‘Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation’ Review

Mission: Impossible is another hit in the series.

The impossible has always been possible for the likes of special agent Ethan Hunt. And it’s that same potential that makes this fifth installment in the Mission: Impossible series still worth our time and, ultimately, our faith in the implausible.

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation brings Tom Cruise back to the big screen once more as Ethan Hunt, a competent and confident spy with a knack for “getting the job done,” no matter the obstacles in his way. However, this time around, we find out that the Impossible Missions Force (I.M.F. for short) is decommissioned through the testimony of C.I.A. director Alan Hunley, and Hunt’s unorthodox behavior in the field forces him into indefinite hiding as a wanted rogue. Additionally, in the midst of such trying times, Hunt believes that he has found significant evidence in proving the existence of the Syndicate, a top-secret association that connects dangerous criminals on a worldwide scale. Thus, through the assistance of former agent Luther Stickell, computer extraordinaire Benji Dunn, and undercover British agent Ilsa Faust, Ethan Hunt must go against the C.I.A. in order to put an end to the highly mysterious Syndicate and its equally covert leader, Solomon Lane.

There are moments in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation where it appears to plagiarize right from the stereotypical action-film handbook. For instance, it’s getting difficult to keep track of how many times that Tom Cruise has dismantled a ticking time bomb from the chest of a loved one. Nonetheless, despite moments of predictability, this fourth sequel still carries a sense of purity to it, bringing a breath of fresh air to a genre (and, quite honestly, a film franchise) that has needed it desperately.

Many factors can be held accountable for what makes Mission: Impossible so wholesome. For instance, Cruise once again creates a complex character out of what should be a two-dimensional field agent. He has so much ambition and conviction in his work that you cannot help but feel drawn to Hunt. Additionally, newcomer Rebecca Ferguson, who plays Ilsa Faust, adds an element of thrill to the mix, especially in how you question her loyalty throughout the entire two hour, 10 minute run-time. I can go even further and state that each cast member, from Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn and Jeremy Renner as I.M.F. director William Brandt to even Academy-Award nominee Alec Baldwin as Alan Hunley, has a near-perfect understanding of their character, giving them each a chance to personalize the roles as they see fit.

At first, Mission: Impossible comes off as a series that should have thrown in the towel years ago. It plays into the Hollywood stereotype of unnecessary sequels for the sole purpose of a quick buck. However, director Christopher McQuarrie keeps the element of surprise alive in Rogue Nation, leaving the audience with enough action, humor, and plot-twists to make them forget that the whole thing is made up in the first place. Besides, if we have learned anything from Ethan Hunt over the past several decades, it’s that one should never judge a book by its cover. And that’s what makes it so impossibly good, five times later.

If you wish to check it out for yourself, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is now playing locally in and around Montclair! Some theaters include Bow Tie Bellevue Cinema 4 in Montclair, AMC Essex Green Cinema 9 in West Orange, and even AMC Clifton Commons 16.  For show times, a list of even more theaters and ticket purchases, visit fandango.com.

  amc, mission impossible, montclair, summer movies