Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

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. (2015-07-30)

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. (2015-07-30)

Numero uno this year. This sequel to Mission: Impossible delivers exactly what you’d expect: a frantic, dynamic pace that will give the faint of heart a heart attack. The most well thought out story of all the installments, Tom Cruise in more excellent form than ever, surprising and unexpected twists, a solid villain with an interestingly snarky voice, and fantastic diverse action (the motorcycle chase is among the best of its kind). Just a good dose of intelligent thrills. 100% (2015-08-07)

It's as if I were seeing on the screen my first spies, my first car chase, my first badass fight scene. As if Christopher McQuarrie were in a room I know well, using Ethan Hunt's hand to open a door that has been carefully hidden. And as if beyond  it, a game is afoot from the old school, where there is room for London fog, surprising paraphrases of Casablanca, and in the spirit of the series, even truly impossible missions, above all with a water tank where I was almost holding my breath for the main hero at the end. Before viewing, I didn't have much hope for stepping in the same river a fifth time, so getting up from this ever more appealing team is getting tougher and tougher. Welcome to the IMF. (2015-07-30)

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... (2015-07-30)