Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation: The Blockbuster of Summer

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation is the sequel perfected. It is lean, mean and features chase scenes that will leave you breathless. It starts fast, never slows down and oft makes you laugh. You have to love a movie where the bad guys are fodder for well-dressed people to conquer via motorcycles, airplane grip strength, computer hacking and odd couple pairings.

Mahalo y’all

In true Mission: Impossible fashion the plot revolves around some European bad guys looking to kill a bunch of people. They are secretive, deadly and if Chris Klein from Street Fighter: Legend of Chun Li was in the film he would say they “walk through raindrops.” Eventually, they piss off Tom Cruise and his now disbanded Impossible Mission Force risk treasonous death in order to bring down the bad guys.

Joining Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) are returning members Benji (Simon Pegg), Brandt (Jeremy Renner) and Luther (Ving Rhames). The four core members have an easy chemistry that has been built from film to film. I would pay to watch a spin-off where Rhames and Renner drive around in a 4X4 all day and talk smack to each other. This may sound insane but I would love a Mission: Impossible/Spy hybrid where Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne and crew team up with the IMF and battle some European villains who dress like dolphin trainers.

The IMF may not be joined by an insane Jason Statham but they do pick up an occasional double/triple/quadruple crossing British agent Lisa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson). Faust switches alliances more often than tailored outfits and finally gives Cruise a suitable spy love interest/foil (think Mr. & Mrs. Smith after they know each others identities). Ferguson does a solid job of holding her own in action scenes and is believable as a female Ethan Hunt who can do everything Ethan can but in high heels.

Tom Cruise and writer/director Christopher McQuarie (The underrated Jack Reacher) have dedicated themselves to giving the audience a good time. The set pieces are things of orchestrated beauty as we get fantastic opera house fights and a showstopping motorcycle chase in which you feel the speed.  You feel the giddy joy they have in creating  bonkers action set pieces and the insanity of the missions feels organic because we are watching an Impossible Mission Force.

There is zero pretentiousness to the proceedings and it appreciates telling a good joke amidst vehicular carnage (You had to rent the slow 4×4!). Mission joins the Fast series in its appreciation of global locals and outrageous set pieces. The stunts may be bonkers but they are well-thought out and become iconic because you feel the danger. Having Tom Cruise around is a bonus because you sense that he puts his body on the line no matter what the danger. There is scene in Rogue Nation where Cruise scrapes his knee while going 200 MPH on a motorcycle. I don’t know if that was planned or not but it kept me interested in the moment. It all may be perfectly safe but there is a sense of danger whenever a new and outrageous stunt happens.  The only stock moments are when we get are the obligatory shirtless Cruise and at least 149 Rebecca Ferguson glory shots.

Ving Rhames needs a version of this poster.

If you are looking for a great time in the cinema it doesn’t get any better than Rogue Nation. It knows what it is and excels in creating likable characters, well-thought out fights and a whole lot of fun. Watch it and let me know what you think!