Review: Mission Impossible Rogue Nation - action packed entertainment
Nearly 20 years and five movies in, the Mission Impossible franchise is still in rare rude health, with 2011’s Ghost Protocol earning nearly $700 million worldwide and the series standing at over $2 billion.
That’s quite an achievement, and a lot of it is down to star Tom Cruise who also produces and had led the franchise since the 90s. And it’s his energy which continues to drive it through the entertaining new entry Rogue Nation.
It’s all about what happens when a shadowy organisation called The Syndicate targets the IMF but the plotting is so preposterous it’s easy to ignore, especially when there’s so much great action to enjoy.
The series has slowly been reinventing itself as something of a stunt showcase and that continues with Rogue Nation. The real-life falls and hits here are spectacular to watch, all capped off by the ridiculous stuff Cruise gets up to in the name of entertainment.
That airplane moment is certainly hair-raising but the real standout scene for me was a length set piece at the Vienna Opera House. With almost no dialogue and deliberately paced editing from Eddie Hamilton, it’s a sequence which dials up the tension minute by minute to deliver some exceptional thrills, and all without a single earth-shattering explosion.
Writer/director Christopher McQuarrie (Jack Reacher, The Usual Suspects) has a great eye for these kinds of moments which manage to feel grounded and also exciting, something that’s increasingly hard to do in a blockbuster world filled with superheroes of all capes and colours.
He’s got some help in the form of a group players who really throw themselves into the stunts, Cruise is the most obvious example but kudos as well to the talented stunt team who pulled everything off without grievous bodily harm.
And Cruise has some real competition as well thanks to the addition of newcomer Rebecca Ferguson. The 31 year old actress is an amazing find, with a great and unique look, a seductive accent and an incredible commitment to the action moments. She pretty much steals the film and take note, she could well be the next big thing.
The rest of the cast doesn’t get a lot to do, bar a nicely beefed up role for Simon Pegg’s Benji. You have to feel bad for Jeremy Renner who mostly stands around talking this time, despite being seemingly groomed to replace Cruise in Ghost Protocol.
The only major disappointment of the film really is the villain. Brit Sean Harris wears some really nice jackets but lacks the presence to ever feel like a threat to Cruise and co. He’s all whispers and threats but very little action, leaving the ending feel a little limp.
That hardly matters though, because you’ve already had a half dozen top notch scenes of mayhem, including a frenetic Moroccan car chase and some breath-taking underwater shenanigans. It might be a touch long, but Rogue Nation is easily one of the best action flicks of the year.
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