Mission: Impossible – Fallout is the sixth entry in the Mission: Impossible franchise that premiered back in 2018. Written & directed by the first returning director Christopher McQuarrie, the film stars Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Angela Bassett, Vanessa Kirby, Michelle Monaghan, and Alec Baldwin. When an IMF mission ends badly, the world is faced with dire consequences. As Ethan Hunt takes it upon himself to fulfill his original briefing, the CIA begin to question his loyalty and his motives. The IMF team find themselves in a race against time, hunted by assassins while trying to prevent a global catastrophe.

2018 was an all around rough year for movie, at least to me they were. However, I remember exactly where I was when I first saw this. I just moved to Florida a few months prior to study film where I saw this in the theater opening weekend. It easily became one of my favorite movies of the year. To this day, it’s impressive it still holds a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s rarely heard of, especially for an action movie. Many, myself included, agreed this was one of the best action movies ever made. And it still holds true today.

Even though this comes from a returning director, it still looks, feels, and sounds completely different than the last. Director Christopher McQuarrie understands in order to make this franchise work, each entry has to be different. With the film coming out only three years after the last and with Cruise breaking his ankle on set, this is a miracle it’s as good as it is. Six movies in, you have a film that holds so well on its own without you having to do any homework beforehand.

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t do your homework beforehand. Everything, yes, even the second one, matters. Everything Hunt has endured has led up to this moment. Arguably, this could have been the conclusion of the franchise. Imagine it ending on this note. That would have been incredible. The film not only manages to have the best action set pieces, but brings closure to Hunt’s love life that could help him settle down with Ilsa. That’s not the case, but if the film really wanted to end here, it could.

Even though I have seen this film countless times, I still find myself holding my breath throughout. This is the kind of film I put on when I am cleaning the house, but I don’t actually clean the house, because I am watching this. The film has consistent, authentic action that get better and better due to the mounting conflict the story adds to it. Even at two and a half hours, there’s not a single moment where the film feels boring.

Something I have seen many people talk about is the score. This entry has the best score in the franchise that identifies the film. There are even a few segments where the score reminded me of The Dark Knight Rises. The score the film provides offers a sense of darkness I haven’t felt in any prior entry. The film also knows when to not use any score and just focus on the sound of the action, which makes you feel like you are in on the action.

Henry Cavill’s performance as the surprise villain is awfully close to the top spot. The top spot still goes to Philip Seymour Hoffman due to how psychologically menacing he was. It may have sounded silly at the time, but I found Cavill’s performance so good that he deserved more award recognition. His dedication from being a good guy to a bad guy really gives something physically demanding for Hunt to go against.

Lastly, I have to bring up the cinematography. When I posted my favorite one-take shots on Instagram, I couldn’t believe I forgot about the one-take scene in the sky. The camera work goes harder than ever before. Between the camera work and sound design, Cruise & company are fully committed to bringing the audience in on the action.

Overall, Mission: Impossible is a flawless masterpiece that manages to also be one of my favorite action movies ever, and I have seen a lot of them. What they do here helps bring the audience in on the action. While I still believe this could have been the end due to how it amazing it is, I can’t complain much when it comes to Tom Cruise puts himself in life’s danger for our entertainment.

VERDICT: 5/5 (Perfect)