Movie review ‘Mission Impossible 5’: Tom Cruise returns to old hunting grounds

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Cast: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Alec Baldwin, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris

Rating: 3 stars

After 2011’s Ghost Protocol, Tom Cruise is back with another Mission Impossible film — the fifth in the franchise. This one is called Rogue Nation, and follows the adventures of Cruise’s Agent Ethan Hunt as he tries to bring down an organisation called The Syndicate that has pulled off several acts of violence and mayhem. Unfortunately, even as Hunt looks to destroy the Syndicate, his own organisation — the IMF — is being dismantled by the CIA, after some questionable operations are brought to light.

When Hunt refuses to cease his search for the Syndicate, he’s declared a rogue agent by the CIA chief Hunley (Alec Baldwin). And as if that’s not enough, the man who heads the Syndicate, Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), is outplaying Hunt at every turn.

But it’s not all bad for Hunt. For what it’s worth, he has the somewhat suspect support of one of Lane’s operatives and a former MI6 agent called Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson). And then there are his friends of course (from previous MI films and the IMF) — Benji (Simon Pegg, providing comic relief), William Brandt (Jeremy Renner) and good old Luther (Ving Rhames) — who aid him in his efforts.

As Hunt tries to stymie Solomon Lane’s evil plans, the audience is treated to several old MI tricks: The “face mask” (used fairly sparingly here), the “impossible” heist (in this case, Hunt has to make his way into a high pressure, underwater security hold to switch an electronic card that will in turn, allow Benji to access data from a digital “vault”), high-speed chases (this time through the streets and highways of Morocco), betrayal and counter-betrayal. It is a mark of the franchise’s popularity that the tricks keep you engaged.

The MI franchise has traversed a long way indeed from the days of its first (and most glorious) outing on the big screen — Brian de Palma’s tense, tightly strung 1996 thriller. It was a landmark film in the thriller/action genre, pitting Cruise’s Hunt against his turncoat mentor Jim Phelps (Jon Voight). The iconic scene where Hunt has to swoop upside down into a hyper-secure facility to steal a “NOC list” would set the tone for the franchise. That first film also had one of Hunt’s more memorable romantic entanglements, with the out-of-bonds Claire Phelps (Emanuelle Beart). The successive films in the series have tried hard to outdo that first one, but there is also a desperation inherent in the effort.

That desperation is somewhat evident in Rouge Nation as well. Looking at Tom Cruise, you can’t help but be aware of the passage of time. Like the agent he plays, the superstar himself looks a little jaded (perhaps understandable, considering he’s now 53). Like every Mission Impossible movie after the first one, Rogue Nation may have all the necessary, thrilling ingredients — but lacks a gritty, cohesive core. But these are perhaps minor quibbles.

Cruise’s chemistry with co-star Ferguson is fine, but with his older MI cast-mates (Pegg, Rhames and Renner), it’s way better. The star’s comfort level with director Christopher McQuarrie (they’ve previously worked together in Valkyrie and Edge of Tomorrow) ensures this fifth Mission Impossible film is a smooth ride. And thanks to Cruise and his intrepid bunch of men (and a woman) it is, on the whole, an exciting one too.