Mission Impossible: Fallout has proven such a worldwide smash in just a few weeks that it belongs now in a rare category: a follow-up film in a series that many say surpasses the original. It may be the sixth in the franchise, but its ratings make it the best of the bunch according to dollars earned thus far, audience numbers, and reviews.
It isn’t just the high-speed chases, worldwide locations, stunts, or even mega-star Tom Cruise that is making the brand new Mission Impossible: Fallout, (IMF), such an international hit with critics and moviegoers alike. It has all those things, of course, but it has something else that makes the film great: former Navy Seal Doug McQuarrie, the brother of director Christopher McQuarrie.
Behind the scenes, McQuarrie lent his skills, knowledge, and experience to the entire cast and crew. His contributions are largely responsible for the film’s authenticity in weaponry, ammunition, military scenarios, and even clothing.
As a teenager, Doug wanted to enlist in the Navy so badly he signed up the day after he turned 18. He went to gunner’s mate A-school, then through BUDS Army Airborne Training, and was assigned to Underwater Demolition Team 21. He went to Beirut, Lebanon, in 1983, and was there during the notorious “Barracks Bombing.” Subsequently, he was shipped to stations around the world until he finally retired in 2002.
Christopher, meanwhile, was making films – many of them with Tom Cruise. Their work together includes Jack Reacher and Valkyrie, in addition to another of the MI films, Rogue Nation. When he set out to make this particular film, he knew his brother could make an invaluable contribution as a tactical consultant. But Doug’s experience with weapons was just part of what the director needed.
“I see films in which actors are often too casual with guns, or too self-conscious,” the director explained recently to Military Times. “I focus on the fine line I perceive when I see professionals handling weapons – a simultaneous familiarity and respect.” His brother was the perfect person to imbue that attitude in his cast.
Ironically, the men were not given toy guns as boys yet Doug became a Navy Seal and Christopher, before becoming a director, was a private detective. Both men know guns well, but Christopher deferred to Doug’s expertise completely while on set. “I relied on Doug to train the actors in proficiency and comfort with the weapons,” Christopher explained. Doug added that it wasn’t simply his weapons training that proved useful; he also helped his brother choreograph scenes, decide on locations, and even sort out what an actor might wear during a given scene.
Furthermore, his military training came in handy during the brutal shooting schedule; 12 hour days in inclement weather is not for the faint of heart. “Living a life of 12 hour days, six days a week, traveling the world and contending with all sorts of weather…is very much like the life I lived in the military,” Doug said.
He also consulted with the stunt crew, editor, and even computer graphics team when something had to be just right. When hanging from a helicopter, for example, how would the ammunition look when fired? It is that kind of attention to detail that makes IMF so authentic.
To Doug, the cast was “an embarrassment of riches,” as he described it – everyone from Cruise to Ving Rhames to Alec Baldwin and Henry Cavill. Christopher has another project in the works with Cruise, but would not confirm just what kind of movie it is.
Read another story from us: “Cold War Navy Seal” – Operations from Vietnam to Africa
The brothers each have dream projects about military and naval history they would like to see realized one day, but for now, they are just glad to see this latest episode of the franchise doing so well. If these two men are in front of and behind the camera, it’s certain the Armed Forces will be portrayed properly – and excitingly.
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