Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
Written by Christopher McQuarrie (story and screenplay) and Drew Pearce (story), based on the television series created by Bruce Geller
Cast: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris, Alec Baldwin
Soundtrack: Joe Kraemer
It’s been a little over three-and-a-half years since the last Mission: Impossible movie was released, and I still can’t figure out if “Mission: Impossible Fans” are even a thing (I mean, I’m definitely one), but I know they should be. Over the span of nearly two decades, one of the best action film series in existence (and certainly one of the better film series in general) has slowly but surely been dosed out to us, and I really don’t think the movie-going public has fully appreciated it. It’s time they come ’round.
My own personal journey with this [movie] franchise began in earnest in 2011, as a means to an end. Sure, I had seen the first one on TV a bunch of times (gotta love USA Network), and the second one in theaters back in 2000 (the third one I missed completely, probably thanks to being in college at the time of its release), but when I learned that they’d be showing footage from The Dark Knight Rises ahead of IMAX screenings of Ghost Protocol, well, as Master Shake would say, “Now what you’re saying is interesting.”
It was then decided, my best friend and myself would watch I, II, and III on the opening day of the fourth installment, and so we did. “Mission: Impossible Day”, as we naturally called it, was not an exercise without merit, after all, Ghost Protocol had callbacks going all the way back to the first one, but it was that fourth film in the series that really sold me on the franchise. The original is objectively the best film (and might be my favorite Brian De Palma movie; I know that sounds crazy), but Ghost Protocol remains my favorite, because Brad Bird and company absolutely nailed that perfect mix of “serious stakes” and “fun and enjoyable” (pretty much the same tone as Ghost Busters, though with much less ectoplasm…I hope).
So, where does Rogue Nation fit into all of this?
Well, it’s not the best one, and it’s not my favorite one, but it’s very, very good.
Performance-wise, everybody’s fine all around, though not everyone is given much to do. Cruise, Ferguson, and Pegg are decidedly the stars of the show, with Renner, Rhames, and Baldwin solidly in support. For those characters with unsure allegiances, they do a great job of keeping you guessing throughout the run time, which is especially appreciated in a movie about espionage. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention Sean Harris (who you might recognize from Prometheus). He’s not an all-time villain by any stretch, but he brings about a nice mix of menace and creep factor that an evil spy should.
One aspect of the series I’ve always appreciated is that each movie has a different director at the helm, and Rogue Nation gives us longtime Bryan Singer-collaborator Christopher McQuarrie (perhaps most famous for writing The Usual Suspects). In terms of overall filmmaking, McQuarrie wisely decided not to try to out-top the last installment, opting instead to go smaller and more intimate, relatively speaking (the scope of the story still spans the globe). The result is something darker and generally less humorous than I expected, but the laughs are still there, and the action and accompanying stunt work is definitely still there (arguably never better, as that is actually Tom Cruise hanging onto the side of a real plane). It’s almost like a nice medium between new tough-realistic James Bond and classic over-the-top James Bond.
McQuarrie’s screenplay also features some clever self-reflection on the series itself, referencing past events, and even going as far to say that Ethan Hunt is the embodiment of “destiny” (or something to that effect). All-in-all, it was refreshing to watch a big movie that, while it certainly had the global market in mind, was made with more than a 5th grade level of intelligence. There’s some product placement I could complain about, but it’s mostly in the first reel, so it’s not a distraction throughout.
Honestly though, perhaps lost in all of the spectacle, the five different directors (i.e. J.J. Abrams), and the myriad of producing partners (i.e. J.J. Abrams), is that this whole film franchise is really Tom Cruise’s baby; because Paramount may have held the property rights, but it was fan of the TV show Tom Cruise that actually got the ball rolling. Not only has he been the star of each film, but he’s produced them all as well. In fact, Mission: Impossible was the very first movie released under the banner of his production company, Cruise/Wagner Productions.
So, go ahead and say what you want about the man personally, but Tom Cruise continues to give us the gift of a great action franchise, arguably at the time we need it most, and Rogue Nation is a worthy addition to it.
Whether you’re a “Mission: Impossible Fan” or not, I’m betting you’ll have a good time (though if you’ve not yet seen Ghost Protocol, I recommend checking that one out first, but I’m not making it a requirement).
Rating: ★★★★☆
P.S.
Have you seen Kingsman yet?