You must choose this ‘Mission’
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to go to the theater and watch “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation,” one of the best films to come out this summer. This message will self-destruct at the end of this review. Oh, and Tom Cruise is the man. Nuff said.
Here are five questions for “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.”
What’s it about?
Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has been tracking down a mysterious terroristic group called the Syndicate, but the IMF is in danger of being dissolved by the CIA due to its unorthodox methods and lack of protocol.
How’s the action?
Amazing. That money shot from the trailer where Cruise hangs on to a plane taking off? That’s just the first scene of the film. But when you start thinking it’ll be impossible to top that stunt, the film delivers one intense action set piece after another, especially a high-speed motorcycle chase set in Casablanca that delivers many “holy s—“ moments.
Does it have a good story?
Unlike many spy films, this one is very simple to follow and doesn’t get bogged down by unnecessarily trying to outsmart itself. Speaking of smarts, I loved how the main villain was always several steps ahead of Hunt and his IMF team. A film really works when it feels like the hero is in legitimate danger and it was refreshing to see Hunt playing catch up to a villain for once.
Who’s the hot femme fatale this time around?
A star in the making, that’s who. Relative newcomer Rebecca Ferguson plays Ilsa Faust, a spy who will keep you guessing the entire film as to where her loyalty lies. Not only does she convincingly ride that fine line between villain and hero, her execution of complex moves in the action scenes means film audiences will be seeing much more from her in the future.
Where does “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” rank in the series?
1) “M:I 2” – Yeah, so I’m a John Woo fan boy. Still, this film by far has the most elaborate and beautifully choreographed action of the entire series.
2) “M:I – Rogue Nation” – Great action, clean story, perfect execution.
3) “M:I – Ghost Protocol” – Director Brad Bird does an astonishingly superb job in his first live action film.
4) “M:I” – The original film hasn’t really aged well but that break-in scene at CIA headquarters is still one of the most intense sequences in the series.
5) “M:I 3” – This one probably had the best villain (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) but the weakest supporting cast and least memorable action.
*POOF*