SOUND OFF
Sound Off: 'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' - Your Thoughts?
by Alex Billington
July 31, 2015
Now that you've seen it, what did you think? Go rogue. Now showing in theaters is Christopher McQuarrie's Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, the fifth film in the Mission: Impossible series. Tom Cruise returns, once again, to star as Ethan Hunt and face off against the evil forces of The Syndicate. He's joined by his loyal IMF team - Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner and Ving Rhames. And along the way he encounters the formidable Ilsa Faust, played by Rebecca Ferguson. So how is this one? Better than the last, or just another bland action movie? Is the opera sequence better than any other action sequence? Once you've seen it, leave a comment with your thoughts on McQuarrie's Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation.
Spoiler Warning: We strongly urge everyone to actually see the film before reading ahead, as there may be spoilers below. We also encourage all commenters to keep major spoilers from the film to a minimum, if possible. However, this is an open discussion from this point on! Beware of spoilers, don't ruin this movie!
To light the fuse, I thought Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation was very fun, very entertaining, but a bit bland in the story department. I love the opera sequence and the motorcycle chase, both were awesome. If there's anything that deserves an extra amount of praise it's the action. McQuarrie is establishing himself as a master of vehicular and intimately-choreographed action, and they really hit it out of the park with Rogue Nation. The biggest problems with the film lie with the screenplay, or lack there of. There's not much going on here. The opening sequence on the plane, while impressive, has absolutely no connection to anything else in the rest of the film. The plot involving Hunt doesn't have much to it, and it doesn't really go anywhere.
I should also compliment Rebecca Ferguson. She kicks ass in this, and still holds her own, which makes for a deadly combo. However, even her story was a bit odd. Her first scene left me confused, and while they explain who she is later, by then I'm already just enjoying watching her going toe-to-toe with Cruise. Sean Harris was fine as the villain, but he reminded me too much of Skyfall's Silva (played by Javier Bardem), since there wasn't enough other aspects of the character to connect with. Overall, I enjoyed the action, but was left wanting from the story. And while that sometimes can work, it didn't work here (by comparison Mission: Impossible 3 has a much, much better script). Then again Jeremy loved this, so to each his own.
What did you think of McQuarrie's Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation? Excellent or bland?
We will remove any comments that indicate you have not seen the movie, as this area is meant to discuss the film only once you have seen it and can talk about your thoughts. Please keep the comments civilized!
32 Comments
1
2
DO check it out
Jon Odishaw on Jul 31, 2015
3
Make your own movies with "story, story, story." 🙂 It's the only way out! The rest of us make our minds on our own to decide what we like or not thanks to trailers, selected interviews and other promotional efforts. Spending time seeking reinforcement of your previously held beliefs will not work this time. Someone else so called "review" is nothing else but an opinion. You too have one. I hope you use it to decide whether to see this movie or not. 🙂
ISeeMoney on Aug 1, 2015
4
I REALLY liked it. This Christopher Mcquarrie is the real deal. We have had some amazing action movies in the last three years and this is easily one of the best. Also one of, if not THE best MI films. Features the best chase scenes in nearly a decade(apart from Mcquarries own in Jack Reacher) and a very memorable opera scene. The final act is sort of a let down but only because of how great the rest of the movie is. 9/10.
Jon Odishaw on Jul 31, 2015
5
In your opinion I trust....I will see it next week....
ari smulders on Aug 1, 2015
6
Good 😉 I mean don't go in with unrealistic expectations. But I think you know what to expect from these films. A lot of fun, high speed action.
Jon Odishaw on Aug 1, 2015
7
since Godzilla I lowered my expectations for every movie I want to watch! 🙂 It has a 92% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, so expect just nice stunts and great action. For Blablabla I listen to professional critics 🙂
ari smulders on Aug 1, 2015
8
I did see it a few hours back and I was disappointed. I liked part 3 and 4 more, because the final acts where better. Besides the plane sequence and racing sequence I thought it was sometimes boring.
ari smulders on Aug 6, 2015
9
McQuarrie has always been the real deal. Check out Way of the Gun.
txJM on Aug 1, 2015
10
Even with it's flaws, MI4 is the best of the series. I was thoroughly entertained.
ion677 on Jul 31, 2015
11
I think you mean MI5.
John Doe on Jul 31, 2015
12
yes.
ion677 on Aug 1, 2015
13
MI3 is the best for me.
Payne by name on Aug 1, 2015
14
Mi3 was my fav until now. The third one was definitely Toms finest as far as performance. But this one was the most fun.
Jon Odishaw on Aug 1, 2015
15
It was a solid movie. The motorcycle chase sequence was freaking fantastic. Rebecca Ferguson was awesome and kicked ass. Tom was Tom... loved that there was more Simon Peg in it.
jimfromtoto on Jul 31, 2015
16
Say what you will about Tom Cruise personal beliefs, but the man is dedicated to putting out quality entertainment. I still think Brad Bird's Ghost Protocol was the best of the series, but this one was pretty solid as well. I liked the practical stunts and the humour worked well, making it the lightest of the series. Even though they made the villain out to be Ethan's equal, I never quite bought it. He never really rose above any of the other villains he's faced. It was also refreshing to see a strong female character in Ilsa. She almost (?) stole the show from Tom in some scenes.
fazha on Jul 31, 2015
17
she was stunning and ill say she stole the show for sure
angel figueroa on Jul 31, 2015
18
I won't argue 🙂
fazha on Jul 31, 2015
19
Amazing! Loved the chemistry between all the actors. I didn't mind the story to be honest. I thought all the action sequences were planned so brilliantly that I got lost in it. I just love how colorful this series is. James Bond is getting darker so this is a different look at the spy world. The soundtrack was brilliant as was Rebecca Ferguson (wow!). Frankly there was no supporting cast. Everyone held there own in this movie. My favourite blockbuster this year so far for sure.
