It's been over two decades since the Mission: Impossible film series launched, but not only does the franchise show no signs of slowing down, the movies have most definitely surpassed the popularity of the original TV series. The latest entry, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, arrives in theaters at the end of the month, but the sixth Mission: Impossible movie has already screened for critics and other lucky viewers, and overall, the reception is extremely positive. In fact, Fallout could go down as the best Mission: Impossible move yet.
Starting off, CinemaBlend's own Conner Schwerdtfeger awarded Mission: Impossible - Fallout four and a half stars out of five in his review, saying that Tom Cruise and the other starring actors do an amazing job of delivering an action-packed movie that also boasts a "strong sense of tone, a beautiful visual style, and a booming score."
Expertly-executed from start to finish, Mission: Impossible - Fallout is one of the most confident and capable action movies of the century.
Over at THR, Todd McCarthy noted that while Mission: Impossible - Fallout is the most continuity heavy of these movies (resulting in the narrative becoming more "perplexing"), director Christopher McQuarrie effectively ensures the "fast-moving spectacle unfolds in extraordinary fashion."
The action here represents the mainstream cinema's version of extreme sports and these guys have staked their claim at the summit.
Karen Han from Slashfilm declared that Mission: Impossible - Fallout cements that the Mission: Impossible franchise is the greatest one we have, and also noted that while the pacing isn't entirely consistent, Fallout's cast more than makes up for that.
Buying a ticket for a Mission: Impossible movie means surrendering to its specific brand of charm - the same charm to watching Cruise run so fast that it seems he might just take flight.
io9's Germain Lussier said in his review that Christopher McQuarrie doesn't "placate" the audience and also isn't afraid to "pull the rug out" with a big reveal for those watching.
You'll leave the theater delightfully exhausted after spending almost the entire length of the frantically piecing together the plot, feeling your adrenaline pumping during the action scenes, and gripping the seat from constant tension.
Finally, Chris Nashawaty from EW gave Mission: Impossible - Fallout an A grade, calling the movie the closest this film series has come to giving Ethan Hunt his own Skyfall or On His Majesty's Secret Service (for the James Bond fans out there).
Fallout is a unique exception that defies our seen-it-all cynicism. It's the kind of pure, straight-no-chaser pop fun that not only keeps taking your breath away over and over again, it restores your occasionally shaky faith in summer blockbusters.
Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more coverage on Mission: Impossible - Fallout, which you can judge for yourself when it hits theaters on July 27. Don't forget to also look through our 2018 release schedule to find out what other movies are coming out later this year.
