Mission: Impossible – Fallout

When Tom Cruise negotiated for the rights to the vintage TV show, he was hopeful he’d be able to turn it into a franchise. Half a dozen installments into “Mission: Impossible” I’d say his hopes have been met.

The classic spy capers of the 1960s have evolved to include the idea that our hero is fighting not only against the usual suspects, but also against misinformed government officials ostensibly on our side. That thread is certainly evident in “Mission: Impossible – Fallout.”

Our hero Ethan Hunt assembles his team to reveal the location of missing plutonium, while being shadowed by the CIA due to past misdeeds.

I miss the TV show’s opening sequence where Mr. Phelps sifts through his portfolio, assembling his team. But the trademark “This message will self-destruct” is essentially intact.

Cruise is in fine form, handling much of his own stunts (I’d like to see the line item in the budget for his insurance coverage). Return team members include Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Michelle Monaghan and Alec Baldwin as the brusque supervisor providing air cover. Also reprising his role is Ving Rhames, often providing a lighter tone.

New to the proceedings are Henry (“Superman”) Cavill and Angela (“What’s Love Got to Do With It”) Bassett, each of whom hides their motivations behind a steely exterior.

The photography is uniformly excellent, as Hunt jumps from planes and around the world in his sleuthing. A car chase through Paris, along and into the Seine is particularly evocative.

And fortunately the brilliant theme music from the original TV show is reprised and deftly updated.