Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation exceeds expectations

Fast and Furious isn’t the only film franchise getting better with age. “Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation” is easily the best action film of the summer with relentless pacing, a charismatic cast, and spectacular stunts galore that will keep you happily glued to your seat.

Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt, but this time it’s our government that’s hunting him. An aggressive new head of the CIA, played with relish by Alec Baldwin, believes the destruction and chaos that surround Hunt are of his own making and makes it his singular mission to bring down Hunt and the entire Mission Impossible team. Meanwhile, Hunt has learned of the existence of The Syndicate, a cabal of secret agents from multiple countries, that sow terrorism and death around the globe and feed off the debris.

To know anymore about the film is to lesson your fun. Not all of it makes sense, to be sure–when you crash at 100mph and roll several times, it’s usually unwise to try to “shake it off”, but like “Die Hard” and the best action films, Rogue Nation gives views the 1 in a million chance we need to suspend our disbelief.

The film is in the super-cable hands of talented director Christopher McQuarrie (Usual Suspects, Edge of Tomorrow, Jack Reacher, Valkyrie), who may very well solidify the resurrection of Tom Cruise’s career with Rogue Nation. The case features the usual suspects, Jeremy Renner (Avenger’s “Hawkeye”), Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz, Star Trek), and Ving Rhames. Of the return cast, only Ving Rhames is left with little to do. That said, Rhames has enough charisma and power of voice that merely by showing up, he adds to the fun.

New cast member Rebecca Ferguson absolutely sizzles with sexuality and suppressed emotion and Alec Baldwin is priceless. The new bad guys are Bond-like, but in a Daniel Craig-era way.

I expected almost nothing from Rogue Nation, hoped for mediocrity, but got the most fun of the summer so far.