Today is a pretty big day for us here at To 3D or Not To 3D, as for the first time ever, the Mission: Impossible franchise is heading to the big screen with a 3D version! Mission: Impossible - Fallout is breaking new ground in a franchise that always seems to be breaking something, though in the best way possible. Still, our mission, since we've chosen to accept it, is to answer the question, "To 3D or Not To 3D?"
Should you or your IM force be interested in reading the review proper for Mission: Impossible - Fallout, the secretary advises you head over to the official review for our thoughts on the film. Other than that, it's time to light the fuse and start in approximately five seconds. Good luck, readers.
3D Fit Score: 5/5
You know, the thought of a 3D mission in the Mission: Impossible series never really crossed my mind until Fallout announced that it was going to give itself that very treatment. After proceeding across that rubicon, thoughts of so many perfectly potential 3D moments in the past five films filled my mind. What if Ethan threw his sunglasses from Mission: Impossible 2 into the audience? Would the CIA vault scene in Mission: Impossible been even more amazing? Mission: Impossible - Fallout is a perfect candidate for 3D, and oh boy, does it know it.
Planning & Effort Score: 5/5
When your director posts a picture of 3D goggles on his Instagram during the final phases of locking down his picture, you know he means business. And it seems like director Christopher McQuarrie, as well as the team behind the 3D conversion of this film, have given a lot of love and care to the conversion of Mission: Impossible - Fallout into a 3D spectacle.
Before the Window Score: 5/5
There aren't a lot of 3D movies that know how to properly throw objects at the audience, and at a consistent rate. Mission: Impossible - Fallout isn't one of those movies, as everything from rocks and debris to guns and hooks are aimed straight at the audience. When the right movie uses this effect to its proper potential, you tend to flinch when something's headed your way, and I can safely say there's some real good flinch worthy moments throughout this film. Also, prepare to be staring down several gun barrels.
Beyond the Window Score: 5/5
Getting everything "before the window" right is a rarity in and of itself, but what about the stuff "beyond" the window? That's where all of your picture depth and spatial reasoning lie, and in the case of Mission: Impossible - Fallout, it's just as impressive as the stuff coming off of the screen. Characters and their environments are beautifully divided, with backgrounds giving your eye an active thrill. Most impressively, there's a shot of an explosion taken from the top of a cliff, and the explosion blossoms perfectly towards the screen - even at a distance!
Brightness Score: 5/5
Something interesting to note: Mission: Impossible - Fallout was shot on actual, honest to goodness film. What does that have to do with the Brightness score? Well, movies shot on film tend to have a bit of a deeper, warmer color to them than your common digital photography films. So the darkness in the image is kind of baked in, and that'd give the wrong 3D version a severe disadvantage. Again, McQuarrie and his 3D team have given us something beautiful here, as even with the dimness of 3D glasses, the picture looks just as good as it did in 2D. Your mileage will vary though, as not all theaters properly maintain their rigs between 2D and 3D projections.
Glasses Off Score: 5/5
Should you take your glasses off during Mission: Impossible - Fallout, you'd see a lot of blur up on the screen during the film. This is because that blur is part of the process that helps draw the 3D effects that you're seeing pop off of/dive into the screen, and typically the more blurry the picture is, the better 3D you're supposed to be getting. And oh boy, does it get blurry during Fallout, even going as far as subtle shades of blur in the up-close and personal moments that focus on faces and objects.
Audience Health Score: 5/5
Saying there's a lot of action in Mission: Impossible - Fallout is like saying Henry Cavill's mustache is mighty and powerful: it's totally accurate. And much like that facial furniture sported by the Man of Steel, the picture you're watching for a full two and a half hours isn't going to strain your eyes. The bathroom scene in particular is a treat to watch, as the rapid paced action comes through with nary a wonk or a squeak from your stomach.
The world of 3D films hasn't seen as impressive a product as Mission: Impossible - Fallout in quite a while. Hats all the way off, and thrown out of the screen, towards the crew that pulled off this impossible feat. While there's an IMAX version that looks to be impressive in its own right, don't write off this mission as a throwaway 3D experience. To all that love good 3D that's done right, you owe it to yourself to enjoy Mission: Impossible - Fallout in the third dimension!
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