One of my most aniticpated films of the year. When news broke that it was being released nearly 6 months early, I was very pleased. The production has been pretty tight lipped, and the first trailer created a buzz...well, for me anyways.
Christopher McQuarrie, better known for his script writing (e.g. The Usual Suspects), helmed Cruise's recent picture Jack Reacher as well as penning the script. It was a big success. My expectations were because of that, and because the previous entry (Ghost Protocol) was a great film - essentially rejuvenating the series. That's not to say M:I-3 didn't do much for the series - in actual fact, it rescued the series after the much maligned M:I-2. Another fact - I really enjoyed M:I-2. You can deal with that fact however you please.
You've done it Christopher McQuarrie! Rogue Nation succeeds at being both a thrilling action film, but also a great spy film. Cruise seems like he doesn't age. The man is 53, and yet he runs, jumps, dives, swims, fights, drives, rides and completes many major stunt pieces like he was someone half his age. The man has a dedication to entertaining audiences, and in my opinion, he succeeds almost every time he has a film released.
Ethan Hunt and his team are on the trail of The Syndicate - an anti-IMF, which has been secretly causing mayhem around the world. I don't really want to say more about plotline - watching the trailer is enough. Because this is a spy flick, it is best not to know too much about plot threads and how the characters are involved in them. Let the film take you for a ride and uncover them in very thrilling ways.
You will see the familiar faces from previous films (Pegg, Renner and Rhames), with new ones thrown in to keep you guessing where their allegiance lies. Ving looks like he has been enjoying the good life (if you know what I mean) but it was still good to see him back; Pegg's role in the series looks like it is becoming more prominent; and Renner, well, I think he could have been given a bit more action scenes. Newcomer Rebecca Ferguson is great - sexy and tough, and can definitely
hold her own on screen. I look forward to seeing her in future film
roles.
So how does it compare with previous entries? Well, I am glad you asked. After a recent revisit of the series (I actually watched them all again over the weekend), I would say my favourite is still probably Ghost Protocol (4). Number 1 and 4 are pretty close together though, with 2 and 3 being about on par with each other. Rogue Nation (5), well, that sits in the company of 4. I definitely want to see it again soon, and something tells me I will have difficulty in picking a favourite between 4 and 5 after a few more viewings. They're both great films in this franchise - and to have them come along one after the other is a treat. It makes expectations for the inevitable sixth entry off the charts.
Rating:
4 out of 5.
