It’s no coincidence that the Mission: Impossible franchise really took off, in terms of widely agreed upon quality from both the critics and the fans, when Christopher McQuarrie was hired on to direct the Tom Cruise-led espionage action adventure. The McQuarrie/Cruise symbiotic cinematic cohesiveness began ten years ago with Valkyrie (2008) which starred Cruise and was written and produced by McQuarrie. Again, the pair collaborated on Jack Reacher (2012) and again with Edge of Tomorrow (2014) before their paths were to cross again in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015). As a matter of fact, the franchise has gotten stronger as the years have passed, which makes Mission: Impossible – Fallout so intriguing. Does this sixth installment deliver as hoped?

The Impossible Mission Force (IMF for short) has weathered some pretty bad storms in the past but a new one on the horizon will have global implications that everyone will be worrying about. When three nuclear cores hit the open market, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team spring into action to hopefully avoid a catastrophe of biblical proportions. An adversary from Ethan’s recent past, Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), will play a major part the outcome in one way or another. Flanked by trusted friends, Luther (Ving Rhames) and Benji (Simon Pegg), Ethan sets out to do the impossible…again. Navigating the heavy political oversight of Erica Sloan (Angela Bassett) and her most effective agent, August Walker (Henry Cavill), Ethan will have obstacles in all directions. The eventual outcome will leave your breathless.

Christopher McQuarrie still finds ways to creatively entertain in a franchise that many find themselves saying “well, there’s no way THIS could be as good as the last.” Guess what, Mission: Impossible – Fallout IS as good the previous ones. In some ways it’s better. Creative writing and a star willing to go the extra mile goes a long way in the eyes of discerning moviegoers. Effort is appreciated and often rewarded. When you phone it in, your credibility and star power goes the way of the dinosaur, or Nicolas Cage if you’re looking for a modern day example. Even with its extended runtime (147 minutes), there are interesting events unfolding all around you.

Let’s be honest though, Tom Cruise is the face of the franchise and it’s his eternal youthfulness that keeps these movies afloat. Love him or hate him for his person affiliations or beliefs, the man can entertain. Yes, there are still a lot of special effects involved, but Cruise still does more from a physical perspective than most actors half his age. If you’re like me, and have become enamoured with his running, well you won’t be disappointed once those legs get to churning. Mission: Impossible – Fallout has all of the elements that you hope to see in a Summer blockbuster. There’s loads of action, a fair share of suspense, intrigue and mystery. And then there’s the comedy. You have to have comedy.

Of the new characters introduced, Henry Cavill is the most interesting. He’s more than a few steps away from the more wholesome super character he’s played as of yet. It’s nice to see some bare-knuckled “badassery” out of his character. And to maintain a slight shroud of mystery, I’ll just say that the villain(s) are well cast. If you’ve enjoyed the past movies, Mission: Impossible – Fallout should be fulfillingly entertaining. If this is somehow the first Mission: Impossible movie you’re seeing, you’re somehow in luck because it can pretty much stand on its own even though parts of it are heavily tied to past relationships and experiences. See this in theaters this weekend.