Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation (2015)

[MmzHrrdb]

After a rough start with the convoluted original, and the stupendously uninvolving sequel, the Mission: Impossible film series has at last begun to gain momentum in the right direction. Following solid efforts by J.J. Abrams and Brad Bird, the espionage action franchise turns to director Christopher McQuarrie for its fifth installment. This was not an auspicious development, seeing as McQuarrie was the screenwriter for the pointless Valkyrie and the insulting Jack the Giant Slayer, and recently directed the insipid Jack Reacher. And yet, such expected doubts (while not unfounded) are ultimately irrelevant; Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation overcomes its oddly placed colon with an adventure that's spectacularly fun; just avoid detailed plot inspections.

Ethan Hunt's search for the Syndicate (a terrorist organization) continues. However, he is being hunted by the CIA, who have shut down IMF and demand Hunt's capture. Meanwhile, new alliances are made on desperation, and with the smell of double-crossing in the air, there's truly no one for Hunt to trust.

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation delivers everything one could hope for in a Summer action movie. Great action, great spectacle, a moving plot, and amusing (if not particularly complex) characters in which to thrust into the ensuing carnage. Rogue Nation is no more a thinking man's movie than its better predecessors, but similarly, it manages to create the illusion of sense that evaporates upon leaving the theater.

If the action doesn't work in a Mission: Impossible film, then it has failed. Thankfully, Rogue Nation's action material is nothing short of terrific. Properly thrilling, fun, occasionally suspenseful, and high energy, McQuarrie has amended for his sins in Jack Reacher with legitimately great action sequences. They are as memorable (if not more so) than anything in the previous MI films (even the now classic Dubai sequence from Ghost: Protocol). They begin with inventive set-ups that follow through all initial promise with impressive stunts, attractive cinematography, and just the right amount of humor.

Tom Cruise is in predictably fine form as Ethan Hunt; his physical attributes more impressive this time around than his dramatic ones as he performs his own stunts (as everyone involved with the project has made blatantly public). Simon Pegg still manages to steal the show reprising the role of Benji, even though the comedy isn't as fine-tuned as it was in the last two installments. Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust is by far the most interesting female "love interest" (barely qualifying as such) to grace the franchise, while Alec Baldwin is surprisingly good in a weakly written role. Jeremy Renner and Ving Rhames are surprisingly tolerable (and dare I say it - likable?) in supporting performances.

Joe Kraemer's score is energetic and well-suited to the film. The variations on the classic Lalo Schifrin theme are clever and fun, while the action material is suitably brassy and elevates the onscreen events. Unfortunately, the film undermines Kraemer's work with an (excellent) opera house sequence that is scored with source music that's ultimately more beautiful and striking than anything Kraemer wrote for the picture. Not Kraemer's fault, but a noted issue.

Issues linger, but don't hurt the film much. The villain is functional (and at times, genuinely menacing) but isn't given enough screentime or memorable dialogue to really leave an impression. The plot, as previously mentioned, doesn't hold up to any kind of inspection. And though it's hard to say where the fat lies, the film feels about 10 or 15 minutes too long (though dull stretches scarcely last more than a couple minutes each).

Sensationally entertaining and fast paced, Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation is the best of the franchise so far. With action that tops Ghost Protocol, suspense that exceeds Mission 3, and bearing close to nothing in common with the first two films, Rogue Nation is a complete success by all accounts. What problems the movie has is overshadowed by its stellar entertainment value and fantastic action sequences. A great, if minor, blockbuster.

Score: 8/10

[Neonman]

I saw it at a preview screening earlier this week and I thought it was thoroughly enjoyable. I liked Ghost Protocol, but I like this one even more and it's my fave blockbuster film of the year so far. All the action scenes are incredible, yet each one has a different flavour to it, meaning the film never feels repetitive. The story may seem slight, as well as the characters, but at least there's no time-wasting on bad characterisation and pointless side-plots -- the film just gets into it. I'm surprised it's 131 minutes, it felt like about 90 to me because of how action-packed it was and how brisk the pacing was.

I gush about it in my review here: http://www.colosoul.com.au/thearts/film ... ue-nation/

[bowfinger]

I did not like this flick much. This felt exactly like the original 1996 movie with the pseudo love interest and the mask and all. The only difference was Hunt is now Cruise, and he is just indestructible, and that's why this was truly boring.