Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, 2015.
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie.
Starring Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris and Alec Baldwin.
SYNOPSIS:
Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate – an International rogue organization as highly skilled as they are, committed to destroying the IMF.
After the critical and commercial success of MI’s fourth outing Ghost Protocol, expectations were high for the fifth instalment of the Mission: Impossible franchise and Rogue Nation delivers a great story with more explosions than you thought possible.
Directly following the events of Ghost Protocol, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team are on the hunt for the Syndicate. Hunt is a wanted man and his team have been forced to work for the CIA and leave the IMF behind. At the head of the Syndicate is creepy Englishman Solomon Lane (Sean Harris). Whilst not the franchise’s best villain, Lane is a softly spoken criminal mastermind. Never physically imposing but still a strong contender to bring down Hunt. He is by far perfect but he provides a different type of villain to what we’ve seen in the previous instalments.
Whilst the plot is convoluted and ludicrous at times, Rogue Nation delivers on the action. From the glorious opening where Tom Cruise strapped himself to a plane through to a beautifully choreographed fight at the Opera and an underwater mission that rivals the tension of the first film. McQuarrie once again proves that he is able to direct action expertly and his trust in his leading man to deliver a knockout performance is a rarity in this day and age. Although the plot is entirely predictable and some of the characters are barely used – Renner’s Agent Brant and Ving Rhames’ Luther get little to do – it’s an enjoyable farce from beginning to end.
The film feels at times like the Cruise and Pegg show. The obvious chemistry between the two is utilised by McQuarrie to add some extra humour into a franchise that at one time had become too serious for its own good. Pegg’s Computer Tech Benji show’s some real depth of character and he even gets involved with several stunts. As always though we watch these films to see Tom Cruise do one impossible stunt after another. Say what you want about his personal life, the man knows how to do an action film properly and he throws himself into Rogue Nation. With his Hollywood smile and looks of doubt, he doesn’t show the most range compared to some of his meatier work, but he entirely embodies Ethan Hunt.
Other than Mission: Impossible II, the franchise has always cast women in strong, tough roles and Rogue Nation is no different. Rebecca Ferguson dazzles as Ilsa Faust. She gets some standalone action sequences and she brings a subtlety to her performance which is refreshing in such a bombastic environment. One thing I have always enjoyed about the franchise is that they don’t feel the need to shoehorn a love story into the narrative (with the exception of MI II). Here there are no forced romance moments or any of that nonsense. Ilsa can handle herself and Ethan and her fight together without anything unnecessary being added.
Rogue Nation is hugely entertaining and lovers of the Mission: Impossible franchise should enjoy another solid edition.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Helen Murdoch is a freelance writer – Follow me on Twitter
https://youtu.be/8k_v0cVxqEY?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng
Originally published August 3, 2015. Updated April 15, 2018.
