Back in 1996, Tom Cruise was already a successful actor who had proven himself with a string of hits. What would it take for Cruise to buttress his status as an international superstar? He and his producing partner, Paula Wagner, decided that Cruise needed an action franchise of his very own. Rather than creating their own property, they resurrected “Mission: Impossible,” a successful television series of a bygone era.
There was an immediate problem. “Mission: Impossible” had involved an ensemble cast with its nominal team leader being a mere component. The simple solution was to rejigger the formula. Cruise would portray Ethan Hunt, a newly created character, who is not just a glorified administrative supervisor of the I.M.F. He is a badass super-agent and focus of each film. The other members of the I.M.F. are reduced to supporting roles in the narrative scheme.
The decision has served Cruise well. The first four films in the franchise have made more than $2 billion in worldwide box office. Despite this box office history, some pessimists suggested that Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation would have an uphill battle. Hadn’t all potential plotlines been exhausted? At 53, hadn’t Cruise aged out of the role?
So does the film measure up to all the advance hype? The simple answer is a resounding yes. The film commences with a cargo plane, manned by Chechen separatists and transporting lethal nerve gas, about to take off. Ethan gamely leaps onto the wing and hangs on as it ascends. Cruise is well known for his disdain for excessive CGI. As a consequence, the vignette exudes a sense of realism. It is a stunning set piece that conclusively refutes any suggestions that Cruise is too old for the part. He amply displays that he still has all the makings of a convincing action hero.
Of course, having such a scene at the outset of a film is a risky proposition. Front-end loading such a spectacular scene might dramatically eclipse the subsequent text of the film and leave the audience disappointed. No worries—this is just the first of a succession of eye-popping stunts that persistently pop up throughout the movie. Viewers will be treated to an escape from a torture cell, an elaborate fight scene set in the suspended rafters of a performance at the Vienna State Opera and a motorcycle chase through Morocco.
Despite his derring-do, Ethan’s I.M.F. unit is disbanded. C.I.A. director Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin) angrily denounces the I.M.F. as out of control and detrimental to U.S. national interests. Hunley claims that the I.M.F. has confabulated the existence of a rival agency, the so-called Syndicate. According to Hunley, this is an apocryphal entity that been invented by I.M.F. to justify their machinations.
Two members of the I.M.F., analyst William Brandt (Jeremy Renner) and electronics wizard, Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), are relegated to desk duty at C.I.A. headquarters in Langley. They feign allegiance to Hunley, who is trying to track down and terminate Ethan with prejudice.
However, Ethan discovers proof that the Syndicate does indeed exist. They are the so-called rogue nation of the film’s title. Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) is a clean-cut, bespectacled fellow who looks totally innocuous, more like a nerdish accountant than a super-villain. However, he runs the Syndicate, which is dedicated to the destruction of the I.M.F. and the disruption of the world order. Lane has assembled a cadre of skilled operatives who are poised to implement his nefarious agenda. Ethan must reassemble the team, by convincing William and Benji to rejoin him, while bringing Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) out of retirement.
Along the way, Ethan encounters his female analogue, Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson). As Ilsa repeatedly demonstrates, she is smart, super skilled and resourceful. But can she be trusted? Is Ilsa loyal to Lane, a mole in his organization, as she insists, or something altogether different? How can Ethan decide? Will his sound judgment be subverted by the obvious chemistry between him and Ilsa? As if to evoke this psychosexual tension, several collaborative stunts with Ethan and Ilsa involve a posture that is suggestive of coitus.
This is the first time that a Mission: Impossible film has been helmed by its sole screenwriter. Christopher McQuarrie has done a superb job in both capacities. He has crafted an intelligent screenplay and mounted a well-paced, action-packed feature. McQuarrie has many scripts on his résumé, including the Oscar-winning screenplay for The Usual Suspects. However, this is only the third feature film that he has helmed, making his accomplished direction of a challenging production particularly noteworthy.
After four prior films over the course of 19 years, you might expect that the Mission: Impossible franchise would be played out by now. However, Rogue Nation turns out to be the best I.M.F. film ever.
Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation
Tom Cruise
Rebecca Ferguson
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
***1/2 PG-13
