Review of Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015) by Scrawnypunk — 09 Aug 2015

This is a nice, gentle left-turn from the frenetic Bourne-clone spy flicks and destroy-the-world comic book movies of the past few summers. It's also a bit more action-paced than recent "thinking" spy flicks like Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (which, incidentally, I enjoyed tremendously). It hits a nice middle-ground between the two extremes and results in an enjoyable movie with familiar characters, an understandable plot, low-body-count action, and a satisfying conclusion.

In this installment, the IMF is back to doing what it does best – defending the world from certain annihilation while working without the cover of government protection or authority (again…where does the money come from?). Ethan Hunt is off the radar, staying one step ahead of the CIA and one step behind his enemy until he is able to reunite his team to do the “Impossible” (thus the title, right?). There isn’t a lot of new territory here, and “The Syndicate” doesn’t sound all that different from the version of SPECTRE we’ll be seeing later in the year. However, it is well-crafted and well-executed, and is therefore a good example of what movies do best – escapist and enjoyable.

This could be a personal opinion, but "Rogue Nation" felt much more like the original movie than any of the others in the series. Not only do we have an explicit reference to the original NOC-list heist, but the movie’s locations, lighting, and pacing lend it the same air of foreign charm that helped separate the original from predecessor Bond and Bourne movies. While the movie drags in spaces, there are a few scenes which are balletic in their execution – the complicated “chase” scene above the Vienna Opera House being the most obvious example.

All in all, enjoyable and recommended.