For a second summer in a row, the only essential action blockbuster of the summer is brought to us by Tom Cruise. Right from the opening scenes, this movie announces itself as another reinvention of the MI franchise. Dutch angles, cheesy & overdramatic dialogue, funny Russian accents, a ridiculous threat that feels like an exaggeration of our biggest contemporary fear; wait a minute, this is a 90s action movie! Yes, in many ways this film is approached in the exact opposite way as _Fallout_. It doesn’t have those same smart, intricate, Christopher Nolan-esque sensibilities, instead this movie fully embraces and emphasizes the silly, ridiculous nature of the franchise. If _MI 2_ operates at the same level of cheese as the most recent _Fast and Furious_ films, this is more in line with something like _Fast Five_. I think some audiences will have a preference for the sensibilities of _Fallout_, but to me both approaches are equally as valid when done right, which it is here. The set pieces are once again outstanding (the train and Rome chase are instantly memorable), Hayley Atwell is a fantastic, charismatic addition to the franchise (MI’s gotten really good with female characters), it’s funny and there’s genuine emotional heft. It makes a bold decision in regard to one of its characters that I wouldn’t have made as a writer, but let’s see where the story takes us. I’m not entirely in love with the cinematography, because the lighting and framing don’t have as much style as the previous 3 installments, and I think the excessive Dutch angles are a bit hokey in 2023. It’s also not the best MI script by any means. Sometimes it asks for too much leeway (Shea Whigham conveniently shows up in all the right places; Zola has never noticed Vanessa Kirby’s very striking eye colour?) and Esai Morales’ character feels underwritten. Overall, I wouldn’t rank this as one of the best missions, but given the fact that this franchise currently finds itself in the conversation of best franchises of all time, that’s not an insult whatsoever.

7.5/10