Stars Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris with Tom Hollander and Alec Baldwin Directed by Christopher McQuarrie Despite its outlandish plot and suspect tech the first Mission: Impossible movie was great escapist fare. Director Brian dePalma crafted a fairly tense and exciting movie and set the template for the subsequent sequels, most of which never lived up to the style and verve. Until now. Sure, each movie had its benefits, and they all relied on their respective directors, John Woo, JJ Abrams and Brad Bird, and their uniques visual styles. Rouge Nation is no different, relying on writer / director Christopher McQuarrie who brings his own grounded gritty style realism to the franchise. The best reference is star Tom Cruise’s previous effort with McQuarrie, Jack Reacher. Both movies have an air about them that evokes a more traditional filmic sense that harkens to the thrillers of the late 70s. Even in terms of plot, Rogue Nation gives Cruise’s super-spy a real challenge in terms of a nemesis who, unfortunately and despite reputation of his organisation, still hire goons who can’t shoot any straighter than our hero. Then again, it’s Mission: Impossible, which is set in a plausible universe of its own with dubious technology and overly convoluted planning to pull off stings and heists. Sean Harris manages to project an unassuming soft-spoken villain seemingly always in control, hiding that deadly force that he represents. It’s an intriguing performance, but might also present a problem to some viewers (a friend in particular) in terms of credibility. Not that it was an actual issue in terms of performance or character. The rest of the main returning cast (Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Jeremy Renner) do well with their respective characters with Pegg getting a boost, more as a comedic foil to Hunt than a standard sidekick, but the standout is new-comer to the franchise, Rebecca Ferguson, as the possibly duplicitous double agent, Ilsa Faust. Ferguson’s Ilsa comes across very much Hunt’s mirror double in terms of skill and capabilities, which elevates both the actress and the character to equal standing. Her performance is engaging and the character is fascinating. If there was any character that deserved a spin-off from this franchise, she is it. Director McQuarrie might cater to Cruise’s desire to top himself in terms of the stunt work. At least two major set-pieces stand out, both featured heavily in the trailers. It is in his story-telling and direction that McQuarrie infuses the movie with the old-school aesthetic, clearing the major biggie of a stunt (the one featured in the trailers) out of the way and settling in for a pure cat-and-mouse thriller. The low-key approach gives Rogue Nation a different air from the previous two, similarly plotted entires, and all the better for it. It raises the quality and the production above the other sequels, almost putting it on par with dePalma’s Hitchcockian thriller. McQuarrie’s contribution shave been remarkable and one can hope he is retained for story credit on the next instalment. Given producer Cruise’s desire to have a different director and approach for each entry, it’s unlikely McQuarrie will return to the director’s chair. On that front, there’s always Jack Reacher 2. Rating ****/5 Partridge Publishing / Barnes and Noble / Amazon / ISBNS Net (for best deals) - Please support by buying or recommending to others, then I can watch more shows and do more reviews. Thank you.
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