Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation

Posted by tspofnutmeg on August 26, 2015 in Movies, Opinion | Leave a comment

By: Meg Humphrey

THIS DOES CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS!!

I remember blowing through the first three Mission: Impossible movies before Ghost Protocol came out. They were alright – it was nice to see the famous scenes within context – but I didn’t have a strong desire to keep up with the franchise. Ghost Protocol changed that. I knew that Rogue Nation was going to be good, but I wasn’t positive that it’d live up to my expectations that the fourth installment had set. Boy, did it ever.

Advertisements like to throw around the phrase “non-stop action” for every movie in the genre, but Rogue Nation was legitimately start to finish stunts and speed. Say what you want about Tom Cruise’s personal life, but his action skills are top notch. He does as many of his own stunts as possible and as outlandish as they get, they still have an intensity to them that makes you worry that everything will be alright.

Rebecca Ferguson who played the only woman of the ensemble, Ilsa Faust, is wonderful. She’s an older woman, displays amazing skills, and wasn’t roped into being a love interest (thank goodness). Often women in action movies end up being one dimensional, but you see several sides of Isla and she feel as much as a real person as the return characters. I wish she would have stayed with Ethan and become a new member of the team, but hopefully the opening ending means there is a chance for her to return should the franchise carry on.

The few moments that Brandt (Jeremy Renner) and Luther (Ving Rhames) share together are delightful. The lawman/sellout vs. former criminal dynamic is usually enjoyable, but the bickering between high strung Brant and the even, but threatening, vibe from Luther provide comedy gold at every turn. I vote that Mission: Impossible 6 is them trying to share an apartment together. My one disappointment is that Brandt didn’t get to see any action. I’m hoping for a director’s cut that has him doing some lunges.

If you’re looking for an exciting romp to follow up Ant-Man, Rogue Nation is a sure bet to be entertaining. It has its moments of heart and humor amid all of the explosions, high speed chases, and life or death situations. Who knows what the future has in store for the franchise (I’m not sure how I feel if they ever replace Tom Cruise), but M:I 5 is a satisfying enough to be the end of it all.