Mission Impossible Franchise Goes To New Extremes

Genre: Action | Adventure | Thriller
Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg
Written by: Christopher McQuarrie (story, screenplay), Drew Pearce (story), Bruce Geller (TV series)

Synopsis: Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate – an International rogue organization as highly skilled as they are, committed to destroying the IMF. (Imdb)

Tom Cruise just can’t let go of Ethan Hunt, rightfully so. In the fifth installment of the Mission Impossible series, Rogue Nation, Cruise is back once again to take on the role of super spy Ethan Hunt. Cruise just can’t seem to help but outdo himself in each subsequent installment to this franchise. He’s more daring, more buff, and more outrageously entertaining than in the previous Mission Impossible films. This time around the Impossible Missions Force, or IMF, has the pleasure (and by that I mean risking their lives and jobs) to track down and eliminate an international rogue organization called the Syndicate. The IMF crew is in a bit of hot water with the Senate and CIA director Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin) over their previous reckless missions. The group is on it’s last legs, as IMF agent William Brandt (Jeremy Renner) attempts to cover up the latest daunting mission that Hunt is working on undercover.

Cruise doesn’t wait a minute to enthrall the audience. The first scene Cruise is in he jumps onto the wing of a jumbo airplane as it’s blasting across the runway. Apparently and unsurprisingly this was a legitimate stunt, and Cruise indeed was handing onto the side of the plane, no CGI folks, this guy is legitimately insanely daring.

Cruise is actually on a side of a plane..unreal

After his brief daredevil act on the plane, he’s captured by the first line of the Syndicate group members. It’s where Hunt gets a face-to-face meet and greet with his ally/enemy Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson). The global excursion begins in London, moves to Austria, then reaches Morocco, and Hunt’s buddy Benji (Simon Pegg) is there to help him along the way. There is a swarm of twist, turns, and double crossing that doubles with confusion in Rogue Nation. It’s what keeps the movie exciting, but also what hinders it. The constant barrage of action is fun until it starts getting confusing and spins out of control, all done in typical Mission Impossible fashion.

Frenemies at it’s finest

The producers don’t veer off from the elements that make this a successful franchise, which is the heart pounding action and non-stop entertainment. There is a well choreographed fight scene between Hunt and a hired assassin that takes place on top of a theater catwalk, that might make you queasy. Additionally, there are some fascinating chase scenes in Rogue Nation, notably a motorcycle chase through the curvy hills of Morocco. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was actually all Cruise pulling out all those sweeping maneuvers.

It’s hard to fathom how at age 53 Cruise is able to maintain his boyish looks, but more impressively the supreme physique and stamina he displays in the film. This guy is inhuman. He’s buff, fit, and legitimately still a top-notch action star. He’s owned the role of Ethan Hunt, it would be hard to replace him with anyone in this franchise. There won’t be another Tom Cruise.