Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

The Mission Impossible series has risen to become one of the biggest action franchises in Hollywood, with Tom Cruise at the forefront of it all. Now five films deep, the franchise has found its rhythm with Rogue Nation. It’s a nonstop thrill ride that delivers one action-packed set piece after another.

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation follows the same basic formula from previous films; a mysterious organization is trying to topple the government, and it’s up to Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and the other members of the IMF to take them down. In this case, that organization is the Syndicate, international criminal alliance that is said to not exist. Ethan Hunt knows different and has been tracking their movements for some time now, but when the Syndicate finally catches up to him he’s forced to take drastic measures. Further complicating the situation, the United States government has renounced the actions of the IMF and disavowed any remaining agents, namely Hunt.  The only way to clear his name is to bring the Syndicate to light and stop them from becoming a global threat.

Rogue Nation opens with one of Cruise’s most impressive stunts yet as he literally hangs on the outside of an airbus plane as it takes off. It’s an intense scene that sets the stage for what’s to follow for the rest of the film. Ridiculously real stunts, thrilling action, and plenty of witty dialogue from Simon Pegg all flow together in perfect unison.

Tom Cruise has always been at the center of the franchise, and he’s still delivering the same enthusiasm and work ethic in Rogue Nation as he did for the first Mission Impossible nearly 19 years ago. Hanging on the side of the plane is just the beginning of the ridiculous stunts he does for the film. Every Mission Impossible needs a good heist scene. Ghost Protocol saw Cruise scaling the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and Rogue Nation has him infiltrating an underwater server room, a scene for which Cruise learned to hold his breath for six minutes. If that wasn’t enough, it’s followed by an amazing motorcycle chase sequence. The film simply never stops trying to top itself.

Cruise isn’t the only one getting in on all the action, however. Newcomer Rebecca Ferguson, who plays Ilsa Faust, an agent deep undercover within the Syndicate, is one of the highlights of the film. She kicks all kinds of ass throughout and really gives Cruise a run for his money. There’s also Sean Harris as the film’s creepy villain and head of the Syndicate. Harris is pretty simple as far as villains go, with little background for his actions, and it’s because of this that it works so well. It all adds to the allure and mysterious nature of his character.

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is how an action movie should be. After a few missteps with MI: II and MI: III, the franchise found it’s footing with Ghost Protocol. Now they’ve perfected it with Rogue Nation. It’s the best in the series and one of the best action films of the summer.