Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

Tom Cruise stars as the experienced spy in the fifth installment of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise directed by Christopher McQuarrie. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team take on their most difficult mission yet as they must destroy the international criminal organization known as the Syndicate.

The movie is full of twists and turns and the constant time pressure makes the movie very thrilling to watch. Tom Cruise and his colleagues at IMF are constantly battling against the clock. It makes for very thrilling and anxiety-inducing cinema. The viewer is always on the edge of their seat.

Knowing that Tom Cruise is doing his own stunts is the cherry on the top. These movies would be nothing without Cruise. His dangerous stunts which get better with each movie entry are always captivating, engaging, and jaw-dropping.

Rebecca Fergusson is a great addition to the already spectacular cast. She plays Ilsa Faulst who is a mysterious but powerful counterpart to Ethan Hunt. Benji played by Simon Pegg is also a standout character with his much-needed comedic relief.

The real mission impossible is creating a movie franchise where the movies keep getting better with every entry. What Christopher McQuarrie has created alongside Tom Cruise remains to be one of the best action movies of all time. There might not be a lot of substance, but it is a great, entertaining, and thrilling movie filled with spectacular and astonishing set pieces and stunts. Cruise's commitment to his role is awe-inspiring. He will go down in history as one of the most legendary movie stars of all time.

Having seen the previous four 'Mission Impossible' films, I have to admit that none of them impressed me to the degree that I had hoped. I guess my expectations for action thrillers centering on secret agents were set too high because I saw the 'Bourne' trilogy and Daniel Craig's James Bond films first. The first three 'MI' films all seemed a little too slow, cheesy or convoluted on my first viewing. The fourth one was pretty good, even if the story does feel a little forgettable

So, where does that bring me for the fifth entry of the franchise? My expectations were set at average around this time, despite all the good word-of-mouth I've been hearing. However, it wouldn't have mattered if my expectations were set around the same level for the latest 'Bourne' or James Bond film (very high) – 'MI:5' blew everything I'd expected from it and then some!

Where to begin? The film possible contains the biggest, and possibly best, story out if all the other installments. It is fascinatingly complex and dynamic – moving from country to country, dealing with characters who have questionable allegiances – all on top of Ethan Hunt trying to outrun the CIA while trying to get to the bottom of what the Syndicate really wants. It may seem like a lot, but the script is really well structured and paced. Even though the film does take a few liberties with how some of its characters will ultimately act in the end, the plot isn't nearly as predictable as one would make it out to be. Writer/director Christopher McQuarrie also manages to squeeze in some surprisingly silly moments at the most random of moments.

The action scenes in this film are also some of the best in this franchise. Soon after showing Ethan Hunt take off on the side of an airbus, the film kicks it into overdrive and delivers an adrenaline rush packed with REALLY well done car chases, okay hand-to-hand combat scenes (they're kind of choppy), and ONE very suspenseful, pulse-pounding scene involving multiple snipers. McQuarrie's direction over the editing of these sequences is incredibly nuanced – so much so that I found myself repeatedly leaning over the edge of my seat with excitement.

People who weren't fans of the cheese factor (forced romances, convenient gadgets, and the overuse of face masks) of the previous films would be glad to know that it's been done away with in this film. And for people fearing that this is a film that takes itself too seriously, let me be one of the first to say: it doesn't. One may draw parallels between the events that have happened in this film to some of the recent events in our world, but I see it as a clever way for the franchise to keep up with our times.

'Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation' is without a doubt one of the most exciting films I've had the pleasure of experiencing this year. It completely took me by surprise with how well-done it was, and should just about take anyone else to the same conclusion.

Most films compete against the wrong things. They compete against other films, other producers, other actors, even sometimes against the audience.

This series competes against itself and that is what makes it special. MI #1 was an "homage" to the original TV series. With every subsequent installment they have kept raising the bar, competing with their own last script. And the result is solid entertainment.

Cruise in his early 50s is just fine, actually better than fine. Sure he is riffing off his own image, but if anyone is entitled to do that, it is Cruise himself.

Finally props to the producers for waiting to greenlight the project until they had a writer/director who was golden. And that is Christopher McQuarrie -- the script could be the best in the series, perpetually interesting without ever pandering to the viewer.

Highly recommended. My only additional comment is that other production teams could learn from this. Should learn from this. I hope as much care and love was poured into the upcoming Bourne installment as went into this MI tale.

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation is an action movie directed by Christopher McQuarrie and stars Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris and Alec Baldwin.

After watching this movie I have to admit that the franchise is improving with it's every release and setting new expectations with every release.

The movie starts with a breathtaking stunt and gives you goosebumps which can make your expectations skyrocketed and you will not be disappointed.

The plot of the movie is good and intelligently executed. The screenplay of the movie is nicely woven and with some good twists and turns the movie will keep you glued to the screen.

Acting is superb and stunts are the strongest factor of the movie as the movie is full of stunts. Cinematography is beautiful and locations are also very beautiful.

Overall a great movie of the franchise and a must watch for all the action lovers.

I love how it builds upon the event of the previous one and introduces a lot personal stakes for the team, especially with the character of Benji towards the end. Simon Pegg was great comic relief in Ghost Protocol, but here he's the heart and soul of the movie (God I love Benji!).

Rebecca Ferguson is also great, though I will admit it was very frustrating how despite the fact that she kept betraying everyone, Lane just kept giving her more chances. You'd think he'd just kill her by now.

Speaking of Lane, I like him. He's no Philip Seymour Hoffman, but Sean Harris is still one of the most interesting MI villains if solely for the choices he makes with his performance.

Not much else say other than it's a badass action movie and probably the entry where I most care about the story. Not as slickly directed or well paced as the previous one, but it makes up for it. Boy does it make up for it.

Also, the opera scene. Just... the opera scene. Wow.