No one expected Mission: Impossible – Fallout to be bad, but the risk of repetition runs rampant. Any fears that this franchise would flounder without its trademark one-and-done directors can be promptly put to bed – Rogue Nation this ain’t.

Christopher McQuarrie’s second shot is a reinvention of his own gold standard, building on the successes and motifs of the five before it and making something new – and better. Not content with making the series’ best instalment (sorry M:I2), McQuarrie and Cruise may have delivered the entire genre’s greatest entry. Once MIF hits screens, Bond and Bourne – both evoked throughout – no longer have a scratch on Ethan Hunt.

Ultimate action hero Tom Cruise crushes his performance (and his ankle) in his defining role. Equal parts superman and, somehow, every-man, the relentless drive and energy he puts into this project is clear in every scene. Famed for doing his own stunts, it’s not meant to be this hard to say which of the many, many exceptionally imagined set-pieces is the most impressive – viewers are spoilt for choice.

Rebecca Ferguson – one of the best parts of the excellent Rogue Nation – returns in a much reduced role and, however smartly it’s toyed with, the plot can be obvious. These can be forgiven however, for making the longest of six films feel the shortest, jamming it full of action and humour, using exquisite craftsmanship in both look and sound, and giving us Henry Cavill’s moustache.

Few films truly deserve to be seen on the biggest screen you can find, but this is certainly one of them. One problem: there is not a screen large enough to contain the eye-popping, heart-stopping spectacle and thrill that is Mission: Impossible – Fallout. This summer’s – year’s – must see marvel.

RATING: 5/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Henry Cavill, Michelle Monaghan

DIRECTOR: Christopher McQuarrie

WRITERS: Christopher McQuarrie

SYNOPSIS: Ethan Hunt and his IMF team, along with some familiar allies, race against time after a mission gone wrong.