Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to have fun, watching this movie. I think I kinda enjoy this movie.

Rating: 7/10 (6 August 2015)

The Mission: Impossible franchise really like the word, 'disavowed'. This time, it's the whole Impossible Mission Force after CIA director Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin) convinces the US Senate that the IMF is a threat to public safety. Following the near-disaster from the end of the last movie, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has gone rogue in hope to show why the IMF is needed to stop an organization of assassins and criminals known only as The Syndicate. Can Hunt prove, the existence of the Syndicate or will the IMF be disbanded, forever? Watch the movie to find out! Without spoiling the movie too much, I found the story to be, same old, same old predictable story. It built on the same foundation as the four preceding films, meaning there will be a lot of same repetitive somewhat wearisome tropes. The movie was really missing the great twist and turns of the previous films. While, this movie directed by Christopher McQuarrie feels like it was on cruise control. It's still really impossible to hate this fifth film in the Mission: Impossible series. There's a lots of thrilling action, funny humor, & death-defying stunts to get you through the film. It's has enough to get audience and professional critics seem to consider this the one of best film of the franchise to date, topping the already-acclaimed 2011's Ghost Protocol in glowing reception. In my opinion, as much as I like this film, I have to say, Ghost Protocol was more memorable for me in the wow-factor scale of intense action moments. Don't get me wrong, the movie has some really eye-catching stylized and heavy choreographed scenes. I love the huge airplane chase scene opening, but the action kinda dies down, after that. The whole swimming stunt is cool, and the car chases, but the movie, sadly ends very anti-climax. I wish, the movie had a better ending. It didn't have the same solid pacing as the last movie. While, the action didn't live up to my standards, I do have to say, the movie does more nail-biting emotional-driven powerful action scenes. The whole countdown to the bomb was pretty responsive. I found the performances in the film to be, very good. Despite, what's going on, in his personal life, I have to say; Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt seem very normal and well-like. I like the fact, that Tom Cruise does his own stunts. He was injured 6 times during the making of the movie. That shows how driven, he was, to his craft. Mad props, for him performing the highly dangerous sequence where Ethan Hunt climbs on the outside of a flying airplane without the use of special effects or a stunt double. Rebecca Ferguson as British agent Ilsa Faust was well-done. She is a strong, confident female character. I like that she bear a striking resemblance to fellow Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman to the point, that her character in this movie is a film reference to Bergman's character, Ilsa Lund from 1942's Casablanca. I like that the title character last name comes from the German legend Faust. It gives the impression that the main character is making an ill-fated deal with the devil. I also love the fact, whenever, Ilsa makes a scene, you can hear the music from Turandot, playing the background. It makes a classic spy feel to her character. I also love that Simon Pegg is given more to do, in this movie, besides his comedy shtick. Kudos to Simon Pegg's acting, the fact that Benji pretty much tears up as he angrily refuses to sell out Ethan to the CIA to avoid being branded a traitor, was wonderful to watch. One thing, that I didn't like, about his character was the odd product placement of him playing Halo 5 at his work desk. Come on, movie! You didn't need to do that! Anyways, the rest of the supporting actors were, just as good as the main actors. The Synicate figurehead, played by Sean Harris is the closest Rogue Nation comes to a traditional James Bond type villain. His delivery is cold and eerily. I like how his real motivations are left unelaborated. The only actor that I left wasn't given much to do was Jeremy Renner as William Brandt. It's kinda sad, that he spent, most of the film, arguing with Alec Baldwin's character, rather than doing some action scenes. It's weird that in one time, Jeremy Renner was the man that was supposed to replace Tom Cruise. Now, I feel like, he's just getting wasted. The movie also lacks the cool exotic locations of the previous films. I felt like the scenes in Austria and Morocco, were film, way too similar to the old locations of Prague and Abu Dhabi. Then, there is the fact, that some of the scenes in the film, were way too similar, to the other spy genre films, like the James Bond series. I do like the movie doesn't shine away, that the fact, they were mirroring it. The movie even hint of a James Bond/Mission Impossible, crossover, in the end, with the cameo of Aston Martin DB5. That will be very entertaining. Anyways, it was very wise for Paramount Pictures brought forward the release of Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation to avoid competing with 2015's Spectre. I love how Rogue Nation is also a more love-letter to the 1960's TV series, compare to the other films, in which, they were based on. I love the fact, that they're still using the uber-popular 1990's version of the Mission: Impossible song as well. Overall: While, the film not as good as Ghost Protocol. I still have to say, it's a good popcorn movie. It's worth the watch.