Mission: Impossible - Fallout

Mission: Impossible - Fallout is an almost seamlessly constructed two and a half hours of running, fighting, guns, car and helicopter chases around Europe and the rest of the globe. However it is still two and half hours, and hard not to feel overwhelmed by it all at times. It’s never boring just maybe its bit more of an effort to watch than it should be.

However now in his sixth turn as Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), with a settled team and some background to play with, there’s a sense that this franchise could go on and on. And this instalment is unlikely to disappoint anyone. Having the requisite convoluted plot, bonkers action and fight sequences, with some continuity for those who like that sort of thing. It’s just a little extra for the fans and nothing that is going to alienate anyone new to this.

So, the mission this time is to recover plutonium cores that are going to be used by a terrorist group called the Apostles and linked to the imprisoned Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) to launch a nuclear attack against three key cities. The IMF team are joined by CIA assassin August Walker (Henry Cavill), to keep an eye on things. He’s a notorious individual whose reputation goes before him. That very briefly is the plot though there’s plenty of twists, turns, double Lutz’s and triple salchows to cover the running time that you would not want to be asked questions about after.

Some set pieces are truly staggering with nods to films past, within and without the franchise. The car chase in Paris has more than a whiff of The French Connection and Bullitt as the gears are ground to nothing. Then there’s Cruise running very fast across the roofs and bridges of London with lousy directions from Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg). The cast are on top form too. The team now look and feels like one, and the newbies and returners fit right in.

The last 40-45 minutes are probably some of the most exhilarating seen on film for some time. Set in Kashmir, with a race against time, the team deployed and Cruise in full blown action mode, its gripping stuff. The situation is as old as the hills but executed to clinical perfection so that the tension becomes unbearable.

The basic template hasn't changed and none of the films have lacked spectacle but Fallout is comfortably the most ambitious and assured with a sharp script from writer and director Christopher McQuarrie blending humour into the action. And it’s all good stuff, though the question has to asked if these can really get any longer, as this was verging at times on total overkill?