Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is the film that leaves you wanting more. Not five minutes more. Five films more. More so than any of its predecessors this instalment establishes Ethan Hunt as James Bond 2.0 (US Spelling edition).
As a stand-alone film Rogue Nation is not quite the equal of Ghost Protocol, which took action to new heights both literally and figuratively.
This film is stronger though in its performances and characters. The ensemble of actors assembled here make for an intensely enjoyable, immersive and focus-shifting tale. There is a hitherto unseen balance woven between the excellent Ving Rhames and Jeremy Renner from previous instalments and the outstanding new players in Sean Harris and Rebecca Ferguson – all of whom deserve individual praise in a longer review.
The film’s signature style is formed through a blend of Cruise’s brilliantly self-aware unstoppable action hero, Simon Pegg’s perfectly-pitched cocktail of hilarity and everyman as the no-longer-bumbling offsider Benji and the superb Alec Baldwin whose role should best be summarised as Dialogue: Impossible. He, of course, nails it.
None of which should be interpreted as a suggestion that the action in Rogue Nation is not up to scratch. From amazing motorcycle chases to underwater madness, there is plenty of the impossible being carried out in spectacular fashion. It’s just that the writing, and particularly the characters, have been brought up to an equal if not higher standard by new writer/director Christopher McQuarrie.
The overriding sensation on walking out of Rogue Nation (oh and there is no end credits scene FYI) is that it is not only fun, fast and fantastic but that the creators have hit on the right formula to deliver many more magnificent missions impossible.
‘Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation’ Movie Times
