Mission: Impossible - Fallout

Movie Name: Mission: Impossible - Fallout
Year of Release: 2018

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Stars: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Michelle Monaghan, Alec Baldwin, Sean Harris, Angela Bassett, Vanessa Kirby, Wes Bentley, Kristoffer Joner

Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
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Synopsis:

Following his previous successful foray into the "Mission: Impossible" series (with "Rogue Nation"), writer & director Christopher McQuarrie returns with the strongest entry in the series so far, "Fallout". The film continues to follow the pursuits of Ethan Hunt, and his IMF team. This time around, Ethan finds himself trailing the events from the last feature, with his foe Solomon Lane playing a crucial role in establishing the menace that threatens to destroy millions of lives. Ethan crosses paths with Elsa, but this time around has a new unexpected member on his team, the violent Walker, who is under the orders of the CIA to take him down should things don't pan out the way they anticipate. The challenge lies in preventing large nuclear devices from exploding, while simultaneously uncovering the identity of a mole who is potentially sabotaging Ethan's endeavors from within.
Much has been said about Tom Cruise and the accident he suffered while shooting this film, since the actor makes a point of performing  much of his own stunts. The realistic aspect of the action scenes of this film is just one of its top performing aspects: the film is smartly and deftly written, interweaving aspects of Ethan's personal life with the way the threats are presented to him and the team. As the stakes rise, so do the perils and situations the whole team finds themselves in - it makes for a gripping, tense and highly satisfactory film, one that doesn't reduce itself to the perilous stunts, though they are highly effective. This is a film that is perfectly built, almost like clockwork, with each situation seamlessly integrating into the next, with all the actors playing these characters almost like a second skin. There's a level of comfort and camaraderie between these players, which makes for a very entertaining film. The cinematography from Rob Hardy is tremendous, as is the editing work of Eddie Hamilton. A very entertaining film worth watching.