Mission: Impossible - Fallout - Blu-ray

Movie: Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) embarks on another impossible mission. After he and his team botch the delivery of black-market, weapons-grade plutonium they are supposed to secure, they now have little time to prevent the plutonium from falling into the wrong hands. Together with CIA agent August Walker (Henry Cavill), Ethan, Benji (Simon Pegg) and Luther (Ving Rhames) set out to get the dangerous real back, which is now in the possession of the mysterious White Widow (Vanessa Kirby). In order to not blow Ethan's cover in the process, he is presented with quite the challenge: He's tasked with helping his nemesis Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), of all people, escape.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout is action cinema at its best. The plot, of course, plays only the supporting role. But let's face it: is it really supposed to be any different? Who wants to see a completely cerebral Mission: Impossible movie with less action? Now, of course, it can be argued that action movies are a dime a dozen and that a sixth installment in the franchise is therefore completely unnecessary. However, this argument can be quickly refuted. Because these days, a movie like Mission: Impossible - Fallout is a real rarity. This is due to the fact that relatively few CGI effects were used here. Because Tom Cruise, even in his mid-50s, doesn't mind doing all his own stunts. He simply spends a year and a half learning to fly a helicopter so that he doesn't have to shoot a spectacular aerial chase in front of a green screen. And there's also hobbling along bravely when he breaks his ankle in a daring jump.

That the action feels real is what makes the film so accomplished. A bathroom brawl alone is so superbly choreographed and executed that as a viewer, you're happy to overlook the occasional moment when the laws of logic are momentarily suspended. But the movie isn't carried by the action alone. The story may be quite thin in itself, but it is also quite exciting and thrillingly executed.

And then, of course, there are the characters, who have matured so well by now that you're just happy to see them again. This is true not only for Ethan, Benji, and Luther, but in this film, Isla Faust as well. Rebecca Ferguson returns after her successful debut in Part 5 and proves that she is a perfect addition to the team - even if she seems to be working for the opposite side this time.

Some scenes may be a bit thick and especially the big finale is maybe a little bit too much of a good thing - especially since it should really be clear to every viewer how the whole thing ends. But that doesn't change anything about the extremely high entertainment value of the movie. With breathtaking action, a lot of suspense and a good portion of humor, Mission: Impossible - Fallout is best popcorn cinema, which really does not let boredom arise for a second. And even if the end actually offers a round conclusion, a reunion with Ethan Hunt and his team can not come soon enough after this successful mission. Absolutely worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: Technically, the Blu-ray is on quite a high level. The picture is clean and has excellent detail sharpness. The colours are very well matched and the contrasts are also at a very good level. And while the picture is already convincing, the sound does not disappoint at any moment. In addition to the well intelligibly mixed dialogues and the coherently used film music, the numerous sound effects, which really come into their own in the 5.1 surround mix, make the home cinema system shake mightily. Very good!

Extras: The 2-disc set offers interested viewers plenty of extras. Starting things off on the movie disc are no less than three audio commentaries, all with optional subtitles. Commentary 1 was narrated by director Christopher McQuarrie along with Tom Cruise. The fact that the two have also become friends over the course of their multiple collaborations makes for a pleasantly relaxed atmosphere here, in which the two reveal a few interesting details about the making of the film. Commentary 2 reunites McQuarrie with his editor Eddie Hamilton. It's a rather technical commentary, but one that is well worth listening to at times. Finally, the third audio commentary comes from composer Lorne Balfe, who focuses his comments on the creation of the musical score.

On the second disc, fans then get to see a worthwhile, multi-part making of (approx. 53:32 min.), which goes into particular detail about the filming locations and the stunts, but also about the development of the series. Also shown here is the making of a spectacular scene, which was ultimately cut, however, and can now be seen in the bonus material in a compilation of unreleased material (approx. 3:41 min.). An optional audio commentary by the director can be added to this extra.

Continues with a look at the big chase scene, with Lorne Balfe analyzing the accompanying score. A short promo clip (approx. 2:51 min.), as well as storyboards for selected scenes round out the good bonus material.

Conclusion: Mission: Impossible - Fallout is the most successful installment in the series to date, grossing nearly $800 million, and is also one of the best. The film skillfully picks up loose threads from its predecessors and brings them to a well-rounded conclusion, while also leaving you wanting more. The Blu-ray presents the strip in very good picture and sound quality and also has a few worth seeing and hearing extras on board. Absolutely recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp