'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' Review
Reflection- When I first saw Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation in the summer of 2015, it narrowly beat out Ghost Protocol as my new favorite in the franchise. Surprisingly, I haven't really revisited it since then... I don't really have much reason as to why not, but I suppose it's because I simply never got around to it. Anyways, I thought it would be fun to re-evaluate this installment and see if my preference over Ghost Protocol held true.
Review- With the IMF disbanded, the team now faces off against a network of highly skilled special agents known as the Syndicate. These highly trained operatives are hellbent on creative a new world order through an escalating series of terrorist attacks. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation escorts Ethan Hunt as he gathers his team and joins forces with the shifty, disavowed British intelligence agent Ilsa Faust as the group faces their most impossible mission yet.
Taking the Mission: Impossible baton from Brad Bird, Christopher McQuarrie stepped in to steer the franchise in a new direction. McQuarrie's become a frequent collaborator with Tom Cruise in recent years, so it's really not that surprising that he was enlisted to helm Rogue Nation and then stuck around to write and direct Fallout as well. In doing so, he may have broken a series tradition in which each successive film was lead by a different director. You'll have to wait till I'm finished writing that review to find out if I felt it was worth it, but till then, we can discuss McQuarrie's work here.
With Rogue Nation, McQuarrie blends the mystery and intrigue of old school espionage with the thrilling stunts and character deconstruction found in contemporary spy outings. In doing so, this is the first entry in the franchise that's dared to question Ethan's sanity, although longtime viewers may have already done so as they've witnessed Tom Cruise actually attempt some INSANE stunts. Rogue Nation essentially offers the best elements of each prior installment, and McQuarrie seems to have been inspired to tribute hallmarks of cinema as well. The high speed chase through Casablanca and a Hitchcockian game of cat-and-mouse in the third act indicate this might be the case.
As for action, the stunning set pieces included in Rogue Nation are incredibly varied from one another and among the very best the series has to offer. There's everything from an elegant throw-down at the Vienna Opera House to a high-octane motorcycle chase through Casablanca. Also prominently featured are a plane sequence that lifts off almost immediately, a cat-and-mouse chase through the streets of London, and a heist that's a bit of a deep dive.
Cruise's notable stunt this time around was clinging to the side of an A400M plane as it ascended. If you didn't already know, Cruise performs his own stunts so he actually did this (this stunt in particular was HEAVILY publicized). There were safety measures in place of course, but I don't think that makes the feat any less insane or impressive. The sequence itself happens right at the start, kicking off the film with an abundance of jet fuel and gusto.
Like its predecessor, Rogue Nation is a franchise addition which caters to its ensemble. Once again, Tom Cruise lights up the screen as a hero worth rooting for. Cruise is synonymous with Hunt these days, and he persists as a force to be reckoned with. His charisma and cool attitude prove to be just as potent as Hunt himself. Returning cast members include Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, and Ving Rhames who reprise their respective roles as Benji, Brandt, and Luther. All three make the most of every moment onscreen, but Renner and Rhames have notably smaller parts than the rest of the cast. In regards to newcomers, there's two I'll touch on in a second, but Alec Baldwin bodes well in the role of CIA director Alan Hunley, delivering the dialogue "Sir, Hunt is the living manifestation of destiny." like nobody else.
Meanwhile, the big takeaway was (and still is) undoubtedly Rebecca Ferguson's Ilsa Faust. Ferguson depicts the characters as a femme fatale with unclear allegiances, but she dominates every action sequences in which she appears. She's elusive, deadly, and an equal to Hunt who stands apart as her own intriguing individual.
In the antagonistic camp, Sean Harris certainly makes himself known as a villain worth fearing. Harris' Solomon Lane is soft-spoken, but he still manages to be both menacing, twisted, and unpredictable in his approach to the role. There aren't as many villains as subtle as this nowadays, so that makes the performance all the more fascinating.
