Review of Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015) by Chevaliernoir — 30 Jul 2015

Rogue Nation is an entertaining ride but mostly forgettable once it has stopped. A slightly lesser effect than Ghost Protocol which had reinvigorated the franchise with superior action set pieces and introducing the best IMF team since the original where all members felt essential.

It recycles plot points ripped from previous entries (e.g. Disavowed/dismantled team, another stunt where Hunt has to retrieve data from a maximum security vault). No action set piece quite matches the impressive Burj Khalifa stunt from Protocol (the trailer highlight of Hunt holding on to the plane for dear life as it takes off is a card played too early and nothing matches the spectacle of this for the rest of the film).

Protocol is a better film simply because it utilizes the team more effectively. It had a good balance for making all members essential where as Rogue can feel at times like a solo Cruise action film with team members on the phone for moral support.

Rogue attempts to increase the comic banter from Simon Pegg's Benji character and a lot of the film functions as a two man funny team (which is its biggest strength) however Jeremy Renner and Ving Rhames get mostly sidelined which is disappointing.

The film introduces a new female double agent played by Rebecca Ferguson working simultaneously with Hunt and the enemy but her double crosses are textbook 'Bond Girl' although Ferguson has potential in future entries if her character is more fleshed out rather than simply acting as a distraction for Hunt to chase and lose sight of the mission objectives at crucial moments.

Rogue also has a weak villain (Sean Harris is usually terrifying and creepy in other roles; in Rogue he feels restrained) and forgettable final confrontation which isn't as memorable as the train sequence from the original film.

Overall, this film displays an aging Cruise as a action star with plenty of gas left in the tank but the next film should hopefully contain a stronger more essential team that Hunt needs in the game at all times and not just in the backseat.