Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (B) Movie Review
In the fifth entry to the Mission: Impossible franchise, Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt, the spy, who is now running from the CIA and trying to catch the leader of a terrorist organization called the Syndicate. Along the way, he meets Ilsa Faust, played by Rebecca Ferguson, who may or may not be apart of the Syndicate.
I'm not a huge fan of the Mission: Impossible franchise. When I saw the first film, I wasn't very impressed. I thought it was a little convoluted, a little messy, and not very thrilling. I saw the first half of the second film but my Netflix wasn't working and I never revisited it. And I did see the fourth film and I thought it was a solid spy film, but I also didn't understand the enormous praise.
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation is probably my favorite film in the franchise, though I don't know if that's saying a lot. I'll put it this way; I enjoyed the film. I think it has problems but it's also a pretty good popcorn flick that you can have a lot of fun with.
At age 53, Tom Cruise reminds us that he's a formidable action star. He's very good in the film. His performance is believable and his stunt work is amazing for someone his age. The real acting talent and discovery of the film, though, is Rebecca Ferguson. Ferguson is excellent as this female spy whom you can never quite tell whose side she's on. It's hard to believe she's not already a well-known talent. She has tremendous acting ability and she looks beautiful.
Director Christopher McQuarrie, whose previous works include The Way of the Gun and Jack Reacher, has some strong directorial abilities. He shoots action very well, so you can actually see what's happening (always a plus for action films in the 2010s). McQuarrie also takes the time to build up mystery surrounding Ilsa Faust, her character, and her intentions. He also does this great thing where he throws you into the same situations as our characters without explanation, letting you figure things out on your own. He doesn't feel the need to dumb anything down for the audience which is refreshing.
But this leads me to my main problem with the film: plot. It soon becomes obvious that cool stunts and explosive action are more important than a strong narrative. The plot starts off strong and grows to be underwhelming as there are lots of twists and turns in the final act that just feel a little out of place.
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation is also semi-forgettable. I think what's kept people talking about the film is its inclusion in a very famous action franchise. There are some memorable set pieces and stunts and they're all filmed very slickly, but there's not enough of them to make the entirety of the film memorable.
Go ahead and see Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation if you want. I enjoyed myself and it's run time did zip by. It includes a breakout performance by Rebecca Ferguson, some really cool set pieces, and Tom Cruise in top form. It's not a perfect film, but it is pretty fun.
FINAL GRADE: B
MPAA RATING: PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, and brief partial nudity
I'm not a huge fan of the Mission: Impossible franchise. When I saw the first film, I wasn't very impressed. I thought it was a little convoluted, a little messy, and not very thrilling. I saw the first half of the second film but my Netflix wasn't working and I never revisited it. And I did see the fourth film and I thought it was a solid spy film, but I also didn't understand the enormous praise.
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation is probably my favorite film in the franchise, though I don't know if that's saying a lot. I'll put it this way; I enjoyed the film. I think it has problems but it's also a pretty good popcorn flick that you can have a lot of fun with.
At age 53, Tom Cruise reminds us that he's a formidable action star. He's very good in the film. His performance is believable and his stunt work is amazing for someone his age. The real acting talent and discovery of the film, though, is Rebecca Ferguson. Ferguson is excellent as this female spy whom you can never quite tell whose side she's on. It's hard to believe she's not already a well-known talent. She has tremendous acting ability and she looks beautiful.
Director Christopher McQuarrie, whose previous works include The Way of the Gun and Jack Reacher, has some strong directorial abilities. He shoots action very well, so you can actually see what's happening (always a plus for action films in the 2010s). McQuarrie also takes the time to build up mystery surrounding Ilsa Faust, her character, and her intentions. He also does this great thing where he throws you into the same situations as our characters without explanation, letting you figure things out on your own. He doesn't feel the need to dumb anything down for the audience which is refreshing.
But this leads me to my main problem with the film: plot. It soon becomes obvious that cool stunts and explosive action are more important than a strong narrative. The plot starts off strong and grows to be underwhelming as there are lots of twists and turns in the final act that just feel a little out of place.
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation is also semi-forgettable. I think what's kept people talking about the film is its inclusion in a very famous action franchise. There are some memorable set pieces and stunts and they're all filmed very slickly, but there's not enough of them to make the entirety of the film memorable.
Go ahead and see Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation if you want. I enjoyed myself and it's run time did zip by. It includes a breakout performance by Rebecca Ferguson, some really cool set pieces, and Tom Cruise in top form. It's not a perfect film, but it is pretty fun.
FINAL GRADE: B
MPAA RATING: PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, and brief partial nudity