Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) is directed by Christopher McQuarrie, who also wrote the script alongside Drew Pearce. It stars Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris, Alec Baldwin, Simon McBurney, Jens Hulten, Tom Hollander, Hermione Corfield, and Jingchu Zhang. The film follows Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team as they’re forced to battle The Syndicate, an evil organization intent on dismantling the IMF by any means necessary. The mission forces Ethan to reluctantly join forces with Ilsa Faust (Ferguson), a disgraced MI5 agent with mysterious motivations. Forced to face The Syndicate’s leader, Soloman Lane (Harris), his most dangerous foe yet, Ethan considers just how far he’ll go to protect those he considers family.

With each installment, Cruise appears more comfortable in the role of Ethan Hunt. His natural, mature confidence perfectly fits this version of Ethan – he’s not quite out of his prime, but at the tail end of it. Like reality, the characters are beginning to see him as a legend of sorts. There aren’t a lot of opportunities to add further depth to his characterization, but the script does a great job of placing him in unfamiliar situations. There isn’t anything more to tell us about who Ethan definitively is, but the script does a great job of keeping the character interesting by placing him in fresh scenarios that directly challenge his established morals and motivations. This lessened focus on developing Ethan feels appropriate at this point in the franchise. Without sidelining Ethan (he still leads the action), the script succeeds in further developing returning characters, such as Benji, and introducing new ones, like Ilsa Faust.  

Benji is finally written as a character the viewer can take seriously, but still provides the kind of effective comedic relief that made him so lovable in the first place. My problem is that in the previous film, he feels like a replacement for Luther. It’s palatable there because Luther isn’t present, but this time around, he is. They serve similar roles on the team and in the script, but most of the heavy lifting is given to Benji. Therefore, Luther’s inclusion feels like nothing more than fan service. Let’s be clear, I’d rather have Luther present than not, but I wish the script had come up with a stronger reason to bring him back into the fold. 

Similar to his initial appearance, Renner feels like a much-needed addition to the team. Still, the script once again fails to capitalize on his skills as an action star. He’s mostly a character used to deliver exposition, so why cast such a prominent (and I’m assuming expensive) actor in a role that a majority of less physical (and cheaper) performers could easily nail? 

Ferguson’s Ilsa Faust is a surprisingly big focus. This far into a franchise, it’s a risky choice to focus so heavily on a new character, but it ultimately pays off. Female characters in the previous films are either relegated to being romantic interests or agents defined solely by their martial arts skills. Instead, the script takes its time to present Ilsa as a compelling, morally grey presence who forces Ethan and the team to redefine their idea of trust. Her inclusion also reintroduces an element of sex appeal to the franchise that hasn’t been seen since the second installment. It feels like a subtle nod to the “Bond Girl” tradition common in the spy genre, but without all of the misogynistic baggage. Yes, she’s beautiful, but it’s not something that’s presented as her defining feature or skill. Instead, her good looks are used to make her skills seem even more impressive. For example, the film constantly has her do something cool and only after the fact reminds us that she’s beautiful. It’s as if the script is saying, “She’s way cooler and more capable than you’ll ever be. And guess what? She’s better looking too.” This may read as lazy, “girlboss” characterization, but the strong script balances the character by giving her realistic, humanizing flaws. The “will they, won’t they?” allure between her and Ethan is also a ton of fun. We’ve previously seen Ethan in romantic scenarios, but never with a character who feels like an equal. This serves, among other things, to show that there are people equally capable as Ethan (both good & evil), reminding us that he isn’t superhuman (even though he often seems like it). 

Like the previous installment, there’s little reason to spend time further developing a character like Ethan. As I mentioned previously, this provides ample room to develop the various supporting characters, while also allowing for one of the franchise’s more complex plots. Whereas the previous film occasionally feels like a hodgepodge of shoddily connected set pieces, everything here feels more naturally integrated. Even without the filmmaker’s impressive setup, the action sequences would still be my favorite of the franchise. The opening cargo plane sequence is, in my opinion, the best example of Cruise’s willingness to risk life and limb in the name of making a good movie. It’s my favorite opening of the series, and nothing else really comes close.

On a visual level, I appreciate McQuarrie’s more grounded approach. These films already require the audience to suspend their disbelief, so I’ve always felt that the installments with more hyper-realistic visuals come across as cheesy. Inconsistent logic remains, although it is now harder to detect. Even when something unrealistic occurs, it always looks authentic, which helps maintain the viewer’s immersion. Even the most generic action sequence here works as a fun callback to Mission: Impossible II (2000) and, more specifically, Ethan’s prowess on a motorcycle. The skyscraper scene in the previous film was the first sequence in the franchise that made me hold my breath, but this entry sustains that feeling for the majority of its runtime. Even the smaller, less action-oriented climax works exceptionally well. The series typically works on one of two levels: large-scale action set pieces and fun, twisty, wink-and-nod spycraft. This climax leans more toward the fun side of things, and although it disappointed me upon my first viewing, it holds up extremely well. 

One of the only real issues I have with the film is that it lacks an element of tragedy. One of the series’ inherent issues is that each new installment is forced to find ways to top what came before, which only becomes more difficult over time. Killing off a core character seems like a no-brainer way to increase the stakes at this point in the franchise, but the film seems more focused on delivering a fun Mission: Impossible film rather than a truly consequential one. 

Overall, this is easily my favorite entry in the series thus far. Ghost Protocol made a lot of choices that helped define the future of the franchise, but features a story that can at best only be described as “barebones.” This sequel essentially builds upon what works in the previous entry, either improving upon or adding to it. In other words, Ghost Protocol provides the franchise with high-quality ingredients that Rogue Nation uses to cook a restaurant-quality meal. Cruise and Ferguson are in top form, and the supporting cast of IMF agents, for the first time, feel like fully-formed characters as opposed to recognizable archetypes. The initial effect strangely fails to put the viewer on cloud nine like we’ve come to expect from the franchise. Instead, it trades surface-level thrills (not entirely, don’t worry) for more intellectually driven sequences that naturally have more staying power. Many people believe that this is a step down from Ghost Protocol, and they may have a point when it comes to certain elements. That being said, it’s a far more well-rounded production that may not top some of the previous film’s best individual moments, but on average sustains a more consistent level of quality. The film isn’t necessarily a groundbreaking one, but it is an excellent example of high-quality action filmmaking that perfectly balances danger and fun. B+