The fifth installment of the wildly-popular Mission Impossible Franchise is every bit a thrill ride and with a well-reputed penchant for bringing the excitement every time, the lingering question is just how big a rush Rogue Nation delivers.
This latest chapter directed by Edge of Tomorrow Helmer Christopher McQuarrie, has Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) in England with trusty sidekick Benji (Simon Pegg), squaring-off against The Syndicate, a group of ex-Operatives.  At the center of it all is ruthless spearhead Solomon Lane (played by an unrecognizable Sean Harris), with his eyes set on destroying Ethan. Friendship and loyalties are tested to the limit, with beautiful and unpredictable rogue agent Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson) hired to derail and rid of Ethan. The question though is will or won’t she after gaining the trust of Ethan and Benji.
While Rogue Nation certainly packs an impactful punch with some smartly-choregoraphed action sequences, much of the biggest thrills in the Film actually pit our Hero and Heroine against the element of time and we like that we never are quite sure where Ilsa‘s loyalties lie.
The Golden Globe-nominated Swedish-born Actress captivates with an icy elegance and is a more-than-adequate Action star, convincing whether she is fighting with her fists, guns or knives. Cruise possesses that relatable curiosity and hunger to survive which keep us grounded in his center and we are impressed by his brazen and hands-on approach to stuntwork. Pegg without veering on the ridiculous (because we know he can!), gives us just the right amount of laughter to keep things fun amidst the intensity. A love story subplot between Ethan and Ilsa is subtle, going that extra layer deeper emotionally than the route of a forced requisite kiss or love scene.
If Rogue Nation could be faulted for one thing, that would be that the struggle feels a bit easier than we would wish. The stakes don’t feel big enough nor does the Villain feel as omnipresent as he should. That being said, the Film still fares as a welcome addition to a legacy founded on exhilarating danger.
Paramount Pictures Canada release MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION on Friday, July 31, 2015.
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