Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)
Desperate Times. Desperate Measures.
Mission Impossible. Shouldn't really need to say much more than that to really let a person know if they want to watch this or not - either you like the usually tech-filled spy fun or you don't. Stunts, fights, and subterfuge await, but will it be fun?
The Impossible Mission Force is still out there doing it's thing - stopping bad people from doing bad things. As is usual, things never go to plan, and their current operation is going rather poorly - with the remote control over a plane loaded with toxic gas failing to shut it down as expected. This prompts everyone's favorite agent Ethan to dive into action, literally hopping on top of the plane and making his way to the door to try and get in. Of course, even this doesn't go quite as planned, as the plane takes off and the door still isn't open - in fact, his backup opens the wrong door. In the end, they manage to get in there and with the aid of a giant parachute Ethan and the gas all gets off of the plane without much further trouble.
Ethan goes in to get another assignment at a record shop, but (staying in theme) things go wrong as it turns out the Syndicate he's bee perusing is on to him. The trap is sprung and he's caught by them after getting the glimpse of a mysterious man. When he awakes, it's about interrogation time, but with the surprise aid of a woman he manages an escape - finding out that she's undercover for the MI6. At home, some political proceedings are going down, and the direct result of them is the closure of the IMF. This is less than opportune timing, as it means the injured Ethan has no extraction plan anymore. Making matters worse, the head of the C.I.A. wants to bring Ethan in for all the unfortunate events during past operations (like the explosion of the Kremlin).
After some time later, the C.I.A. thinks they finally have him - only to find that Ethan has just set it all up, planting all sorts of intelligence on the organization he's been trying to track down and prove exists. Things get further complicated when Ethan brings in an unknowing old teammate to help him in Vienna to find the man he can't identify that he thinks is leading the Syndicate. Turns out there's an assassination plot in play, and now that he knows about it Ethan needs to stop it while his pal keeps looking in the audience for the man. It's just one thing after another for the poor former IMF agents though when it's discovered that there isn't just one - but three - shooters in attendance. The entire thing's end results with the C.I.A. declaring a shoot-on-sight policy for Ethan. Will Ethan be able to stop the Syndicate?
Like a deer in the headlights.
Gadgets are always a fun thing in spy-style movies. This one is no exception - albeit maybe a bit more tame than some outrageous editions of gadgetry levels in other flicks. We may not see any pocket lasers or exploding chewing gum, but we do see things such as contact lens cameras and body-oxygen measuring wet-suits used to thrilling affect. Not to be shown up by their computer-aided counterparts, plenty of stunt work is done in a very practical sense, including the much reported "Cruise getting airborne while really holding onto the side of the plane!" segment. That said, there are certainly a handful of scenes that are maybe a little less than stellar when shown on camera (super rolling front-flip car, I'm looking at you).
The just mentioned action scenes also are well placed throughout the film, giving you thrilling interludes to the more stealthy and exposition-oriented segments. Heck, I'm not even really a car person, but just all those "Vroom!"s in the chase scene alone was entertaining, and it managed to keep a real sense of speed without being so hectic that you couldn't tell what was going on. The flow of the shots throughout keeps pace - yes, there's plenty of cuts in and out of action scenes, but they never leave you feeling as though you don't know whats going on or where things are. The closest to confusing you get from that is the numerous locale change as the movie hops from one location to the next.
Actors do a great job, although having not seen the other Mission: Impossible movies in some time I can't be sure but I do feel that this one is more jokey than the others. This isn't to say the movie has been completely turned into a comedy - it still has some rather serious moments and the acting reflects it as needed. Audio is balanced well, and the theme song hasn't lost any of it's standing charm and orchestral oomph. Sure, I may not remember most the soundtrack, but I think it's fair game to say that the majority could hum the main section of the theme without having seen the movie in a long time - if at all.
The boys are back in town.
It's a fun movie - I can't attest as to if it's the best of the bunch, having not seen the others in any sort of time span conducive to my memory. It has a few funny moments, plenty of thrilling action scenes and stunts, and a plot that tries to twist and turn you the entire way - although mileage will highly vary. It might not have any particular moment quite as impressive as that church scene in Kingsman, but I'd wager this was overall the more enjoyable down to the cast (and it helps that it isn't an origin story). It's a pretty good time, should you choose to accept it.