MISSION IMPOSSIBLE:  ROGUE NATION  3.5***     

       I don't care what Tom Cruise's religious beliefs are or how he acted like a BOZO on Oprah. I don't care if the tabloids love to hate him. The Cruiser is a one-of-a-kind megastar responsible for a consistently excellent output of work since the eighties. Back for his fifth Mission Impossible at the spritely age of 53, he's showing no signs of slowing down either. The ridiculous pre-credits aircraft stunt, where Cruise hangs on to the side of an Airbus A400 while it takes off, attests to that. There's also a thrilling car-and-motorbike sequence which sees Cruise commit to most of the high-speed driving/riding himself. It's this willingness to go above and beyond, as well as a preference of practical effects over CGI, which imbues Rogue Nation with nail biting tension and non-stop exhilaration.  

MI  Rogue Nation features everything you have come to love from the franchise, outlandish action sequences, real stunts, great humor, and over the top computer hacking abilities. This time around Simon Pegg, as the hacker, gets a lot more screen time which is always a plus because he is flat out hilarious. But the standout feature of the movie has to be Rebecca Ferguson, the femme fatale,  She plays her part perfectly and when the story needed her to be a badass, she was more than capable. Sean Harris does a good job being the elusive, maniacal,  unrelenting villain. Also in the film are Jeremy Renner,  Alec Baldwin and Ving Rhames who are quite good.

It  is the epitome of the classic action summer blockbuster.. Great acting, real stunts, and plenty of humor makes Rogue Nation one of the best action movies of the year  This might be the only franchise ( other than the Bond films) where it seems like the franchise isn't slowing down and each entry is a great stand-alone movie!

I saw this film on an IMAX screen in at the downtown Raleigh location and I'm glad I dd.  I think this  IMAX truly  large screen creates a more immersive experience and the ultra-all-around sound is spectacular.  Even so this film would be great in any theater screen format. BUT you should see it in a theater. A TV screen even the big ones can’t give you the same experience.

 

Clark