An impressive addition to the franchise

Rating: 8/10 (19 June 2017)

This, the fifth instalment in the Mission Impossible franchise, sees Ethan Hunt and the IMF working to bring down an organisation known as 'The Syndicate' and its leader Solomon Lane. This is apparently made up of agents from a variety of countries who have either been disavowed or believed dead it is also so shadowy that many people believe it is a figment of the IMF's imagination. The director of the CIA is one such doubter and he has successfully called to IMF to be shut down leaving Hunt officially unsupported. A lead takes him to Vienna where, with the help of Benji, he attempts to prevent the assassination of the Austrian Chancellor. Here he bumps into Ilsa Faust, a woman who previously helped him escape from The Syndicate. Later he will have to work with her but it isn't obvious whether she is also working to bring down The Syndicate or whether she is working for them to get Hunt to help them with a particular problem.
This is a fine addition to the Mission Impossible films. It gets off to an impressive start with an opening that sees Hunt clinging to the outside of a plane as it takes off that contains stolen nerve gas. Once the main story gets underway it is quickly explained what the latest mission is and that IMF have been officially shut down. The story is relatively simple but there is plenty of tension as we don't know where the loyalties of some key characters really are. Inevitable there lots of exciting moments, as well as the opening we get several impressive chases, a raid on a computer facility that requires Hunt to stay under water without breathing apparatus for a dangerously long time and a fight high above the stage of an opera house while a performance is underway. The pace of action means the viewer doesn't have time to think about how far-fetched it all is if it wasn't far-fetched it wouldn't be Mission Impossible! The cast does an impressive job, Tom Cruise continues to do a great job as Ethan Hunt as he makes the most unlikely things seem believable. He is ably supported by Simon Pegg, who brings some light relief as Benji; Rebecca Ferguson, as the ambiguous Isla and Sean Harris who is suitably menacing as the villainous Lane. The rest of the cast are pretty solid too. Overall I'd recommend this to fans of the franchise; it provides two hours of solid action that isn't too violent for younger viewers to watch.