'Mission: Impossible - Fallout' Is Now Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes

While many franchises tend to stagnate after multiple installments, the Mission: Impossible series [...]

By Patrick Cavanaugh

While many franchises tend to stagnate after multiple installments, the Mission: Impossible series seemingly gets stronger, a theory confirmed by the latest entry in the saga. With more than 80 reviews tabulated, Rotten Tomatoes calculates that 96 percent of the reviews for Mission: Impossible - Fallout are positive, earning the film its "Certified Fresh" distinction.

The critics consensus on the film reads, "Fast, sleek, and fun, Mission: Impossible - Fallout lives up to the 'impossible' part of its name by setting yet another high mark for insane set pieces in a franchise full of them."

According to the site, a film must meet the following requirements to be considered "Certified Fresh":

  • A steady Tomatometer score of 75% or higher.
  • At least five reviews from Top Critics.
  • Films in wide release must have a minimum of 80 reviews.

This recent film is the sixth chapter in the franchise which kicked off in 1996. While the series regularly made decent numbers at the box office, the first three films were never big hits with critics. The first film sits at 62 percent positive, with its sequel scoring 57, and the third scoring 70 percent positive.

In 2011, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol completely reinvigorated the series with a focus more on impressive action sequences and gadgets over the dramatic espionage storytelling. Ghost Protocol became the clear standout of the series, earning 93 percent positive reviews. The franchise kept the momentum going in 2015 with Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, which once again embraced the big set pieces and jaw-dropping stunts, earning itself 93 percent positive reviews.

Fallout's score could still change as more reviews roll in ahead of its release this Friday, though this impressive number could solidify it as the best entry in the series yet.

Bilge Ebiri at the Village Voice shared, "A cinematic centrifuge of acrobatic stunt work, breakneck chases and immersive action, Mission: Impossible - Fallout is a perfectly calibrated piece of filmmaking that plays the viewer like a drum right from the start."

David Ehrlich at IndieWire makes a bold claim by comparing the film's accomplishments to a film that earned more Academy Award nominations than any other film released that year. Ehrlich claimed, "Not since [Mad Max:] Fury Road have such viscerally practical effects been put to better use by such deliriously impractical people."

Matt Singer at ScreenCrush definitively states, "Clearly the best ongoing action franchise in the world."

Currently, the film has only three "negative" reviews, though even these "Rotten" marks assign the film passing grades, though the binary system of Rotten Tomatoes forces critics to assign a film an overall Fresh or Rotten ranking.

Fans can see the film for themselves when it lands in theaters this Friday.

What do you think about Mission: Impossible - Fallout's distinction? Let us know in the comments below!

[H/T Twitter, RottenTomatoes]

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