It may be into its fifth instalment, but there is no sign of things slowing down for the Mission: Impossible franchise. 2011's Ghost Protocol injected a new lease of life into the beast, and now Rogue Nation takes things up another notch.
This time around, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) has to take matters into his own hands when it comes to the take-down of "rogue nation" The Syndicate after the Impossible Missions Force is dissolved by the CIA. His accomplices Benji (Pegg) and Brandt (Renner) must help – or be seen to help – the CIA to track Hunt down.
On his travels Hunt becomes acquainted with an MI6 undercover operative, Isla (Ferguson). She is so much more than a token female lead or potential love interest for the film's hero – she's smart, physically badass, and intriguing, as we ponder where her loyalties actually lie.
You can count on Tom Cruise to deliver when it comes to death-defying stunts and after that scene on top of Dubai's Burj Khalifa in Ghost Protocol, you may have wondered if anything could top it. One thing we learned from Rogue Nation – the sky is the limit for Mr Cruise. Literally.
While stills of the stunt, which sees our leading man hang on to the side of an airplane as it takes off, appeared online in advance, the wow factor is not at all lost. If anything, the anticipation of knowing what is to come only amps up the adrenaline – as a movie opener you don't get more of a welcome to a Mission: Impossible film than that. He may be 53, but he's still got it, and I couldn't help but say to myself, "I can't believe that's actually Tom Cruise doing that". This action hero does all of his own stunts and shies away from the use of CGI – what a legend.
The film isn't all about Cruise, however. Simon Pegg gets a lot of much-deserved screen-time as tech-genius Benji and continues to inject humour, wit and heart to proceedings. Jeremy Renner, too, provides some laughs.
The days of the 90-minute movie seem to be long gone and at 135 minutes, Rogue Nation may seem like quite the time investment, but it's so watchable that at no point was I checking the time. It has enough oomph to sustain your interest and the lengthy chase scenes remind you just how good a pursuit can be when executed correctly. Newbies to the franchise can dip into this and enjoy it for what it is – a masterclass in action-adventure – and longtime fans are sure to lap up this latest offering.
I can't help but wonder how they can up their game now for the sixth outing, which is reportedly already in development. But I'm excited to see what they come up with.
Sinead Brennan
