The lasting appeal of the Mission: Impossible film franchise has been to watch Tom Cruise perform increasingly dangerous (and over-the-top) stunts in cool locations around the world. And seeing Cruise’s IMF agent Ethan Hunt run, fight, jump, shoot, drive, run, fly, crash, climb, and — did we mention run? — his way through life-or-death situations is, fittingly, also the most memorable aspect of this latest installment, Mission: Impossible – Fallout. While the Mission: Impossible films remain a winning formula overall, Fallout also shows the franchise straining itself to stay vital and fresh after twenty-two years and five previous films.
By bringing back so many familiar faces and making callbacks to earlier films, Fallout feels like the most self-aware of the Mission: Impossible movies. This is the franchise’s most direct sequel yet with Rogue Nation’s Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), villain Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), and Alec Baldwin’s intelligence honcho Alan Hunley all back in key roles. (Fallout also marks the first time an M:I director, Rogue Nation’s Christopher McQuarrie, has returned to helm another installment.)
Source: IGN.com Mission: Impossible – Fallout Review