Grade: (A)
When Cruise hanging from a plane as it takes off is only a small portion of the action, there is no doubt the film is all the adventure you want it to be.
Synopsis
When Ethan is disavowed he will get help from his team to bring down the ‘Syndicate’, a rogue organization bent on destroying the IMF, and a group that many believe does not even exist.
My Thoughts
After a dry run in the cinema recently with a somewhat underwhelming “Ant-Man” and a shockingly disappointing “Fantastic Four” I was beginning to think the best of the 2015 summer was behind me. Then comes the newest “Mission: Impossible” entry to reinvigorate the season for what it’s known best, blockbuster films that have you on the edge of your seat to deliver a fun-filled adventure.
This is easily about as good as a 5th entry in a film franchise can be, and with each new installment seriously upping the ante and reinvented itself where needed, the result is a highly enjoyable cinematic experience. This was a compelling story filled with all you could ask for; a detailed plot, a familiar and energetic cast, amazing action set-pieces and the highest paid stuntman in Hollywood, Tom Cruise giving maximum effort to the role of Ethan Hunt.
After “Ghost Protocol” had him running down the face of a skyscraper in Dubai one would have thought they seen it all, until this film when he decides to hang off the side of a massive cargo plane as it takes off. Cruise doing his own stunts can only make you respect the spectacular scenes where the cinematography makes sure to always put the viewer in the best place. This has been a tradition of the series regardless of the director at the helm and this time around director Christopher McQuarrie truly created some heart-racing moments that get you charged up and vested interest wise.
The “Mission: Impossible” series has become known for its impossible missions of infiltrating places that cannot be broken into, and this one was no different. This time the impossible mission pitted the character of Ethan Hunt underwater and the scenes were incredibly suspenseful and will have you gripping the armrest even if you could assume the result. The clever detail in many of the action-sequences was evident and all deliver the grand impact that was intended.
There were fast-paced car chases, visceral gun-play compelling fight scenes and with excellent cinematography close to what I could say was one of the best motorcycle sequences I have seen. With Cruise again clearly visible as a rider and the camera placed perfectly to display the velocity of the segments you are sitting back in awe as the narrow misses have you flinching or clenching depending on who you are.
With the ambition and creativity taken into the action this film delivers from start-to-finish you can only appreciate the adventure you are taken on without anything feeling stale, even after five go-rounds. Even without the spectacular action segments, at the root, this was still a very enjoyable spy-story and it never forgot it was such keeping the tone throughout. There was a fun international spy story you could connect to and woven among the action were all the gadgets and spy-world scenarios people love from the series.
The cast was excellent as usual with Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner and Ving Rhames all reprising their roles. It was also enjoyable to see Rhames get added implementing into the script given he and Cruise always show great chemistry between one another and deliver the friend and co-worker dynamic very realistically.
Simon Pegg also got some substantial additions and served as a great comic-relief to break the tension along the course of the script. He delivered a good-hearted character and was easily the most likable presence in the film with some added depth being given to his role as well.
The additions of Alec Baldwin and Rebecca Ferguson worked well for the script. In particular that of Ferguson who came in and gave an excellent performance as the leading lady. She easily felt comparable to Cruise as an agent and shined in the action the role called of her. She was believable, capable and fit in great with the old cast with ease. With her acting skills she was able to be a viable co-star to Cruise. Baldwin was alright in the role but he didn’t quite deliver the energy of Fishburne in the third film.
Not to forget the performance of Cruise who continued to expand the character of Ethan Hunt like he has in each film, adding more layers to the role every time we see him. His chemistry with Ferguson was great and even better the story hinted to a love dynamic but didn’t linger on it to cost the script its smooth pace. There were some good scenes that rival the acting of that in the third film, which to this day I still consider having the best acting and writing than any of the other films.
Sean Harris was decent. His performance was great but the script had little development for him. He made the most of his role but he could have benefited from a little more creativity to his characters backdrop and his actions during the film. For such a wild adventure this one was and all the effort and ambition taken to making eye-popping action-sequences, the villain felt much too, ordinary. But it was not enough to drop the entertainment value, just a missing piece that if improved could have made this film nearly perfect for the genre.
Overall “Rogue Nation” was an awesome film. The locations were beautiful and pulled you into the spy-world to capture your attention throughout. The film was spectacularly shot my director Christopher McQuarrie who came in and made another over-the-top “Mission: Impossible” film that only adds to the strength and reputation of the franchise. Do not miss out on seeing it on the big-screen and let it take your mind away for two-hours that will seem like twenty-minutes.