy about the door it opens. Evangeline Lily steals the show and works nicely as The Wasp. Overall, it is lighthearted fun that fits nicely into the existing Marvel Cinematic Universe.  The mid-credit scene links it nicely to Infinity War and drops a few hints as to what comes next.  Well played Marvel. Well played again.