The new millennium's James Bond...keep em coming

Rating: 9/10 (28 August 2015)

I think the Mission Impossible franchise is the only truly great action franchise still left. I mean, this started in 1996 and literally has only gotten better over two decades. Star and Producer Tom Cruise doing his own insane stunts, amazing action, plots filled with gadgets and espionage and terrorism, explosions, hand to hand combat and the newest entry, Rogue Nation felt more like a James Bond film than ever and I mean that in the most complimentary sense. Cruise's Ethan Hunt is as good as James Bond has ever been and that franchise has been around for decades. They have never rushed out a Mission Impossible film, they seem to take care and timing and make sure they find the right director to tell the story. They maintain continuity and characters returning and Rogue Nation is as balls to the wall as its ever been. It isn't the best in the franchise (that goes to MI:3 in my books) but it is absolutely the action film of 2015. I went in with high expectations and nothing was left unmet. I was floored by the action and story and incredible visuals and stunts. If you've seen one great car chase scene, you've seen them all and yet here comes Mission Impossible with a fresh take that has you clutching the seat with both hands.
I've never stopped liking Tom Cruise. The man is thee vision of Hollywood. He has had a decades spanning career with some amazing films. Look at his acting credits and find a "bad" movie, or a movie that didn't do well. Despite her personal life, people seem to keep coming back to see him. He has an undeniable chemistry on screen and he commands your attention. His Ethan Hunt is an unstoppable killing and espionage machine. He is as good as ever in Rogue Nation. He shows intensity and skill but is also the perfect hero to root for. Jeremy Renner also returns from his debut in Ghost Protocol. Initially I have never cared much for Renner and yet he seems to be coming around to having more of a personality on screen. He was much better in this years Age of Ultron and I actually liked him way more than MI:Ghost Protocol in Rogue Nation. His role isn't huge and he doesn't get in the way but he's a decent addition to the cast. Simon Pegg is fantastic returning as Hunt's buddy and partner Benji. They don't overuse his comedy but he fits in so well which you don't expect. Ving Rhames who has at least cameo'd in every Mission Impossible returns in a bigger role. He doesn't exactly stand out in the cast but somehow has a presence you can't help but notice. Sean Harris is our villain this time around and he is decent. But unfortunately only decent. This is a series that has always had really great, bad-ass villains and Harris is good but not amazing. He pales in comparison to say Phillip Seymour Hoffman from MI:3 Still the film is more about the Rogue Nation as a whole so he still makes a solid big bad. Rebecca Ferguson is our Bond girl this time around...oops I mean Mission Impossible girl. Ferguson is good and actually proves herself to be a very good action heroine. This could actually put her in a starring position soon. Her and Cruise have good chemistry and they don't complicate it with romance. Alec Baldwin (who I initially thought would be annoying in the film) pulls off a pretty decent small role as CIA Director.
Christopher McQuarrie is definitely a director that I have my eyes on. He has an old school action style that I absolutely love. He's been a great writer for years and often worked on Tom Cruise projects but in only two films he has really impressed me. The first one was Jack Reacher which I thought was amazing and I'm praying her returns to helm the sequel and now Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation. He isn't afraid to tell a story with a lot of depth and expertly wraps intense action around that story. So many directors struggle with that in action films. How can you have breathless action and still tell a great story? Well here it is. Every Mission Impossible film comes up with a new "insane" stunt or scene and Rogue Nation is no different. This action series sets itself apart and Rogue Nation was fantastic. 9/10