"One of these days you're going to take it too far," says Simon Pegg's Benji to Ethan after one particularly intense life-or-death sequence. While he'll no doubt be proven right eventually, on Movie #5 Mission: Impossible is still managing to offer up action sequences that defy all common-sense in brilliant fashion. The opening sequence is by far the most giddy, a high mark not just of the film, but the franchise as a whole. It'd be accurate to say that the rest of the film lives in its shadow (it even gets a call-back in the end credits), but also incredibly misleading - while nothing can match that clap-inducing (seriously) beginning, everything that follows is a lot of fun and painstakingly choreographed. A maze-like opera sequence offers plenty of opportunity for visual flourish and the middle act (which, in a franchise tradition, is the biggest beat of the lot) is the longest uninterrupted sequence yet, going from location to location at break-neck speed, but never slipping into exhaustion. What's important (and distinguishes M:I from Fast And Furious) is that so much of what's on show real stunt-work. When Ethan Hunt's clinging to a plane, Tom Cruise is actually there. When Ethan Hunt dives into a pressurised water chute, Tom Cruise actually did it. So much of Rogue Nation is real and the film is more engaging as a result. When we move too far into the world of CGI things look a bit more faker by modern blockbuster standards (possibly due to the film's release being pushed forward five months to avoid Star Wars: The Force Awakens), but these are little more than hiccups against a very genuine backdrop. As you'd expect, many of the beats exist to allow Cruise to feed his thrill-seeking lifestyle, and there is some of the actor's typical self-aggrandising schtick hidden in here (one character seriously says "Ethan Hunt is the embodiment of destiny"), but this isn't just a one-man-brand exercise. Despite only getting third billing, Pegg is pretty much Ethan's right-hand man this time around, partaking in several of the eye-popping action sequences and given ample time to banter. His introduction in Mission: Impossible III was as little more than some tech-y comic relief, but now he's an integral part of the series; him and Cruise are a delightful double act, sharing the right level of camaraderie and humour. It is in this relationship where Rogue Nation makes its real stamp on the greater franchise - there's always been some tongue-in-cheek moments in the previous films, but here the jokes are amped up, although not to the point they negate the carefully crafted tension (Marvel could take note here). The other notable improvement comes in the form of Rebecca Ferguson as rogue agent Ilsa. M:I's female characters after Emmanuelle Béart's original double-crosser have struggled in the past due to over-simplification - they're either a love interest or typical badass - but here we have a woman who's plot essential and capable of holding her own without it getting eye-rollingly convenient. The only real takeaway, and the thing that most needs addressing for the already announced sixth film, is length. Like Ghost Protocol before it, Rogue Nation's finale probably goes on a little too long; even thought it's a given these movies are going to peak with the high-risk mid-point set piece, what comes after still needs to entertain. What stops the overrunning from hurting M:I 5 as much as Brad Bird's underwhelming futuristic car park showdown is how this ending ties into a bigger point that's being made here. In a Skyfall-esque development, this film is taking an introverted look at the franchise and the once blank slate of Ethan Hunt. The notion that the IMF's previous victories relied heavily on luck (a complaint many audience members will no doubt have picked up on in the past couple of decades) is brought to the fore, criticised extensively by Alec Baldwin's CIA chief and amplified by Hunt's initial inability to combat Sean Harris' meticulously plotting villain. Thus, as the film hurtles through its exotic locales, there's an added pressure to actually think of a solution to the plot, rather than just hoping it'll work out. Rogue Nation is an introspective Mission: Impossible that rights previous narrative issues and provides some of the series' best action beats. You literally couldn't ask for any more. What did you think of Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation? Share your thoughts down in the comments.
