MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE FALLOUT

— PG-13, 147 minutes. Starts Friday at Niantic. Starts tonight at Mystic Luxury Cinemas, Stonington, Waterford, Westbrook, and Lisbon. Is it even summer without a “Mission: Impossible” movie? Hardly. Thankfully, another installment of the Tom Cruise-starring action franchise, “Mission: Impossible — Fallout,” drops this weekend, as sturdy and reliable as ever. Under the swift and efficient supervision of writer/ director Christopher McQuarrie, this is the kind of action filmmaking that proves to be an effective antidote for superhero fatigue, with a sense of realism baked into every shot. There’s no messy digital CGI here as our heroes try to stop explosions from happening with their fists and bodies. But there comes a point where we must ask: What does it all mean? Of all the “Mission: Impossible” installments, “Fallout” may be the sparest and most efficient — not counting the truly wild and gasp-worthy stunts. It’s taut and unadorned; there’s very little flash or distraction in the form of eye-popping costumes or exotic locations or gadgetry. There is no cinematic sleight of hand performed as a digression. It’s pure action wrapped around a twisty tale of terrorism, covert ops and the one man who stands between the world and nuclear destruction, Ethan Hunt (Cruise). The films have become less about espionage and intrigue, and more about Cruise and his death-defying acts of cinematic physicality, so McQuarrie strips away everything that might stand between Cruise and his stunt. He shoots in long shots with minimal cuts, and he keeps Cruise in and out of close-up to prove to the audience that it’s him. That’s Cruise, glancing over his shoulder on a motorcycle before he T-bones a car in Paris traffic. That’s Cruise, dashing across a rooftop and taking a flying leap, scrabbling to cling to the edge of a London office building. And yes, that’s most definitely Cruise, wrestling himself onto the undercarriage of a helicopter over the snowy Kashmir mountains in a sequence that will leave audiences laughing, gasping and cheering in disbelief. The film’s theme is choice, drawing from the well-known instruction: “Your mission, should you choose to accept it…” That choice has never been drawn out before, but the question is posed as Hunt and his team secure Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), a former British intelligence agent-turned-terrorist. Has Ethan ever not chosen a mission? For whom is he choosing to act? But the question is always “how?” rather than “why?” “Fallout” quickly drops the existential crisis for the fun and thrills of action, twists and identity swaps, for the added excitement of lethal CIA agent Henry Cavill and his biceps and mustache. But for a film ostensibly about politically motivated violence, it’s strangely apolitical, and it doesn’t have much to say on that topic at all. Ethan is motivated to extreme acts of adrenaline-pumping bodily peril simply because he loves his loved ones and wants to save them. But frankly, the lack of any sort of social or cultural relevancy is obvious. — Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service

TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES

PG, 88 minutes. Starts tonight at Stonington, Waterford and Lisbon. Starts Friday at Westbrook. When it comes to superhero movies, there’s a perception that you’ve got to choose between DC’s gritty, dour offerings or Marvel’s winking humor. But five cartoon wannabe heroes armed with fart jokes are trying to change that. Warner Bros. has elevated its “B’’ level DC superheroes in Team Titans Go! from basic cable to the big screen in hopes they can do what so many of its A-list films cannot — add a dose of surreal and goofy humor to its universe. Think of it like “Deadpool” for the middle school set.”Teen Titans GO! to the Movies “might be aimed at fans of the manic and underrated Cartoon Network show but any parent who tags along will likely chortle as the film gleefully skewers the world of superheroes and the film industry itself. Jokes take on “Apocalypse Now,” ‘‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “The Lion King.” There’s a scene when Shia LaBeouf gets beaten up and an appearance by Stan Lee, the Marvel icon, who, yes, makes fun of himself in a cameo in a DC film. This is a film that adores mocking itself: One of the original songs features Michael Bolton singing the exquisitely cheesy “Upbeat Inspirational Song About Life” that features colorful unicorns, dolphins and jet skis. The film’s central premise is mocking the endless supply of tights-and-cape wearing flicks out there. The Teen Titans — Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, Cyborg and Raven — want one, too, but they’re not considered famous enough to warrant their own franchise. So they band together to force Hollywood to take them seriously. “Having a movie is the only way to be seen as a real hero,” intones Robin. They decide they need an arch-nemesis to legitimize them and find one in Slade (a sort of DC version of Deadpool, which proves a rich vein of jokes). Part of the reason they decide on Slade is his name is “fun to say in a dramatic way.” He’s voiced by Will Arnett, who played Batman in the two “LEGO” movies, and is happy to break the fourth wall: “Don’t you know anything about arch-villains?” he asks when he seems to be defeated. “We always have a back-up plan.” Some of the other guest voices include talk show host Jimmy Kimmel as Batman, singer Halsey as Wonder Woman, rapper Lil Yachty as Green Lantern, actor Wil Wheaton as Flash, comedian Patton Oswalt as Atom, and actress Kristen Bell, as a film mogul. The filmmakers are brimming with ideas, from explosive diarrhea jokes to time-travel montages accompanied by Huey Lewis & The News’ “Back in Time.” And they’re also not afraid to bite the hand that feeds them — much of the shenanigans take place on the Warner Bros. back lot. “Teen Titans GO! to the Movies” is the sort of silly film you and your kids can both enjoy, a slice of pure escapist fare in these divisive days.