By Marc S. Sanders
Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation is as stunt filled as its predecessor. Perhaps even more. The difference for me though, is that it is better than Ghost Protocol. The stunts and action are at least equal in both films, but Rogue Nation also plays with its characters while not stopping at certain points to explain what must happen next. Sure, the movie talks, but it speaks with developments and surprise, rather than starting the story all over again from square one (a shortcoming for me with the prior film). Much of that is thanks to a new character, a disavowed British Intelligence Agent named Ilsa Faust played with perfect unsurety and mistrust by Rebecca Ferguson. She’s the actress keeping me interested beyond the magnificent action scenes because I want to uncover what her game really is all about.
Rogue Nation opens soon after Ghost Protocol ended. A hearkening back to the original TV series has finally introduced the nefarious and clandestine organization known only as The Syndicate. No one has been identified as heading this mysterious group. A face or name has yet to be linked. None of the major governments, including America, even believe they exist. Tom Cruise as Super Spy Ethan Hunt is the only one certain that this Syndicate is responsible for a series of terrorists’ attacks and government overthrows occurring throughout the world. By the way, I always call him Super Spy, because nothing gets past Ethan Hunt. Not only can he run fast enough to hop onto a cargo plane taking off a runway, but he even has a talent for drawing as well as reading lips in various languages. Amazing!!!! Incredible!!! Astounding!!!! ETHAN HUNT – SUPER SPY!!!!!
Don’t ask how we get there, but Ethan recruits his trusty pal and computer hacker Benjy (Simon Pegg) to attend an opera in Vienna where the leader of this shadowy Syndicate may be. Complications and fistfights, along with sniper rifle assassination attempts ensue backstage during a performance, and now Ethan has convinced Benjy that his hunches must be true. Ilsa is also there, but is she trying to kill Ethan or just fend him off, or is she working alongside of him? Ferguson plays the role with a perfect poker face, and it helps keep the movie running along while wanting to find out more information.
Every Mission: Impossible film has that one especially heightened action set piece. This time, Ethan has three minutes of inhaled oxygen while he enters an underwater vault to hack into a “safe deposit box.” Benjy gleefully sees the simplicity in this. “Well you can do that!” As an extra bonus, we are treated to a kinetic motorcycle chase through Morocco. The sound editing alone with revving engines and cars screeching, machine gun fire, and horns blasting is impressive enough. Accompany it with well placed camerawork (nothing is blurry or shaky like in many other action films) and you have a set piece that’ll keep you alert. Who needs dumb Fast/Furious junk when this stuff tops it? Kudos to writer/director Christopher McQuarrie.
There are some standard motifs to Rogue Nation. Once again, there’s a government official or two who does not trust Ethan Hunt’s intentions and thus he’s number one on the Most Wanted list. How many times has this guy saved the world, already? Give him a break! Also like before, most recently in the last installment, the IMF team has been shut down. That does nothing for me anymore. I wouldn’t expect anything less. No IMF team, but Ethan and Benjy still get a hold of the most inventive gadgets and tricked out cars they can find. So what’s the big deal if the IMF is on the chopping block? Still, I like how this picture wraps its storyline up and defeats the villain. It’s different and a welcome surprise. Ilsa Faust’s character arc tidies itself up nicely as well.
Amazing stuff happening in this fifth chapter of the film franchise. As long as Tom Cruise and company get more daring and aggressive with the impossible missions that need to be overcome, the staying power of these films holds. Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation is a fantastic piece of filmmaking.
2 UNPAID MOVIE CRITICS!!!! 