“Your mission, should you choose to accept it … I wonder, would you ever choose not to?” This question, posed by the film’s villain, is what ultimately makes “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” stand out in the action genre. “Fallout” is the sixth film in the Tom Cruise-led franchise, and since 1996, Tom Cruise has elevated the character of Ethan Hunt from a interchangeable cinematic spy to a three-dimensional human being. This alone is a task for the Impossible Mission Force. Cruise chose to accept it, and I’m grateful he did.

The film begins with a scene where Cruise’s Ethan Hunt is getting married to his ex-wife Julia. The villain from the fifth film, Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), is acting as the priest. Lane starts to veer from the traditional marriage vows and begins listing Hunt’s misdeeds. To the vulnerable Hunt, Lane says, “You should have killed me.” Seconds later, an explosion is triggered. Ethan quickly pulls Julia into his arms, but it renders them skeletons. This is when Ethan wakes up, jolting to his gun, and realizing he had only been dreaming.

Why is this scene necessary and why does director Christopher McQuarrie begin with a small dream sequence? (The previous film, “Rogue Nation” begins with an exhilarating plane stunt.) It soon becomes clear that McQuarrie has a clear vision and message he wants to convey: It’s  difficult to balance life and love, and for most, finding a path that conceals both is simply a dream.

Ethan wishes to settle down and have an average life, but because of his past, he knows he will never be able to. If he tries, he will ruin the lives of those he loves. As the film continues, the idea of Ethan’s life “falling out” is beautifully expressed, from Lorne Balfe’s haunting and gripping score that seems to delve into deeper octaves with each composition, to the breathtaking halo jump scene.

This film excels just as much in its death-defying action scenes as it does in the smaller, character moments. Just one set of dialogue between the ying to Ethan’s yang, Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), captures everything the characters are going through. Ethan says, “You should have stayed away.” Ilsa says, “You should have come with me.” Ethan wants those he loves to stay safe, while those who love him want him to leave the IMF behind and enjoy the life that tugs at his conscious. This sentiment is echoed by almost every character who questions Ethan: Do you really want this life you chose?

The theme of choice is one that creates the best of heroes. Ethan’s struggle to choose between a pedestrian life or one filled with espionage – set to a stunning piece of entertainment – is a struggle that becomes relatable to the audience. It grounds the action, and Cruise’s performance is incredibly approachable. Who hasn’t had to deal with the clashing of lives one is living and the one they want to live?

In the end, McQuarrie decides to have the film’s last scene be as intimate as the first. With the help of Julia, Ilsa and Ethan’s close friends, Ethan finally finds closure and realizes he has the life, love, and family he yearns for. The value of a life, especially a love-filled one, is a theme that McQuarrie wanted to convey to the world in a digestible way that only blockbuster filmmaking can achieve. Because of this remarkable feat, this film belongs in the same list as “Logan,” “Captain America: Civil War,” and even “The Dark Knight,” They are all franchise films that entertain while grounding the material with a powerful human purpose. Films are at their best when they capture humanity in an entertaining way. Most films, especially in the action genre, seem to forget this. So, if Cruise, McQuarrie, and company were trying to find a way to make one of the best films of not just the action genre, but all time, then all I have to say is this: Mission accomplished.