How on earth did the Mission: Impossible franchise get to be so great? With only one real misfire to be had, it's the rare series that seems able to deliver nearly every time, and does so without feeling like it's just regurgitating old films. Indeed, by giving every film a fairly interesting director, the result is a series of films that's constantly reshaping themselves in new ways, and Rogue Nation is no different. Reuniting Tom Cruise with Jack Reacher director Christopher McQuarrie, Rogue Nation never quite achieves the dizzying heights of Ghost Protocol (still probably my favorite of the series), but it may be more consistent, delivering a compelling plot, an interesting villain, and a constant rhythm of dazzling setpieces that never disappoint. After all, this is a movie that opens with its leading man hanging off of a plane as it takes off, and manages to keep topping itself from there. (And, of course, the fact that Cruise is so willing to do his own stunts gives so many of the scenes a visceral impact that's hard to ignore; even beyond the plane, there's an underwater sequence that genuinely shocked me when I learned about Cruise holding his breath to make it work.) The opera stalking/shootout, a fantastic car chase, the underwater heist...the film never lets up, and uses the supporting players nicely, bringing some great humor and nice tension breaks to the film as needed. It's engaging, fun, exciting, and just a great piece of popcorn filmmaking; it tells an interesting story, does it well, and delivers stylish, interesting action that feels fresh and crisp. I had a blast with it; yeah, it may not match Ghost Protocol, but it's still incredibly solid - it's hard to imagine anyone not being entertained by it.
- Josh Mauthe
- Josh Mauthe
RSS Feed
