Ranking The Mission: Impossible Movies - From Worst To Best

For the first time, a director returns to the franchise, and Cruise's short-hand relationship with Chris McQuarrie pays off in great numbers.

Surprisingly, the film has an immediate different tone and atmosphere over the former Rogue Nation. This one feels slightly bleaker, full of moody synth and sweeping shots of dark skies - it builds a relentless atmosphere that doesn’t loosen its grip in the two hours plus running time.

Cruise saves the world as usual but more interestingly, the question of ‘why?’ he does it is questioned in an intriguing character arc. He’s also finally given a sizeable physical counterpart with Henry Cavill’s CIA agent. The usually bland actor embraces this blunt character with menacing zeal; he’s the ‘hammer’ to Cruise’s ‘scalpel’ and their interactions make for an explosive central dynamic.

The stunts are stepped up even further but what’s most surprising is that the shining action scene is a raw knuckle (yet slightly hilarious) 2-on-1 bathroom brawl that tests our heroes to the metal.

If the film feels overly familiar, that is because it is, yet the formula has been perfected to such a high-standard you won’t care - this is what it feels like to watch near flawless blockbuster entertainment.