Cruise Control to the (I)max; The series' best (thus far) and giving Bond a run for his money!

Rating: 9/10 (1 August 2015)

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - ROGUE NATION (2015) ***1/2 Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris, Simon McBurney, Tom Hollander, Jens Hulten, Alec Baldwin, Hermione Corfield. Cruise control continues with the fast-paced action franchise as Ethan Hunt discovers a sinister 'syndicate' the cause of a rash of international terrorism and a personal grudge against the culprit to boot. MFI recently demanded by CIA blowhard Baldwin has the old gang reunited with Hunt in his self-destructive decision to take on the global threat himself with their aid, and the comely double-crossing Ferguson (a formidable and frisky aide-de-camp) who may or may not have her own agenda. Filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie (who co-scripted the lean, mean, gritty screenplay by Drew Pearce) ramps up the action sequences - including the opening salvo tease with Tommy Boy nearly a mile-high on the door of a plane in hot pursuit (has to be seen in IMAX) - with some much needed comedic aplomb by cyber sidekick Pegg. The series' best (thus far) and giving Bond a run for his money!