TK on Aug 1, 2015
20
I'm a huge Cruise fan and having just got back from seeing it, I have to say that I was a little underwhelmed. The car/motorcycle chase was good but I felt that Tom was underutilised in the acting stakes. Not that he can't act but rather that the script gave him little to play with. Renner was wasted, not showing the agent skills that he showed in MI4, and Ving Rhames was just window dressing. It passed the time but it didn't really engage. Not as good as MI3 or MI4 but better than MI2. I must also say that after the promise of Way of the Gun, Chris Mcquarrie has been underperforming in Hollywood. 6/10
Payne by name on Aug 1, 2015
21
I can see that. MI3 and 4 were more engaging. I can't figure out why. MI5 had everything.
Sascha Dikiciyan on Aug 2, 2015
22
Maybe because MI5 didn't have a great deal about Ethan himself and his personal life. Yes, they played that he was a chancer who took risks but Renner having his doubts about him seemed at odds with the events that transpired in MI4 and the guilt that Renner felt towards him. MI3 had him struggling with his work/life balance as well as him being personally motivated by the earlier demise of his student (Keri Russell) that powered through his determination to deal with a very credible bad guy. MI4, whilst a little less involved than MI3, still had some depth in his backstory with regards to his wife passing. For all the fast paced bravado of MI4, the most touching scene was Tom smiling at his wife who then smiled back. She recognised the sacrifice he'd made and that he still wanted to protect her. This gave more humanity to Tom and certainly made me connect with him more. MI5 didn't for me have this for me and hence there wasn't really anything that pushed Tom from an acting POV. Likewise, I felt his enemy in Lane wasn't all that credible and the whole untrusting Alex Baldwin thing felt a bit tired, especially after that had been handled far better in MI3 with Laurence Fishburne.
Payne by name on Aug 3, 2015
23
If you actually paid attention to the story you'd see there's quite a bit going on AND the plane sequence at the beginning was directly connected to Lane and the Syndicate. They expressly said that. Pay attention to movies if you work on a movie site.
davidshaw on Aug 1, 2015
24
RF killed it. I couldn't take my eyes off of her when she was on screen...
Bl00dwerK on Aug 1, 2015
25
Just caught it. Man oh man! Very good. I was very impressed by Tom Cruise and equally delighted by the performance of Ferguson's physicality. There were a few moments of eye rolling foolishness, but overall it was really fun. I think it lands squarely in the middle of the pack. Dat Opera Scene was the tits!!~
DAVIDPD on Aug 1, 2015
26
your opinion I trust also... next week I will see it with my own eyes....
ari smulders on Aug 2, 2015
27
Gratitude, brother Ari.
DAVIDPD on Aug 2, 2015
28
I still like MI3 a hair better I think, but I'll say this - this one had the best gadgets of the whole series. Huge props to whoever thought up all the crazy technology for this one.
OfficialJab on Aug 2, 2015
29
Saw it last night at the Arclight Dome. Fun movie. Typical plot. Nothing special really but the action was top notch and Cruise delivers once again. I loved that they started with the plane action. Everyone cheered! And that woman! Oh man she would make the perfect Bond girl! However, I still liked MI4 better. It felt less 'serious' and more fun. Playful. So my rating would be MI < MI4:GP < MI3 < MI5:RN < MI2
Sascha Dikiciyan on Aug 2, 2015
30
I felt like RN was a nice mix of 3 and 4. 3 was certainly the most serious and 4 was certainly the most playful. 5 I would place somewhere in between because it didnt fail to poke fun at itself.
Jon Odishaw on Aug 4, 2015
31
I liked the film, but I can't get over how bad the digital camera shots looked. EVERY SINGLE LOW-LIGHT SHOT looks like it was shot on a camera phone. It's as if no one even though to test what these shots would look like in digital. Terrible. I wish filmmakers would just fess up to the limitations of the digital medium and use film where it works best. Digital looks great in well lit shots, but they still struggle low-light. Can't they just mix an match and use the best technology for the shot they're composing? I did enjoy the film, but those shots just really took me out of it. I still prefer Ghost Protocol and MI3.
Eddie Forero on Aug 3, 2015
32
really enjoyed it. The M:I series seems to be that rare bird in Hollywood, a film franchise that gets better with each new installment (at least since the forgettable second film). But for the next one, could we perhaps have Ethan Hunt *not* go rogue yet again? It would be a refreshing change.
Edward Curtis on Aug 3, 2015
New comments are no longer allowed on this post.
FEATURED POSTS
FOLLOW FS HERE
Follow Alex's main account on Twitter:
Add our posts to your Feedly › click here
Get all the news sent on Telegram 
LATEST TO WATCH