Since Summer is almost over, so is the season of big block buster flicks. What better way to end these hot couple of months with a non-stop, action packed, adrenaline fueled movie like Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation? Well, let me tell you now that if you're a fan of the franchise you'll have plenty to love in Rogue Nation.
Rogue Nation continues with the adventures of Ethan Hunt, super spy of the IMF as he squares off with a rogue faction known as The Syndicate. The gang is basically all back together, save for the female cast who always seems to have to be replaced after every movie. We have Jeremy Renner reprising his role as William Brandt from Mission Impossible 4, Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell and Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn. New to the franchise is Alec Baldwin as Alan Hunley (director of the CIA), Rebeccsa Ferguson as Ilsa Faust (New female good guy) and Sean Harris as Solomon Lane (Rogue Nations bad guy). With veterans and new comers alike, Rogue Nation showcases a strong cast that deliver entertaining performances and fantastic on-screen chemistry.
I could easily go on and on about how much I enjoyed Rogue Nation, but that's not to say that the film wasn't perfect. Some of the problems I had with Rogue Nation usually lie within the 'cliche action movie trope' territory and the predictability of the plot. On top of that, I felt that Ilsa's character wasn't as developed as I would have hoped and that any attempt at trying to create a deeper character for her left me confused or unexcited. The problem that this creates is that Rogue Nation lacks a real sense of suspense to balance out the balls-to-the-wall action. By being so transparent when it comes to character behavior and plot progression, I found that Rogue Nation left me feeling a little disappointed when things actually turned out the way I expected them to. It would have benefited the film to have some twists and turns and break away from the formula but unfortunately, Rogue Nation keeps it as close to home as it possibly could.
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| I really wanted to like Ilsa more...but she just felt mediocre to me |
That being said, the rest of the film was definitely enjoyable. Rogue Nation doesn't cheap out when it comes to it's action sequences and it doesn't fail to keep the adrenaline pumping when things start to heat up. Like previous films, there's also some great spy sequences that take place that really showcase how coordinated the entire team is. Those type of scenes are my personal favorites when it comes to this franchise, they never fail to satisfy me and provoke me to play a video game based on heisting (Looking at you PayDay 2!).
Speaking of great set pieces, Tom Cruises stunt this time around was pretty damn impressive, even when I look back at MI4's insane Burj Khalifa stunt. Strapping yourself on the outside of a plane and have it take off while you're on it is a pretty ballsy move and it is greatly appreciated in an age of heavy CGI use. Perhaps Tom Cruise will top this stunt in the next Mission Impossible by...I don't know... sky diving without a parachute into another plane or something. At any rate, kudos to Mr. Cruise and I hope he doesn't lose his craziness before the next installment.
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| Yup, Still crazy |
Rogue Nation also surprised me with a solid villain. The villain for MI 4 was incredibly disappointing to me, especially when MI3 had Phillip Seymour Hoffman deliver a threatening and powerful performance as Owen Davian. I went into Rogue Nation expecting a pretty mediocre villain and someone that couldn't possibly replace Davian as the best Mission Impossible villain ever.
Well, I was right to an extent. Solomon Lane isn't as good as Owen Davian but he sure as hell comes close. Not only does the movie do a great job at setting up Lane as a 'tour de force' for the IMF, it also made me feel uncomfortable to see him on screen. Sean Harris' performance as Lane is so chilling that whenever Lane was interacting with other characters, you could tell that he's not meant to be taken lightly. In some ways, Lane manages to surpass Davian but unfortunately due to less screen time and a disappointing defeat, Davian just inches ahead of Lane. But only by inches. Mission Impossible fans, I believe, will have plenty to enjoy from Solomon Lane.
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| Perhaps the best thing about this movie is seeing this guy every so often being all evil and shit |
Lastly, I want to talk about the pacing of the film. Rogue Nation is so well paced that, despite the incredibly large scale action sequences, it never felt like it needed to take a break or slow down. Despite the predictable nature of the plot, I was still at the edge of my seat wanting to see what would happen next. Sure I knew that X character would do Y...but how would it be portrayed on screen? You see, I feel like predictability of plot can easily be rectified if the film does a good job of bringing you to that conclusion. The best thing I can compare this to is...welll...a new rollercoaster. You may know that the ride will eventually stop and you'd have to get off, but you won't know how well the ride is executed and if it does a good job at keeping you entertained. Rogue Nation is like that. I know how certain things will turn out...but not how it would be portrayed on-screen. As such it's a good thing that the pacing allowed for so many action scenes to take place. When it lacked suspense, it made up for it with non-stop thrills.
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| There's just something about Alec Baldwin's acting in Rogue Nation that made me REALLY like his character even if he played a smaller role than others. |
Mission Impossible is, quite possibly, the last great summer blockbuster of this year. It's a flawed
action movie that suffers from the usual tropes found in the genre, but boy does it do a good job at just being an action flick. If you have any love for the Mission Impossible franchise, this is right up your alley. If not, and you're just looking for something to watch during the summer heat, then there's still plenty for you to enjoy. Who knows, it may even make you into a fan.
Verdict: 4/5
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