'Mission: Impossible- Fallout': Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt packs a solid punch

I have to admit, I am not a big fan of sequels. Once a film becomes a franchise, filmmakers often are unable to create the same magic that the original, hit film had and mostly stick the same tried and tested formula. A sequel only makes sense if there is a possibility of taking the story forward. When a franchise makes its sixth film- you know that it will mostly be re-telling the same story all over again. 'Mission: Impossible- Fallout' - the sixth instalment of the hit franchise, despite sticking to the core frameworks enormously well primarily because of its leading man, Tom Cruise.

The man may be ageing, he may not be as relevant a star as he was two decades back but Cruise manages to pack a solid punch as secret agent/spy Ethan Hunt. In 'Mission Impossible- Fallout', Cruise once again reminds us that why he is one of the greatest stars the world will ever have. The story, of course, has Hunt and his IMF teammates Luther and Benjamin teaming up once again. The IMF has to find the plutonium cores which is reportedly in the custody of a terrorist outfit The Apostles. A possible threat of a nuclear war looms large on the world from an anarchist Solomon Lane (Sean Harris at his creepy best), who despite being jailed, continues to dictate and dominate the radicals world over.

As Hunt's team sets out looking for the missing cores, the CIA places one of its agents, August Walker (Henry Cavill) on Hunt's mission- much to the reluctance of IMF. Together the four have to capture Solomon, get the missing nukes and also deal with British secret agent Ilsa Faust( Rebecca Fergusson) who is also out to capture Solomon for her country.

Typical to its franchise, the actors especially Cruise perform the some mind-numbing, death-defying stunts throughout the film. The most exhilarating part perhaps is the long, elaborate car chase sequence on the streets of Paris that give a much-needed boost to the film's first half.

The film sticks to core plot and gives Cruise ample scope to display some jaw-dropping sequences. The romance and the emotional aspect of Hunt's life are kept to the minimal- making it easy for the audience to simply concentrate on the action sequences and the main plot.

Tom Cruise at 56, looks smashing as Ethan Hunt. He clearly still has what it takes to be the greatest spy and he is absolutely brilliant in the film. For those who have grown up watching Cruise' films- ' Mission: Impossible- Fallout' serves as a reminder that who actually is the original superstar. But while the film centres around Hunt's heroic deeds, it also gives ample scope to other actors to perform and they don't disappoint either. From Henry Cavill, as the nonchalant CIA guy who is 'just doing his job' to Rebecca Ferguson who plays the daredevil spy to Hunt's trusted aides Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames- all of them are in top form.

The film's narrative drops in the middle for a brief period but ultimately culminates into a breathtaking, elaborate climax in Kashmir ( but shot actually in New Zeland). The word 'Kashmir' though, is not mentioned anywhere thanks to Indian censor board.

Director Christopher McQuarrie sticks to certain said rules of the franchise, and makes Ethan Hunt and his histrionic appear larger-than-life (Hunt and Walker HALO jump to a party in Paris, beat that!) but nevertheless serve an exciting, adrenaline rushing ride that will keep you engaged throughout its runtime. It makes you gasp at some moments, it makes you laugh out loud in certain places and overall puts Cruise back on the top spot. Because really, there is no one as cool as him.