“Mission: Impossible – Fallout” may be the franchise’s best one yet.

Six movies in, the “Mission: Impossible” film franchise just keeps getting better and better. “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” is not only the best actioner and sequel of the summer, but it may be the very best of all the “M: I” movies too. How do they do it? In a word, authenticity.

Christopher McQuarrie’s script is a genuine spy thriller with smart plotting, not just breathless set pieces. It honors the franchise equities yet stretches them too, having fun with the age of main character Ethan Hunt (56-year-old Tom Cruise). Most importantly, in Cruise they have a star who gives 100%, doing all his stunts with genuine derring-do. There’s precious little CGI anywhere, making it play all the more real. Impossible? More like incredible!