Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

An elemental blockbuster mixing old style with modern, where every blow hurts a lot and gives out a good meaty slap. The shots of Rebecca Ferguson are an ode to legs and Tom may be getting old, but he’s getting harder with age in action scenes (because it looks better), and he knows how to make fun of himself. McQuarrie’s screenplay is a really classic British school spy chase movie that often goes against the standard procedures for the series. The action is first-rate, the editing is a joy to watch (the opera) and my teeth were chattering from the antics in Morocco. I look forward to watching it again. If you managed to read to the end of it, this review will self destruct in 5 seconds... (07/30/2015)

Although it is proper and solid filmmaking, the fifth installment is the only one in the entire series that is not innovative in any way, but safely recycles old and proven spy schemes and winks at both old classics from the 1970s and the first installment of this saga – back to basics accurately describes it. McQuarrie confirms his firm directorial control and his sense for dosing humor, action, and screenplay material. This entry probably features the most complex character of an action heroine in recent years (maybe since Sarah Connor in Terminator 2), equally fragile and determined, and going after what she wants, and she also looks very good – overall, she reminds me a lot of another legend, Bond Girl Carey Lowell from Licence to Kill. Maybe it lacks the overwhelming action from the third film, or the high-tech feeling from fourth, but as a whole, it works okay. The director knew well that that would not impress the audience today, after all those superhero movies, Bay films, and other digital garbage, and he didn’t attempt to do so, they simply went in a different direction. It's a shame about the low rating. I also had the feeling of slightly forced idolization of a legend, which I felt, for example, in Skyfall or the recent Batman movies, but I don't it think worked out that well here. (07/30/2015)

I don't remember a spy blockbuster that was ever this tight. I was fascinated by the way in which McQuarrie primarily tells the story and works with the characters, keeping the action more incidental, as a means to move the plot along and not the purpose. At a time when all explosions and chases are compulsory attractions, Ethan Hunt's world ends up as a pulsating but not frantic action movie, which will probably be blamed for being boring and long-winded. However, the light "low-profile" fits it perfectly, even if it is crafted with bravura (the Turandot editing) or technically imaginative (the shooting down of two motorbikes by a car). Yet here, it's all about the protagonists, the minimally portrayed villain (compare to the underused Nyqvist from last time), the perfectly written and superbly acted female lead (I admit that the ambiguity kept me tense until the final denouement), and last but not least, Hunt himself, who has parked himself as an ordinary member of the team with a trio of chattering sidekicks on hand. I was excited right after the screening, but I didn't really know why. In hindsight, I see this as an outrageously complex and thoughtful film that will be hard to compete with this season, and if it scores at the box office, Cruise will definitely pull a distinct persona into the film world. I hope he succeeds. (07/30/2015)

I cannot deny that I really enjoyed Rebecca Ferguson and all that neatly shot, imaginative and various actions scenes without overt-the-top CGI (especially the motorcycle scene is simply perfect), but what is the best thing about it (apart from Rebecca Ferguson, of course) is the final minimalist personal London third, when it definitely turns into a classic British-style spy film, where the well-written characters (not only in terms of action blockbuster) mess with each other using dialogs "I know that you know and you know that I know" at the airport, in the room or on the restaurant terrace, and it completely does without any action. And it works, because it's not silly at all, while respecting the principles of the genre, and McQuarrie makes you forget that twenty years ago, in terms of script, he was able to do with one room and unfortunate narrator. As you can clearly see from this, he was mainly concerned about the characters and the plot and the action and tinsel were sidelined; which is an unprecedented thing for a summer popcorn movie, which in fact it is not. (08/07/2015)

If I leave aside the story, which is unnecessarily complicated and the only thing it seems to be saying it that Tom Cruise needs to be running somewhere constantly, I still have to admit that I haven’t seen a better action movie yet this year. And to be honest, I don’t know whether I will see a better one ever. The scenes in Vienna and in Morocco were absolutely great. The opera tune Nessun Dorma and bucketloads of suspense actually created one of the most emotional action scenes in the past few years. Simply put, it was a hell of a scene that made me stop breathing, coughing and blinking. On top of that, the crew that Tom put together to help him with his trouble lifts your mood any time it can. Especially Simon Pegg, who was literally on a roll in the first half of the movie. Jeremy Renner and Ving Rhames certainly didn’t disappoint either and that’s despite the fact they got a lot less screen time than they would have deserved. What else can I add… This year’s best action movie sure was fun to watch. If you think about the wannabe artists who keep knocking the camera left and right to add three cheap effects, you have to admit that such clear shots must satisfy even somebody who can’t speak. (08/19/2015)