There’s been a refreshing consistency about the Mission: Impossible films over the years.
Sure, they’re largely cheesy – but the first four Tom Cruise flicks always deliver when it comes to action and ingenuity.
It’s fair to say each movie pretty much stands alone too, meaning you don’t need any prior knowledge of the older films to give Rogue Nation a shot.
Yes, Cruise is back as super-agent Ethan Hunt, Ving Rhames (Pulp Fiction) returns as Luther, Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz) once again plays Benji and Jeremy Renner (Avengers Assemble) enjoys his second outing as Brandt.
Yet, while this is the closest thing to a direct sequel so far, you don’t really need to have watched Ghost Protocol to know what is going on here.
Rogue Nation sees the IMF team hunting down an organisation dubbed “The Syndicate”. They’re essentially a clandestine network of ex-secret agents capable of quietly influencing world events – but when they goad Hunt by offing an innocent in front of his very eyes, it becomes personal.
The only problem is, the US government and CIA top dog Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin – Pearl Harbour) shut the IMF down after the events of Ghost Protocol – and render Hunt an enemy of the state.
That essentially breaks up the newly-formed team for most of the movie and forces Hunt off the grid as he bids to locate Solomon Lane (Sean Harris – Prometheus) and cut the head off the Syndicate snake.
Naturally there’s a mysterious woman in play, too. This time the honour goes to Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust, a typically beautiful agent that you’ll never be sure whether to trust or not.
As ever with the MI series, it’s all about the action here.
Be it the opening scene when Hunt infiltrates a plane mid-flight, a shoot-out in an Austrian opera house or a good old-fashioned motorbike chase, Rogue Nation doesn’t disappoint.
There’s an awesome underwater scene that steals the show, too.
I also understand that Cruise filmed a lot of his own stunts for the film, making them even more impressive.
Love him or hate him, Cruise (I’m a fan, if you were wondering) is as impressive as ever in the lead role.
Sure, he hogs a lot of screen time (Renner and Rhames are sadly under-used), but there’s no denying that Hunt is a great character.
Pegg gets plenty of screen time too and often serves as the comic relief, which works pretty well.
I was also impressed with Ferguson, who wasn’t really on my radar as a lead actress.
The only real gripe for me is that The Syndicate and Harris’ Solomon served as a largely weak enemy.
You’re force-fed news of their heinous acts, but rarely witness them. It’s a shame, as the concept was pretty cool.
That doesn’t detract from what is a very enjoyable summer action blockbuster, though.
Indeed, going to the cinema to see this is a mission you really should accept.
Voice Verdict: 8.5/10 (reviewed at Boston’s West End Cinema)
+ Awesome action/stunts
+ Top cast, led by Cruise
+ Ferguson is a revelation
– Weak enemy
SHOWTIMES
Boston’s West End Cinema (Fri, Aug 7 to Thurs, Aug 13)
**FANTASTIC FOUR 2D (12A)
10am (daily), 1pm (daily), 3.30pm (daily), 6pm (daily), 8.40pm (daily)
**PIXELS 3D (12A)
12.40pm (Sat/Sun/Wed/Thurs)
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION (12A)
11.25am (not Wed), 2.25pm (daily), 5.25pm (daily), 8.25pm (daily)
HOT PURSUIT (12A)
8.45pm (daily)
INSIDE OUT 3D (U)
10am (daily), 2.45pm (daily), 6pm (daily)
INSIDE OUT 2D (U)
12.20pm (daily), 8.30pm (not Wed)
SOUTHPAW (15)
8.40pm (daily)
ANT-MAN 3D (12A)
12.40pm (Fri/Mon/Tues), 3.20pm (daily)
ANT-MAN 2D (12A)
6pm (daily)
MINIONS 2D (U)
10am (daily), noon (daily), 2pm (daily), 4pm (daily)
JURASSIC WORLD 2D (12A)
6pm (daily)
KIDS’ CLUB
Fri-Thurs 10.30am – Spongebob: The Movie 3D (U)
SILVER SCREEN
Wed 11.30am – Minions 2D (U)
** free list suspended
SHOWTIMES
South Holland Centre (Fri, Aug 7 to Thurs, Aug 13)
MINIONS 2D (U)
10am (Fri), 11am (Tues), 2pm (Sat/Mon/Wed)
MINIONS 3D (U)
6.30pm (Thurs)
MAGIC MIKE XXL (15)
7.30pm (Fri/Sat/Mon)
BOYCHOIR (PG)
11am (Thurs), 2pm (Tues), 7.30pm (Wed)
SONG OF THE SEA (PG)
11am (Wed), 2pm (Thurs)
