Film review: Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation good not great
The action scenes are as plentiful as ever but the tension isn't sustained in this fifth instalment of the Tom Cruise vehicle
films, Tom Cruise climbed mountains, braved explosions in Shanghai and scaled Dubai's Burj Khalifa — all without a stunt double. This time, he clings on to the outside of an military plane as it takes off — for real. It's a remarkable scene, as if he and director Christopher McQuarrie have taken heed of the words spoken to Cruise's all-action spy Ethan Hunt when he's told "this may very well be our last mission — make it count".
The fifth in the series, arrives just ahead of the next James Bond movie, , which looks to re-introduce audiences to the titular organisation that plagued 007 in the past. Likewise, this latest is about a shadowy outfit, The Syndicate, looking to destroy Hunt and the IMF (that's if Alec Baldwin's CIA bigwig doesn't get there first). Back alongside him are his loyal cohorts Luther (Ving Rhames), Brandt (Jeremy Renner) and Benji (Simon Pegg).
The real intrigue, however, comes with Rebecca Ferguson's Ilsa Faust, a British agent deep undercover in The Syndicate who helps Ethan but seemingly can't be trusted. Ferguson, who came to prominence in BBC costume drama , is quite superb: sexy, stylish and steely. Following previous alumni — including Kristin Scott Thomas, Thandie Newton, Maggie Q and Léa Seydoux — she's the most dynamic female presence ever to grace the series.
Less impressive, however, is British actor Sean Harris, who plays Solomon Lane, the leader of The Syndicate. In dramas like and , the intensely charismatic Harris has proved what a force of nature he can be. But here it feels like he's restrained on a leash; speaking like he has a rather nasty sore throat and dressed like a local government accountant. While you immediately sense the character's intelligence, there's not an ounce of menace to him.
