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In 2011, director Brad Bird’s Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol wowed audiences with its adrenaline-pumping action and thrills. Now, in the aftermath of their adventures in the Kremlin, the Impossible Mission Force is left to handle their next operation in secret in Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation.
The fifth Mission: Impossible adventure finds the IMF disbanded, its team members forced to work desk jobs for the CIA. But Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is close to exposing the shadowy terrorist organization known as The Syndicate, and he refuses to return to Washington. Instead, he goes into hiding, handling his own investigation while the CIA, under director Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin), attempts to track him down. After six months on the run, Ethan realizes that he’s closer than ever—so he brings tech guru Benji (Simon Pegg) to Vienna to help.
From the opening scene of Rogue Nation—as Cruise’s Hunt dangles from a moving aircraft while his team hacks into the plane’s controls—writer/director Christopher McQuarrie sets audiences up for another high-energy thrill ride. And the rest of the film follows suit. The action is nearly non-stop, traveling the world in pursuit of a ruthless organization that’s set on creating chaos. Along the way, Ethan and his team battle ruthless henchmen while avoiding capture by the one agency that should be on their side.
It’s a fast-moving, heart-racing adventure, with cool gadgets, striking settings, and an energetic score to ratchet up the entertainment value. And, once again, Pegg helps to keep things light and fun with his character’s antics. Some scenes, meanwhile, are perfectly orchestrated—pun intended—as Ethan and Benji race to stop agents of The Syndicate during a performance at the Vienna Opera House, with the bold symphonic score heightening the tension and suspense of each movement.
Of course, the story isn’t exactly one of the film’s strengths. There are so many complexities here—yet, in order to keep everything moving along, explanations are offered up as quickly as possible. This means that you’ll most likely lose track of a few details along the way—and, at times, you might have no idea what’s really going on. But that’s not really the point of the film. The point is that it’s another fast-paced spy thriller with a likable cast on yet another edge-of-your-seat adventure.
Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation may not be deep or thought-provoking or entirely unforgettable, but it’s definitely a fun-filled spy thriller. If you’re in the mood for some bold, brainless action, it won’t disappoint.
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