After helping save the world from a Russian terrorist, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his Impossible Mission Force (IMF) team are under investigation from the government. The director of the CIA (Alec Baldwin) wants to shut down the IMF and after that occurs, Ethan is left in the field to investigate the Syndicate, a rogue IMF. With the help of Benji (Simon Pegg), Brandt (Jeremy Renner), and Luther (Ving Rhames), Hunt and his team track a rogue agent by the name of Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson), who just might be the key to the Syndicate.
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is the fifth and latest installment in a franchise which has seen a huge surge of interest after the spectacular Ghost Protocol in 2011. Tom Cruise and his creative team have really put everything they’ve got into this latest film, with death-defying stunts and action galore. Though directors may have changed, things are still as fun and as enjoyable as can be, despite the story needing a bit of refining. Still, seeing this in IMAX proved to be one of the more entertaining nights at the movies this year.
Everything begins and ends with the best action star we have around, Mr. Tom Cruise. Cruise has constantly been providing us with some of the most enjoyable action films as of late and that winning smile and goofy run of his never cease to entertain audiences. Here, Cruise takes things to new heights by literally (yes, this is the proper use of the word) holding on to the side of a moving plane AND holding his breath for 6 minutes for an underwater take. On top of that, he brings all his likability to the table and works incredibly well with his team of disavowed misfits. It’s hard to imagine anyone being more awesome to watch on screen than Cruise, who exudes natural talent.
Adding the most to the film (outside of Cruise’s contribution) is newcomer Rebecca Ferguson, who’s British secret agent brings flair and aweseome action to the film. Not only does she kick ass, but she also does so on her own and independant of having some tragic backstory to motivate her. She’s playing on all sides of the field and only intensifies the action sequences. On top of all of this, she is constantly going toe-to-toe with Cruise and other villains. Her motives always keep you on your feet and she fits in perfectly in this world of super spies and secret organizations.
Rounding out the rest of the Impossible Mission Force are the hilarious Simon Pegg, the tough Ving Rhames, and the questionable Jeremy Renner. Alec Baldwin is also thrown into the mix as the head of the CIA and while his part is limited, he definitely has a good time being a part of the film. Renner and Rhames aren’t in the film all that much, but it’s Pegg who helps make this film even better. He’s not the poster child for field agents, but his quick witt and charm make him a perfect addition to the team. It also helps that he’s a master of technology and without him, not much would have gone well. As a unit, they all bring a good deal to the table and effectively help make the film better.
My only real quarrel with this film revolves around director/co-writer Christopher McQuarrie, who often works closely with Tom Cruise. The film he’s created is a ton of fun, no doubt, but its progression is a little bit odd and partially serves to set up some amazing sequences. Rather than having a cohesive story about an anti-IMF, McQuarrie’s film focuses around a few big action scenes created for spectacle. The scenes definitely rule, but they don’t matter all that much because the story was crafted around them. Sean Harris was a pretty good bad guy, but more about his motivations would have been a lot more helpful to the end resolve.
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is an admirable and fun filled follow-up to what was still the best film in the franchise, Ghost Protocol. Even though we lost Paula Patton, who was actually quite good in the last film, Ferguson more than makes up for that loss and ensures that this film has enough of everything to keep the audience in awe. Of course we’ll see another Mission Impossible film after this and my only hope is that they keep the team exactly as it is now. Maybe they can focus on a better script, but this is also coming from the guy who’s gone to see this film three times now.
