In Christopher McQuarrie’s fun, over-the-top “Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation” (the fifth installment in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise), Hunt (played again by Tom Cruise) puts himself in a number of high-stress, gutsy situations. To his credit, he handles it all with his normal sense of cool.
He’s both a fugitive from the CIA and the target of a super-secret terrorist organization called The Syndicate, yet he remains laid-back and unfazed. Cruise is his usual charming, rugged self; if you’ve never liked his action-movie persona before, “Rogue Nation” won’t change that.
However, even Cruise fans might agree he’s upstaged by co-star Rebecca Ferguson. That name probably doesn’t sound familiar, but after this movie, it should be. As the British spy Ilsa, Ferguson is sexy, intelligent and tough and oozes charm and wit in practically every scene. She surpasses her male co-stars at every turn, sometimes literally going toe-to-toe with and transcends her token female status.
Ferguson out-Cruises Cruise, and Ilsa is frequently the most compelling character. You can trust Hunt and his Impossible Missions Force (IMF) teammates Benji, (the always-funny, always-likable Simon Pegg), William (Jeremy Renner) and Luther (Ving Rhames). But with Ilsa, you’re never sure which side she’s on, where her loyalties stand and what her personal motives are. She’s a true femme fatale, and I would love to see a future “Mission: Impossible” movie with just her.
Overall, “Rogue Nation” is a big movie full of grand, sweeping camera movements, a loud energetic score by Joe Kraemer and a story that gets increasingly outrageous and far-fetched.
It also has some extraordinary, inventive action set pieces that keep you transfixed. They’re impeccably staged, the editing isn’t too chaotic and overbearing and, as far as I can tell, they’re done sans green screen. This sense of coherence, continuity and authenticity makes them more substantial.
Also, the fact that Cruise does all his own stunts adds an additional layer of authenticity and immediacy to the action sequences. There’s a legitimate sense of danger pulsing through these moments, a chance that Hunt (and Cruise) may not make it out.
At the same time, the action can be a little much at times. There are a whole bunch of less exciting, more routine sequences: car chases, shoot-outs, foot chases etc. The movie is basically 90-percent action, which can feel taxing.
Another issue with “Rogue Nation” is McQuarrie’s script isn’t resistant to cliché. Various flash drives containing “important data” are stolen, transported, traded and fought over. On top of that, The Syndicate is just your standard-issue movie terrorist organization, led by a well-dressed, well-groomed, one-dimensional rogue agent (played by a brooding, soft-spoken Sean Harris) who eats sushi.
I still had a blast watching “Rogue Nation.” Anytime the movie starts to drag, a clever quip or a bit of exciting goofy action picks it back up. While those centerpiece action sequences are worth the price of admission alone, Ferguson is the best, most refreshing thing about the movie. I can’t wait to see what she does next.
(Rated PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, and brief partial nudity.)