Review of Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015) by Till S — 23 Apr 2016

I officially watched all of these films back to back (yes, I have no life) to get a feel for the overall Mission Impossible story-line. I actually enjoyed this one much more than a few of the other entries in the series.

In terms of action, it's packed right from the get go! The stunts that they used in this film are unbelievable. Of course everyone was talking about the opening scene with the aircraft that was used in the trailer, but it doesn't end there. That's literally just the beginning. So if action is what you want, that's what you'll get. It could have benefited from less CGI in the driving sequences, but they're fun to watch (II and III are much worse by comparison).

The plot line by itself is a bit convoluted, as they were trying to emphasize the spy vs spy story-line that can be expected from every Mission Impossible film. The dialogue is also fairly complex to follow, which makes the story line even harder to follow. The 'doublespeak' they used was pretty confusing to say the least, which has become the trend in most politically themed films. It doesn't ruin the film, but you don't watch something like this for the story. It kinda feels like they were going for a plot twist moment in every block of dialogue, which just ruins a storyline for me.

And of course there is Tom Cruise. The seminal character that links all of these films together. He does a good job of maintaining the character of Ethan Hunt throughout the series, but in this entry into the series, this his him at his most over-the-top. Tom Cruise did some pretty great action sequences, and it paid off. I won't say anything negative about the actor himself, but I respect his stunt performances, driving ability, and what he brought into this film as an actor. Simon Pegg had some fairly decent dramatic moments, (and he even has a fight sequence!!!). Most of the previous characters from the other Mission films return to bring a sense of unity to the series.

So if you're looking for some pretty amazing action, check it out. If you want an incredible spy film, this isn't it. A good action flick and certainly not the worst entry in the series.

3/5.