Basically: Two groups of super-secret counter agents fight for global bragging rights while Tom Cruise’s stunts provide action fueled thrills.
Let’s start with the truth. Every actor in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is on their game. Tom Cruise does breakneck stunts with infinite charm. Simon Pegg is awkwardly hilarious. Ving Rhames remains unamused but makes things happen. While Jeremy Renner does that smirking thing where you wonder if he’s smiling (on the inside) or plotting to betray everyone on screen by laying waste to all they love. And it’s fun. This squad does what they do so well we can’t help but return to theaters again, and again, and again, and twice more. Count them, that’s five movies.
We’re kind of into this series, despite plots a spy-lover could create during a game of Cards Against Humanity. This time around a clandestine group known as The Syndicate—a shadow version of our hero’s IMF—blames greedy governments for our imperfect world. The Syndicate wants change and they believe change is violence. A series of high profile worldwide disasters and assassinations follow. Things go boom. People get electrocuted. Ethan Hunt (Cruise) does the incredible. Ooh, a motorcycle chase!
But, wait! This time the movie makers interrupt their string of momentary romances and go for a more interesting relationship with a woman. She’s called Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) and she is Ethan Hunt’s perfect counterpart—from her spy craft, to her master manipulations, all the way through to her bone structure. Watching these two spies dance is the reason this movie exists. It’s Batman and the Joker; Luther and Alice… okay it’s not on that level but: It is intense.
In the end: Go to the theater, break free from life and lose yourself in the madness of spy movies.