Today’s quick review: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), one of the IMF’s top agents, has spent months tracking the movements of the Syndicate, a shadowy organization believed to be responsible for various acts of terror, weapons trafficking, and political crises around the world. Ethan’s suspicions are confirmed when the Syndicate captures him and tortures him. He escapes with the help of Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), a woman who claims to be an undercover British agent. But his encounter couldn’t have come at a worse time: the IMF has just been disbanded for its reckless tactics, and the remnants have been folded into the CIA under director Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin), who thinks that the Syndicate is a figment of Ethan’s imagination. Now Ethan must avoid being brought in by Hunley long enough to prove the existence of the Syndicate, throw a wrench in its operations, and capture the mysterious man behind it all (Sean Harris). To do so, he will need the help of his friends and teammates, Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), William Brandt (Jeremy Renner), and Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames).
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is the fifth installment of the Mission: Impossible series. A high-budget spy action thriller, Rogue Nation follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, Ghost Protocol, in terms of tone, cast, and stunts. Ethan Hunt is again left in the cold by his agency and again must stop a threat to the world with a small team and few resources. Benji Dunn, William Brandt, and Luther Stickell return once more, an unusual amount of overlap with previous movies for a series that defines itself by change. The team dynamic is excellent, though, with Brandt as skeptic, Benji as comic relief, and Luther as faithful friend. The sense of humor developed in Ghost Protocol is also carried over; the steady trickle of funny lines and wry looks from Ethan are a nice contrast to the cataclysmic plots and death-defying stunts of the main plot.
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is a fun, satisfying action movie. Though it borrows heavily from Ghost Protocol, what it does with the formula proves the formula’s strength. The stunts are impressive and largely done with practical effects. The humor complements the action and brings the colorful cast of IMF agents to life. While the plot is not airtight, it is good by action movie standards and has plenty of twists to keep the tension high. If you are in the mood for a light, action-packed spy thriller, give Rogue Nation a watch. Fans of Ghost Protocol will get a lot out of it, as will anyone who enjoys a good action flick. Those looking for a realistic, gritty take on the spy genre should look elsewhere.
7.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.0 for big stunts, good humor, and a pervasive sense of thrilling fun.