Cue the iconic theme music as Tom Cruise is back for a 5th outing as Ethan Hunt in the latest film in the Mission Impossible Series. “Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation” finds Ethan and his Impossible Mission Force Team shut down by a government oversite committee as they are nearing the source of a mysterious organization known as “The Syndicate”
Ethan believes that the Syndicate is an elite organization comprised of several former agents from all over the world who have officially been declared dead.
This allows them to operate outside any law or jurisdiction and their mysterious leader Lane (Sean Harris), seems to be connected to several killings, heists, and bizarre happening which seem to be connected in a plot to undermine the governments of the world.
Naturally Ethan is not going to let the closure of his organization go without a fight and opts to go on the run with an unsanctioned operation. This action causes CIA Chief Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin) to hotly pursuit Ethan.
With foes surrounding him, Ethan enlists his friend Benji (Simon Pegg), to help him as they must deal with a mysterious new element in Isla Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), a former British Agent who appears to work for Lane but has helped Ethan along the way.
In a race against time, locales ranging from Vienna to Morocco and London come into play as Ethan and crew try to retrieve a valuable item that Lane wants that may be the key to defeating a skilled and deadly enemy that seems to know and anticipate their every move.
The action in the film is first-rate and Cruise himself did his own stunts which is amazing when you see how daring, dangerous, and complex they were.
Many of the Mission Impossible films have used overly complicated plots to fuel the action and this film is not as complex but still has many nice twists to it. My only issue was the ending was a bit to “Hollywood” for my liking as certain individuals seemed to operate against type and established patterns for the sake of the finale.
I also wish that Jeremy Renner and Ving Rhames were given more to do than talk and hover over a computer as it would have been nice seeing them more involved in the action.
Fortunately Cruise and Ferguson fill that requirement as the film is a very satisfying action film that shows that there is plenty of life in the series.
Director Christopher Mc Quarrie has worked with Cruise many times in the past and knows what his lead is capable of and also gets the chemistry between the stars to show when it is needed without letting the action overshadow the human element of the film.
Rogue Nation is a fast, clever, and entertaining action film which will keep you entertained throughout.
4 stars out of 5
Second review by Joseph Saulnier
Installment 5 of a franchise no one ever thought would become a modern franchise. Wow, how times fly. Though, as I go back and re-watch the first four films in the series, I come to appreciate every one of them. Especially the intricate plans, and the sleek way it all comes together at the end of each film. And Rogue Nation doesn’t fail to deliver.
Rogue Nation finds the Impossible Mission Force under fire from the Director of the CIA, Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin). Meanwhile, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has spent the better part of 18 months tracking a fabled organization known only as the Syndicate. When the CIA absorbed the IMF, Hunt escaped capture by the Syndicate with the help of Isla Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), one of their own agents. Hunley becomes obsessed with bringing Hunt in, but he goes on the run.
Six months later, Hunt resurfaces to reach out to Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), to help him close in on the Syndicate. Of course, not everything goes according to plan, and Hunt, Benji and Isla have to do the impossible and steal something that is un-stealable. And familiar faces Luther Sitckell (Ving Rhames) and William Brandt (Jeremy Renner) come along to help out when needed the most.
So let’s be real. You know what to expect out of Mission: Impossible movies. Rogue Nation won’t let down as it has trickier puzzles, hairier situations, and lots of action to fill the between. Say what you will about Tom Cruise, but these movies are pretty entertaining. As long as you don’t go in expecting oscar-winning performances, you will enjoy this film. The returning cast have developed a great chemistry together, and the new additions, like Baldwin, are a great compliment to the ensemble.
I had only one real problem with the film. It had to do with what the ultimate objective of the mysterious leader of the Syndicate. I will not go into more detail than that, because I also hate spoilers, but I did kind of feel that it cheapened the intensity of which the Syndicate been built up to be.
Definitely go see this movie in IMAX, too. I was lucky enough to view it in this manner, and it was spectacular. This will most-definitely be a movie I add to my collection upon home release.
4 stars out of 5
