I officially have to bestow the genius label on Christopher McQuarrie. I don't know what kind of man he is personally, but as a filmmaker and writer he is without a doubt one of the best in the business today. I have to put his name in that select group of directors and writers that whatever they're involved in, I'll go see. If you don't think he's all the special then see Mission: Impossible-Rogue Nation and then take into account that it's just his third time directing a movie. You read that right, Rogue Nation is just his THIRD time behind the camera. If you don't think that's impressive then take a look at his writing resume. He's written or co-wrote Edge of Tomorrow, Jack Reacher, Valkyrie, The Way of the Gun, and Usual Suspects just to name a few. What he's done with his latest movie of the highly profitable Mission: Impossible franchise was give it a distinct shot of some powerful adrenaline. I enjoyed Ghost Protocol but when compared to Rogue Nation, Ghost seems like its running in slow motion and Rogue is Usain Bolt.
As usual Tom Cruise stars as Ethan Hunt, the best agent the IMF has to offer. He's joined by Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Jeremy Renner. New to the franchise is Rebecca Ferguson who plays Ilsa Faust, a lethal woman with mysterious allegiances and her own agenda and Alec Baldwin who plays CIA director Alan Hundley who wants nothing more than to apprehend Ethan and jail him forever. This is the first time in a Mission: Impossible film where the IMF is in any kind of contact with other intelligence agencies. The CIA and Britain's MI6 flank the IMF as they hunt down a terrorist organization known as The Syndicate. Doing that was just what the next Mission film needed after Ghost Protocol, an influx of new blood and agents as skilled if not more skilled than Ethan Hunt. Rogue Nation almost had a James Bond feel to it and that was refreshing. For a director who's working on his third film, Rogue Nation was a masterpiece in every way and I for one hope he directs the next installment.
The look of Rogue Nation is far more gritty and realistic than Ghost Protocol. Where Ghost had a cleaner, sleeker look, Nation comes at you like a punch in the face. The stunts were eye popping and breathtaking. Tom is notorious for doing his own stunts and while the motorcycle chase showed his proficiency on a bike, the stunt where he's hanging off the side of plane showed his level of pure insanity. Oscar award winning cinematographer Robert Elswit captured all the action, the fights, and the quiet moments brilliantly. The way the film was lit gave it gravitas and the music by Joe Kraemer heightened the intensity with a bombastic score that put you on the edge of your seat. As I said earlier Rogue Nation is one of the best popcorn movies of the year so far and I highly recommend you see it. It's one I will see again because it is well worth the price of admission. I'll see you at the theater.
