Mission Impossible : Fallout (dir. Christopher McQuarrie)

Tom Cruise is 56 years old. And despite the over-the-top, visually arresting sequences from his latest incarnation of the hugely popular Mission Impossible film series (based on the wildly popular TV series from the 1960's), the most extraordinary facet about this terrific summer blockbuster is Cruise's seemingly never-ending ability to outdo himself with his cinematic stunts. First it was climbing up the side of the Burg-Al-Arab in Dubai for 2011's "Ghost Protocool", then he chained himself to the side of an Atlas C1 airplane whilst it was mid-air as part of a stunt in the following film, "Rogue Nation". If you need proof that the Hollywood star is getting better with age, than look no further than "Fallout" - a deliriously entertaining and mouthwatering action film.

Dissecting the plot strands of a Mission Impossible film is always a daunting task, and in the case of "Fallout" there is no difference. Suffice to say, the narrative takes us to the popular tourist attractions of Berlin, London, Paris, New Zealand etc, with the narrative arc surrounding the search for some plutonium weapons. Cruise - as Ethan Lane - and his IMF team - made up of Benji (Simon Pegg), Luther (Ving Rhames) and later the returning Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) - botch a simple meet and greet early on and face the consequences , before finding themselves wanted fugitives. Hot on their heels is CIA agent Erica Sloane (Angela Bassett) and her trained assassin August Walker (Henry Cavill) (whose existence in this film is notable for being the reason his face in "Justice League" is so offensively tame). Throw into the mix the return of Cruise's dastardly terrorist Solomon Lane (Sean Harris).

Much has been written about Cruise's real-life stunt work - especially since a jumping sequence between buildings in London last year stopped production for almost four months as Cruise injured his ankle badly. The New York born actor is the reason the "Mission Impossible" franchise has been so successful for so many years, especially since the series' change in theme and motif over the years. But when Tom is at his very best, it's when he's doing something new, and in the case of Fallout, the incredible sequences range from a HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) skydiving set-piece, to a motorcycle chase through the streets of Paris to a memorable finale involving two helicopters chasing one another - all of which were filmed by Cruise himself. It's staggering to see how dedicated he is to his craft, and audiences are all the better for it- to him there is literally nothing that is "impossible".

If something falters here due to the death-defying stunt work, it's the character development. In an attempt to placate the ongoing action fare, there are some ham-fisted romance subplots - with Ethan's returning ex-wife Michelle Monaghan and fence Vanessa Kirby making up said dalliances. It's all well written and gloriously acted, though they don't juxtapose with the action set-pieces. But this is merely a small misstep, as during the film's 145 minute running time, there is a small window for plot exposition and rumblings under the table. You're only advice whilst watching this terrific action movie - if you choose to accept it - is to merely sit back and enjoy, and try to keep up if you can.

Rating 4/5.