Tonight's Movie: Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)

Last weekend was a MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE movie weekend!

My daughter and I kicked things off watching MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - ROGUE NATION (2015) last Friday evening. That film was the only one of the series I'd not yet seen.

We followed that up by circling back to MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT (2018) which was the very first MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE film I saw, in 2018. Memories of it had gotten a bit hazy for each of us in the last half decade, and we wanted to have it top of mind before watching MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING PART ONE (2023), which we saw on Saturday.

In sum, we saw three MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE films in under 24 hours. A heavy workweek which followed prevented me from writing about the new-to-me films immediately, but I really enjoyed them all.

Friends who are also fans of the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE films had told me that ROGUE NATION was excellent, possibly even the best in the series, and I certainly agree it was excellent.

ROGUE NATION was the first MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE film directed by Christopher McQuarrie, who also directed the next three films, including next year's MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING PART TWO (2024). He also scripted ROGUE NATION, based on a story he cowrote with Drew Pearce. Having now seen all of his MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE films, he's certainly the right man for the job.

In this chapter, the IMF is compromised by "the Syndicate" and Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is captured by Solomon Lane (Sean Harris). He's rescued by MI6 agent Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), working undercover to infiltrate the Syndicate herself.

Meanwhile back in Washington DC, CIA Director Hunley (Alec Baldwin) wants to defund the IMF. IMF agents William Brandt (Jeremy Renner) and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) are closely watched by the CIA, with Benji stuck in a boring desk job which makes no use of his unique computer talents.

Benji gets a message from Ethan and heads to London to help him, closely followed by Brandt and Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames). And the hunt is on to bring down Solomon Lane and the Syndicate -- without being stopped by the CIA.

It's a typically well-constructed and enjoyable MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE film; the cast members all "gel" particularly well in this one. The only aspect of the movie I didn't care for was set in an underwater vault, just because I found it a little too claustrophobic! But that's more about personal taste than anything else.

The rest of the movie is excellent, with one of the highlights being a great set piece reminiscent of Hitchcock's THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1956) -- which is kind of interesting given that the latest movie took some inspiration from THE 39 STEPS (1935).

Ferguson is a terrific addition to the series as the mysterious Ilsa, and Renner is so good it's really a shame this was his second and final film in the series. I would love if he's eventually brought back; it certainly seems possible, given that Henry Czerny just returned to the series in DEAD RECKONING PART ONE, over a quarter century from his appearance in the original MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE (1996) film.

I've never liked Alec Baldwin, which ironically causes him to work quite well as the exasperating CIA head, and Renner does a great job with his deadpan reactions playing opposite him in scenes which bookend the movie.

As for Cruise, what can you say? He's a true movie star and the glue that holds this favorite franchise together. All the actors comprising Ethan's "team" are strong, but it's Cruise that takes the movies to the next level.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - ROGUE NATION runs 131 minutes. It was filmed by Robert Elswit.

Parental Advisory: Like the other films in the series, this movie was rated PG-13. A trailer is here.

I watched this film on DVD as part of the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 5-Movie Collection. It's also available in other formats.

Previously: MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE (1996), MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE II (2000), MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III (2006), MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL (2011), and MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - FALLOUT (2018).

Coming soon: A review of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING PART ONE. A preview of my review: DEAD RECKONING is absolutely outstanding, possibly the best film in the long-running series.  Update: Here is that review!

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