Just when it seemed as though the Mission: Impossible franchise had reached a high watermark that was unlikely to be beaten, along came Rogue Nation, the fifth instalment in the series... and the best of the lot. Director Christopher McQuarrie's approach appears to have involved him taking bits and pieces from previous Mission: Impossible entries, yet that somehow made this the most exciting - and satisfying - with Ethan Hunt and his team embarking on a dangerous mission to destroy a criminal organisation known as the "Syndicate." Not only are the action sequences here dizzyingly entertaining, the movie feels like the sort of old-fashioned fun you just don't get anymore. Cruise is at his most likeable as Hunt, and newcomer Rebecca Ferguson makes for a great romantic rival. At this point, things really should have started feeling stale, but every new chapter in this malleable saga works as an opportunity for a new director to strut their stuff. This one, with its wonderful set-pieces (the best of which takes place during an opera), may borrow a lot, but still manages to make Ethan Hunt's fifth adventure his most delectable yet - and, in the process, very nearly Bad Robot's best film.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
