Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation Reviews

Initial Thought: I didn't really follow Mission: Impossible growing up. I actually started watching from part three and then went back to the others. Then I watched Ghost Protocol. I didn't even think any others would be made after part three. They end up surprising us every once in awhile with a new sequel. So even though this is part five I doubt this is the last we will see of IMF. Anyways this looks just plain awesome.

Characters/Acting: We have several actors returning from previous installments as well as some pretty cool new additions like Rebecca Ferguson or Sean Harris. Ethan Hunt is always a blast to watch do intense actions sequences. Ving Rhames has been around for every film. I always enjoy watching him even in bad movies. Simon Pegg has been around for every film since his arrival in part three. He is the humor of the group and definitely a delight to see every time. Jeremy Renner just makes everything even more badass. I don't care what anyone says I think Hawkeye gives heart to the Avengers on a sidenote. Ilsa Faust is a pretty cool female character. She has charm, sexiness, and is a complete badass. She is almost like the realistic British version of Black Widow. Yeah so what deal with The Avengers references. Tom Cruise just seems like he will be making action movies until the day he either dies or retires. Everybody here shared some good humor at times which was great. Sean Harris played a fun villain in my opinion. He definitely creeps me out in most of his films. He doesn't have a normal look about him so he is always perfect as a villain.

Story: 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. This starts off pretty intense with some badass stunts that make you feel the realism of it all. The action doesn't stray off too much. It makes itself known throughout the film. The car chase was a fun one to watch with a mixture of humor and intensity. I always enjoy seeing all the interesting little gadgets these films can create. There are several twists and turns. Many of them I kind of expected to happen, but it's always fun to see how everything plays out. I thought the ending was great and leaves room for a highly possible sequel.

Director/Writing: Christoper McQuarrie is a pretty excellent writer. He has done Edge of Tomorrow, The Usual Suspects, and Jack the Giant Slayer. I only hated Jack Reacher which I found completely boring. That also happens to be the only movie I've seen him direct. I'm hoping this attempt is way better than that was. Drew Pearce hasn't done much besides Iron Man 3 and future films, but from what he has done he is a fun storyteller to watch. So it seems McQuarrie does know his way around directing. He ended up making my favorite of the series so far.

Final Thoughts: Okay so that is pretty much my favorite of all the films in this series. The third part comes in a close second. I wouldn't be surprised if a sequel is being thought of or more this moment. The characters haven't lost any charisma. The action is still intense and fun to watch. The stunts are still gripping. You really just have to see it all for yourself. If you are a fan of the previous Missions I am highly positive you will enjoy this as well. It's truly worth checking out even for a fifth installment.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

This is the first Mission: Impossible movie I've seen on the big screen, and it's not a bad one to earn that distinction. :)
This time around, an elite rogue organisation called the Syndicate has infiltrated the IMF, forcing them to disband and integrate into the CIA, so Ethan and his team have to stop the Syndicate without drawing the attention of their superiors.
This instalment is pretty much more of the same. In fact, it borrows heavily from the first and fourth movies, in that Ethan is a fugitive suspected of treason, and has to operate with minimal access to resources. And to be honest, by now the formula of these movies is starting to get a bit tired. But that doesn't make the movie any less entertaining in its own right.
The highlight, once again, is the heist in the middle of the movie (which, without spoiling anything, comes closer to failure than ever before) and the big chase sequence that follows. But the climax is pretty cool too. In particular, it's probably the first time I've ever seen a knife fight, not just in this series but in any action movie.
So overall, this is a pretty good instalment in the series. Not as good as one and four, but close.

My rating: 70%

"The Syndicate is real. A rogue nation, trained to do what we do."

It's rare for a Hollywood movie franchise to maintain quality through to its fifth instalment, and yet 2015's Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation accomplishes that seemingly impossible mission, emerging as one of the summer's strongest, most satisfying blockbusters. Written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, who was last seen at the helm of the 2012 Tom Cruise vehicle Jack Reacher, Rogue Nation represents another high point for this now nineteen-year-old franchise, which has flirted with greatness since 2006's Mission: Impossible III (which is still arguably the best). The decision to move the film's release date up by a whopping five months was cause for concern, but the finished picture remains astonishingly assured and above all cohesive, pulling together a gripping spy yarn anchored by solid performances and sublime visuals. In short, it's everything you want from a summer flick, and more.

After CIA head Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin) works to shut down the Impossible Mission Force (IMF), Ethan Hunt (Cruise) goes rogue, living off the grid as he works to bring down a shadow organisation known as The Syndicate. The likes of Agent Brandt (Jeremy Renner) and tech guru Benji (Simon Pegg) are drafted into CIA service, forced to assist as the agency seeks to find and apprehend Hunt at all costs. As Hunt ventures around the globe determined to prevent further deaths at the hands of The Syndicate, he finds assistance in Benji, Brandt, and old pal Luther (Ving Rhames), while also frequently encountering a British Intelligence agent named Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) whose loyalties remain unclear.

The well-publicised stunt involving Cruise dangling from a plane is actually part of the opening sequence, which kicks off the movie on an exhilarating high note. The set-piece is a real treat, a thoroughly armrest-clenching, hugely competent opener scored with the iconic M:I theme that left this reviewer giddy with excitement. It was a sublime creative decision to include this stunt at the start of the film - it amplifies the exhilaration factor for the ensuing action scenes, as it's never entirely clear what's real and what has been tinkered with through digital effects. And that's the highest compliment one can award a blockbuster of this ilk. Additionally, while all previous entries in the series have aped the show's title sequence, Rogue Nation takes it one step further, with clips to introduce each respective main player. Indeed, the feature wears its television origins on its sleeve, and it feels closer to the original TV show than all four of its predecessors. As a matter of fact, The Syndicate was a recurring antagonist on the show.

There's an air of class to Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation that's unexpected considering its summer blockbuster pedigree, with McQuarrie taking cues from Alfred Hitchcock in particular, as well as paying homage to other classics. Part of the story takes place in Casablanca, which in itself will conjure up memories of the classic 1942 film Casablanca, but the name Ilsa will also be familiar to any cinema aficionados. Additionally, one of the standout set-pieces takes place at an opera in Vienna, which appears to be a callback to Hitchcock's 1956 version of The Man Who Knew Too Much. Such touches would be foolhardy in a less skilful production, but Rogue Nation is executed with a deft hand, and it's smartly-written to boot.

McQuarrie's proficient directorial talents are aided considerably by the exotic global locations, the vibrant cinematography courtesy of the Oscar-winning Robert Elswit, and Joe Kraemer's pulse-pounding score which makes great use of Lalo Schifrin's iconic theme music. For the most part, Rogue Nation is a surprisingly grounded blockbuster, generating excitement through stretches of intense, cloak-and-dagger espionage rather than outright mayhem. McQuarrie gets plenty of mileage out of suspenseful, mostly wordless sequences, reminiscent of Brian De Palma's work on the original Mission: Impossible film. Even the climax has been dialled back, leaving the trailers to mostly foreground the extended vehicular chase through the streets of Morocco which closes the second act. However, the movie does have its fair share of silly moments, including an over-the-top car roll that looks too digital and is too unrealistic.

The M:I franchise has had its share of witty one-liners, but Rogue Nation is probably the most humorous to date. It's full of amusing bantering and clever scripting, which keeps the enterprise feeling fun and light. And it's a testament to McQuarrie's direction that he is able to juggle the varying tones so well. Naturally, performances right across the board are hugely effective. The decision to induct Pegg into the franchise's ensemble remains superb. He's a great asset, and it's fantastic that the British funny-man returns here in a larger capacity. Meanwhile, Rhames, who has appeared in every instalment thus far, is terrific as always, handling the comedy with a deft hand. Renner also makes his return here, and he's yet again on fine form. Then there's Cruise, who remains a consummate pro and a true movie star despite being in his fifties. Cruise did his own driving and stunts, and he's perpetually focused from start to finish. As for the newcomers, Baldwin makes a positive impression, while Sean Harris excels as the villain. If the last movie, Ghost Protocol, had a flaw, it would've been the lack of a memorable bad guy, but Harris fulfils his duties admirably here. And finally, Swedish actress Ferguson really impresses as Ilsa, and she shares great chemistry with Cruise. However, the absence of Michelle Monaghan is a tad disappointing - this series still needs to provide closure on the relationship between Ethan and Monaghan's Julia.

Rogue Nation is a long movie, ultimately clocking in at over two hours, and at times it does feel its length. After two incredible opening acts, the flick slows down for its final third, which does affect narrative rhythm and pacing. With that said, however, Rogue Nation does improve upon repeat viewings, which solidifies this as another joy for 2015's summer movie derby and an ideal way to cap off the season. At this point, the prospect of a sixth Mission: Impossible movie is extremely enticing indeed, which is more than can be said for other, less skilful long-running franchises, like Fast & Furious.

8.0/10

Yesterday, my wife had a great surprise. Indeed, since our youngest daughter had a sleep-over, she suggested that we should go on a date. Eventually, we went to see this movie in a very cozy movie theater where there is no separation between the chairs, lots of room for your legs, a little table with a small lamp and a button to press to get a waiter to bring you some snacks and drinks. It was just really neat and this movie was just the perfect choice for a romantic evening like this one. Indeed, it was nothing really heavy but it was still pretty damned spectacular and entertaining. Basically, Tom Cruise has finally nailed the formula for this franchise and, even though this new sequel was a slight step down from its predecessor, it still worked fine. Indeed, the action scenes were just really impressive, pretty much the best delivered by the industry right now, Simon Pegg was once again hilarious as the sidekick and I was quite impressed by newcomer Rebecca Ferguson who was just perfect as femme fatale. Eventually, it was almost a home-run but some elements still bothered me. For example, they keep giving us some really murky plots every time and the whole plot against the IMF has been done too many time before. Furthermore, it was a little too long and the main villain was rather disappointing. Still, I thought it was a decent blockbuster and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.