Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

Dismantled by the CIA, the IMF (Impossible Missions Force) covertly reforms and struggles to neutralise The Syndicate, an insidious global threat that those in authority refuse to believe exists, in the fifth solidly satisfying episode of the spy thriller franchise. With one foot firmly in light-hearted 007-style escapist spectacle and the other in elegantly orchestrated Hitchcockian suspense, director Christopher McQuarrie balances the knowing sophistication and tongue-in-cheek fun with a keen eye and superior visual flair to keep the action excitingly pulse-pounding and breakneck. On impressive form, Tom Cruise is once more the master of all he surveys whether agilely putting himself in harm's way - the much-touted aeroplane stunt, done for real - or sending himself up as "the living manifestation of destiny". With ace support from menacing villain Sean Harris, ersatz Bond girl Rebecca Ferguson and the easy-going camaraderie of the usual IMF suspects, this sleek, well-oiled machine is a fast and furious delight.