MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION // Mission: Accomplished

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The latest entry into the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE franchise does not disappoint. In fact, it’s one of the best in the series. From start to finish, we get one impressive action set-piece after the other.

All any one talks about is the stunts. And okay… There are some stunts. Some of the best stuntwork in film today. But there’s also a lot of laughs and some solid story / character work to latch onto.

ROGUE NATION satisfies in every regard. 

Don’t worry — this is a spoiler free review. I’m not going to ruin any plot elements or anything. I will say that the movie launches off in spectacular fashion with that plane sequence from the trailers and poster. No spoiler there, right.

What’s so impressive, is that the movie starts with this and doesn’t back down. You’d think there’d be nothing left to look forward to. You’d be wrong. Like I was.

Tom Cruise is one of the best actor’s we have. He’s done it all by now. And rather successfully. His M:I movies are where he gets to shine as action hero. The spotlight is bright here. He has the charm, some good jokes, and definitely his fair share of stuntwork. Even the mystery elements work well, as he wonders who to trust.

The revelation here is Rebecca Ferguson. She plays a member of the criminal Syndicate, who we’re never quite sure which side she’s on. Cruise’s hero keeps running into her along the way, but we don’t know if he’s her pawn or her ally.

Ferguson came out nowhere for me, so she became the character. Her powerful presence dominates each scene, whether its her imposing stature or ass-kicking moves, like twirling around bad dudes twice her size.

Ferguson has all the sex appeal of a steamy Bond girl, but none of the damsel in distress qualities. She is curvy and alluring in a swimsuit or a ball gown. Her fit physique is also a welcome change to super skinny model actresses.

Her character has a lot more development than your average woman in a spy movie. Her compelling story arc is as intriguing as any. 

Speaking of BOND, these M:I movies really outdo the 007 franchise. While Daniel Craig brought a more tortured soul and serious tone to the BOND series, M:I stole the fun away.

Cruise’s spy property consistently provides some of the best action scenes each time out. It has cool gadgets, fast cars, intense chases, tons of locations, gunfights, fistfights, and explosions too. To put it simply MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE out Bonds BOND.

My favourite sequence took place during an opera. The scene is nearly free of dialogue, told mostly through images and music. The staging here is impeccable, as multiple assassins aim at the same target and each other.

The excitement didn’t rely on explosions or fast editing here, it was an old-fashioned thriller moment, like something Hitchcock might do in today’s action movie environment.

The movie delivers several more incredibly enjoyable action set-pieces. I won’t ruin them here. The villain was really memorable too. Ruthless. Stern. Relentless. Watching our heroes find a way to defeat the enemy was a pure joy to watch.

While the reasoning behind the McGuffin device could have been better, and there were a few slower parts (compared to the action segments), I still really enjoyed myself. At least ROGUE NATION had a plot, which is something that holds back a lot of these summer blockbusters. 

Airplane hanging on, car chasing, motorcycle racing, underwater horror, thrilling opera, escaping impossible situations, Rebecca Ferguson! — these are a just few of the reasons why to watch ROGUE NATION.

Another big one is TOM CRUISE. Even when he’s in a bad movie, he is fully committed to his role. Nearly every Tom Cruise movie is top notch quality tended to with a careful vision for sheer audience excitement. NATION is no exception.

Do no let this movie slip/through the cracks.

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What do you think?

Leave a comment below.

What did you think of Rebecca Ferguson? Is she your favourite new action hero?

Too bad WONDER WOMAN is already cast. Should Ferguson get recruited for CAPTAIN MARVEL, or what?

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