WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
When it comes to action franchises, there are actually very few that can consistently measure up with every entry. “Lethal Weapon”, “Fast & Furious”, and “Terminator” among others have all consistently delivered the goods, at least for this reviewer. Now, when it additionally comes to summer action pictures, there’s even a higher standard to live up to as well, since we all long for that escapist mentality to take over and sweep us into the wild craziness of outrageous missions, seemingly insurmountable odds, and the characters we love who make it all come to life. And this can most certainly be said for the fifth installment in the highly lucrative “Mission: Impossible” series, “Rogue Nation”, which fires on ALL cylinders.
After successfully completing another outing, IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) unexpectedly finds himself at the mercy of his own worst fear–a shadow agency that mimics IMF’s own skills and expertise, but for nefarious purposes, the Syndicate. Unsuccessfully having attempted to prove their existence for years, Hunt escapes with the help of the beautiful, but potentially double agent, Isla Faust (Rebecca Ferguson). With their own government shutting them down, Ethan stealthily gathers his IMF team–Brandt (Jeremy Renner), Dunn (Simon Pegg), and Stickell (Ving Rhames)–to track down the Syndicate’s leader, Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), to prove their existence and put an end to the group’s ultimate plot.
Trying to stay ahead of everyone who’s after them, it takes the ingenuity, courage, and fortitude of Hunt and his team to discover and attain everything they need to complete the mission–and live to tell about it.
Next, my Mind:
As stated above, what else can sum up “Rogue Nation” other than saying it truly brings to the table everything one would desire in a summer action event film, much less to this particular franchise, but not only do it effectively, but do it without sacrificing the narrative in place of simply blowing things up every five minutes. And this can be attributed to writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, who’s no stranger to working on Cruise-led projects. This effort moves along with perfect pacing, letting the characters actually get a chance to be developed while also allowing for plenty of action and over-the-top (but OH so entertaining) mayhem.
Cruise is always solid as Hunt, but in this outing, the real maturity of the seasoned IMF agent comes out, and this again allows for Hunt to come across as a much more “thinking man’s” action hero, but still managing to pull out his reckless bravado and insane tactics for some playtime. Likewise, the rest of the IMF team, old and relatively new, all add their unique brand of genius and often wittiness to the proceedings. Harris pulls off Lane with that sinister, “calm-within-the-storm” ease that makes him a villain to be feared. Ferguson very much shines through here, though, as Isla, someone who no one seems to truly know whether to trust or not. Add the fact she lethal in her own right, and the characters fits right in.
The action is still incredible (see the opening sequence for reference of what to expect!), getting the blood pumping, and what you end up with is the best film in the franchise to date, something way worth seeing and supporting, that leaves you pining for yet more adventures in the life of Ethan Hunt and Co.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
