Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.

Review #1117: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.

Cast: 
Tom Cruise (Ethan Hunt), Simon Pegg (Benjamin "Benji" Dunn), Jeremy Renner (William Brandt), Rebecca Ferguson (Ilsa Faust), Alec Baldwin (Alan Hunley), Sean Harris (Solomon Lane), Ving Rhames (Luther Stickell), Simon McBurney (Atlee), Tom Hollander (Prime Minister of the United Kingdom), Zhang Jingchu (Lauren), and Jens Hultén (Janik "The Bone Doctor" Vinter) Directed by Christopher McQuarrie.

Review: 
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation manages to capture the essence of its main hero with a line that also best fits the franchise in that it is the living manifestation of destiny. It is the destiny of these films to persist in being made after two decades with a consistency and execution that makes for a excellent piece of entertainment. Once again, a new director is at the helm for the fifth film with McQuarrie, whose previous credits include the Academy Award winning screenplay for The Usual Suspects (1995) along with un-credited re-write work on the previous film. It's not hard to say that this is a brilliantly made popcorn flick, filled with setups and sequences that certainly linger on the eyes for the film's benefit. Nothing does this better than the opening involving the plane, with Cruise hanging off a plane in a field, which is certainly an energetic thing to view just as much (if not a bit better) than the Burj Khalifa tower sequence from the previous one. Cruise seems as resilient as ever to be engaging to watch on screen, whether dealing with the plot or trying to keep up with the action (and acting accordingly), being as calmly collected as ever. It is nice to see Pegg once again, having a spunky energy that certainly clicks well when the movie requires it, and the climax uses him to helpful effect. Renner handles himself pretty well for the times needed. However, it is Ferguson who helps steal the show, proving capable in the action scenes while being interesting to follow throughout, particularly when interacting with Cruise. Baldwin does fine with his time on screen, as is the case with Rhames. Harris does a pretty good job as the villain, having a fair amount of menace to him that works handily enough. The film builds itself on its action sequences while sprinkling in its plot without being ineffective in delivering something solid worth watching. It isn't the strongest spy flick by any means, but it won't overstay its welcome at 131 minutes. The climax is fairly satisfying, not degrading itself into too many annoying action cliche, ending itself handily enough. I enjoyed the movie for delivering what it promised - an exciting action piece with a few clever parts and some handy standouts, most of all being Cruise, who certainly has stayed consistent with this franchise in its run over these films. This will work well for anybody who has enjoyed these films or enjoys seeing some fine action and stunts sequences.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.