Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation Review

Action Style

I honestly don’t care what percentage of the stunt work, driving, combat, etc. may or may not have been actually done by Tom himself because it all looked terrific!

6/6

Action Frame

The shear variety of the types of camera angles at work, underwater sequences, dynamic tracking for car chases and of course the intro plane sequence ensures the audience only brief breathers to catch up on some exposition.

5/5

Lead Performance

Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt in every way.  He brings the intensity and he brings the enthusiasm.  But he also needs more to do than always beating the bad guy.

5/6

Supporting Performance

Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames are reliable sidekicks.  Jeremy Renner is woefully underused.  Alec Baldwin has some slick cameos.  Watch for Rebecca Ferguson to become a major player in Hollywood films to come!  Oh my, Sean Harris.  Did they ask you to be another bland, uninteresting villain with zero passion and expression?

4/5

Music

The reliable remixes of the classic MI theme are always welcome if not a bit repetitive.  Unfortunately, Hans Zimmer isn’t walking through that door.

3/6

Sound F/X

Everything seems to sound as if it should, but nothing spectacular is occurring here.

3/5

Digital F/X

Some of the more fantastic stunts like “the plunge” underwater sequence and multiple car cartwheels were brought to you by some very fine CG work.

4/6

Special F/X

The focus on practical effects in this film is ever apparent.  The best examples of these were car chases, collisions and crashes.  Explosions weren’t particularly impressive.

4/5

Costumes

I understand that spies need to blend in with the crowd, but that also means designers can’t get crazy with characters’ looks.  Everyone’s look fit their characters well enough.

4/6

Hair & Makeup

Ethan Hunt certainly takes a beating in this film.  I only wished that it looked like everyone else was afforded that same opportunity.

4/5

Exteriors

London and Vienna were presented with prototypical European lavishness while Morocco gives the audience a nice dusty contrast.

5/6

Interiors

There’s some very good set design going on from court rooms, to concert halls as well as secret bunkers and tech centers.

4/5

Hook

The Impossible Mission Force faces off against its version of James Bond’s “Spectre” called “The Syndicate.”  Meh.

2/4

Conflict

Spies figuring out what they are fighting for and why it’s worth it after they seem to get burned by their allies is an interesting internal conflict.  Fighting each other seems slightly less so in this film.

3/4

Resolution

Neither surprising, nor satisfying.  Anyone who has seen a Tom Cruise film (let alone a Mission: Impossible film) can project the ending.

1/4

Dialogue

Every character plays off of Ethan’s charisma quite well, while Benji grows an unexpected pair.  Solomon Lane is too cryptic to be menacing though.

4/6

Exposition

So Ethan has to save the world from what?  Bad people doing bad things with a ton of money?  And why is this syndicate so bad ass?  It’s all bit too muddled.  Or is it too boring?

2/5

Character uniqueness

Ethan is a super cool super spy.  Ilsa is a super hot, undetermined ally or enemy.  Solomon is a garden variety villain.

4/6

Character relatability

I can sympathize with the frustration that comes with a seemingly no-win situation.  I can also get with not wanting to expose one’s friends to unnecessary risk.  I don’t understand wanting to turn someone to your side only by showing them up with no attempt at bribery and not directly threatening their lives at any point.

3/5