If there’s one job in the world we wouldn’t really fancy being tasked with, it’s making the impossible possible. Just imagine the amount of faff that would come with that; all that paperwork, all those calls and emails, not to mention those endless meetings.

It’s fortunate then that the position has been filled, and for quite some time, by Hollywood legend Tom Cruise, who has been making the impossible possible since 1996.

This then is the sixth entry in the franchise, that was so impossible to tell the story in one go, they had to split it into two parts.

The latest threat to the planet has come to light to Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and the rest of the IMF team, and it comes as no surprise to no-one: no not Scientology, but AI.

A disturbingly sophisticated, self-aware, self-learning program known as “The Entity”, has learnt the ability to infiltrate pretty much anything that runs on code, making it an attractive weapon for those with devious motives, of which there are many.

The program can be controlled by two separated keys that can interlock to form one. And for anyone in possession of both, they’re pretty much handed control of the world.

So it’s imperative that Hunt, Benji (Simon Pegg) and Luther (Ving Rhames) get their mitts on both of them first, before they fall into the very wrong hands, because if they did, world order as we know it would end.

Looking back at the early years, it’s easy to forget that the first ever entry was directed by legend Brian de Palma. He was soon followed by John Woo, J.J. Abrams and Bras Bird, but the last three, including this one, have been helmed by Christopher McQuarrie, who it’s clear Cruise trusts with the series.

It’s a film that has a somewhat nostalgic take on storytelling, heavily reliant as it is on a McGuffin – or in this case two – to drive the narrative. If you’re not aware of it, it’s simply a device that Hollywood has used over the years, made famous by Hitchcock, that gives a reason for the film’s story. So here the keys are the driving force behind the plot. Or at least for part one, as you can expect this to be superseded in part two by the connecting McGuffin – which will be whatever the keys fit.

The film also dips into the franchises past, with a few familiar faces returning, such as British actresses Rebecca Ferguson (Ilsa) and Vanessa Kirby (The White Widow).

They are joined by yet another Brit, Hayley Atwell, who is a most welcome addition. Her Peggy Carter has always been a bright light in the DCU, and it’s a shame that the TV show Agent Carter didn’t go beyond its two season run, but she certainly looks at home here on the big screen opposite Cruise.

Cruise himself is in fine form, and although there is no one singular stunt in it that he performs that wholly impresses, as we have seen in other entries, there are still a number of set pieces that simply raise the bar, that will certainly give the Bond crew a run for their considerable money going forward; the antics in Rome for instance, are especially thrilling, making for the film as a whole one helluva white knuckle ride.

The sound design should also be praised, as using a surround sounds system kicking out all that pure Dolby Atmos, really helps bring that cinema experience home.

It’s an entry that also allows McQuarrie to lean into the emotional side a little more, as the film deals with a number of relationships, new and old, giving it a little extra, welcome depth, and moving it on from just one spectacular set scene after the next.

By keeping it relatively simple, by M:I standards at least, gives this first part a strong standing for whatever comes next, making it what its primary mission has always been – a cinematic event.

Add the iconic soundtrack, the usual jaw-dropping set pieces, and some strong performances with emotional pull, makes this undoubtedly the most all-round, (semi-)complete mission yet.

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