[Movie Review] Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Writers: Christopher McQuarrie (screenplay), Drew Pearce (story)
Runtime: 131 min
Main Cast:
- Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt
- Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa
- Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn
- Jeremy Renner as William Brandt
- Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell
Review: by Erika T
Aging action heroes have been able to maintain a powerful presence in Hollywood, From Liam Neeson’s Taken series to Denzel Washington’s Equalizer (which is also becoming a franchise), even to the Expendables which has managed to make a profit for 3 sequels (though the 3rd one might be showing franchise fatigue). Tom Cruise himself continues to churn out very good movies as well, 2014’s Edge of Tomorrow can attest to that. It was one of my favorite movies last year. Since it’s clear he hasn’t lost his mojo, Mission Impossible 5: Rogue Nation has enough good will behind it to do well if it’s good. And it is definitely good. Cruise at 53 continues to perform his own death defying stunts, from hanging off a plane to riding a motorcycle in a way that I never knew he could ride. Most of us wouldn’t have the cohones to do what he does, so hats off to him. He is still in amazing shape as well. As a proven thrill seeker, he reprises his role as Ethan Hunt once again.
The IMF has been shut down, leaving Ethan Hunt out on a limb. The world isn’t getting any safer and a new and dangerous thread, called the Syndicate, has begun to rear its ugly head. With the goal of establishing a new world order through terrorism, the organization is comprised of very skilled operatives from all over the world who are dedicated to its twisted cause. This mission, should he choose to accept it, may prove to be the most impossible one yet. Fortunately Ethan has the support of his tried and true teammates as well as British Agent, Ilsa Faust (played by Rebecca Ferguson), who is in an interesting position with this rogue nation.
What I Liked:
The action is fantastic and the tension is well executed. It wasn’t lacking in providing laughs either, with most of the jokes being well-placed. While Simon Pegg was not surprisingly one source for that, it didn’t completely rely on him for the comedy either. In general I appreciate that Cruise and company don’t rest on franchise laurels, clearly dedicated to making this film as good as it could be.
What I Didn’t Like:
There is some predictability involved, but it’s not any less entertaining. And while still a good film I don’t think it’s the best one.
Summary
The first one came out almost 20 years ago, but when you watch this new one, you still know you’re watching an MI film. Perhaps it’s because of the stiff competition offered up by the string of superhero films that the team understands how important it is to be a good alternative. Not very many franchises can be this good five films in, just see Terminator Genysis, which came out just a month ago. This one is way better and I recommend it for fans both new and old.
User Review
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Images Courtesy of IMDB
