After years hunting a mysterious group known as the Syndicate, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) believes he has enough proof to confirm their existence. When reporting to a secret IMF station about his interception of a nerve gas shipment, he is captured by the Syndicate. Escaping in usual brawling fashion, he is assisted by a disavowed British agent Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), and pursues the elusive blonde man that he saw just before he was captured, Solomon Lane (Sean Harris).
After a senate committee finds their actions reckless, the IMF is dissolved, with CIA director Alan Huntley (Alec Baldwin) picking up the pieces. William Brandt (Jeremy Renner) and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) are questioned about the whereabouts of Hunt, now a rogue agent, but neither crack and Ethan continues to evade capture. He tricks Benji into flying to Vienna for the Opera, however in reality it's a ploy to get Dunn's assistance in taking down the Syndicate. The two team up with Ilsa to infiltrate a high-security server that should assist them in tracking down Lane.
I'm not our resident MI fan, but having caught up on Ghost Protocol before meandering into this fifth installment, I was ready for some tense action, and it's safe to say that I wasn't disappointed. The pace is set in the opening sequence, which sees Hunt clinging for dear life to the side of a cargo plane as it takes off. It might not quite trump the Dubai skyscraper scenes from the previous film, but the tension remains palpable, especially when you realise that this was done for real, by cruise. This is followed up by a dramatic fight at the opera, claustrophobic chase sequences through the streets of Morocco and a free-dive into a giant water-cooled computer mainframe.
It's exhilarating stuff, as you would expect from McQuarrie (writer of The Usual Suspects and Valkyrie) and regular action-cinematographer Robert Elswit. The plot can turn on it's head without warning - as is typical with the series - leaving you constantly second guessing the motives of the array of different characters, and as long as you don't over-think it then it's great fun to follow along with. Although at times you do find yourself glossing over the current story and sitting back to anticipate the next action sequence, testimony to the effectiveness of the action.
Cruise continues to cheat his way through the ageing process, seemingly still in peak physical condition. He punches, kicks, dodges and flips his way through his enemies and of coarse, still does his own stunts. Benji and Ethan work closer than ever here as the IMF struggles to find solid ground yet again, and Pegg continues to be the most likable character in the series. Benji is ultimately the nerdy kid's channel into this world, operating his vast array of gadgets with occasional precision. Rebecca Ferguson's Ilsa is fast and nimble, taking down any enemy brute thrown at her, and Renner's Brandt....well he's sometimes useful. This seems to be a common issue with a lot of the supporting cast, namely that they really don't do that much. Alec Baldwin cracks open his 'annoying useless obstacle' persona which I haven't personally seen him do since the awful The Cat in the Hat film, and Sean Harris transforms into the stock-standard turtle-necked bad guy. His character develops less as a man who you expect to be foiled by his own heinous ambitions, and more as a lemming lining up waiting to be thrown off the cliff.
But the character assassinations are just nit-picking for an action film like this. Ultimately, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is a solid and visceral addition to the franchise that will keep you thoroughly entertained.
But the character assassinations are just nit-picking for an action film like this. Ultimately, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is a solid and visceral addition to the franchise that will keep you thoroughly entertained.
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