Eight movies. Five directors. Three dozen character actors. Two dozen exotic locales, each one of them the perfect background for globetrotting espionage. A dozen action set pieces. A half dozen peeled-off masks. One best-of-show brawl set in a public bathroom. Numerous car chases, motorcycle chases, helicopter chases, explosions, collateral-damage relationships, and falls and near-falls from both modest and great heights. Too many running scenes to count. So, so many running scenes.

For nearly 30 years, the Mission: Impossible franchise has managed to take the bare-bone elements of spy thrillers, summer blockbusters...