MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION

US, 2015, 131 minutes, Colour.
Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, Alec Baldwin, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris, Simon Mc Burney.
Directed by Christopher Mc Quarrie.

‘Romp’ might not be the word expected to head a review of the newest Mission Impossible venture. But, that is what it is, an action-adventure-romp.

The tone is immediately clear in the prologue, a plane taking off in Minsk, Belarus, with Benji (Simon Pegg) lifting his camouflaged head from an open field, communicating with William at the IMF, Impossible Mission Force, headquarters in Washington DC as well as with Luther (Ving Rhames) in Thailand, worried about the deadly cargo in the plane hold, wondering where Ethan Hunt could be – when suddenly he emerges, races towards the plane, grabs on to a door handle, Benji making all kinds of mistakes in trying to open the door electronically, even the wrong door, with Hunt hanging on as the plane takes off, the door finally open, and his being projected into the plane, confronting the armed guards – and then pushing the cargo out backwards and parachuting down… That’s Tom Cruise for you.

And then we have the credits! And, of course, the immediately recognisable theme music by Lalo Schifrin.

Someone remarked afterwards about the realism or lack of realism in the film! Realism is one of the last things to be expected from this action-packed series. After all, the title is Impossible, and that is the point. Ethan and his colleagues spend over two hours doing the impossible in the face of extraordinary dangers, need for extraordinary stunts (which Tom Cruise and Rebecca Ferguson mainly do themselves), split-second timing, everyone in peril at some stage, athletic feats of endurance – and winning at the end. If that is not what we were expecting, then better to give it a miss for something more ‘realistic’.

As the subtitle suggests, there is a sinister organisation, called The Syndicate, operating around the world very secretly – even Alec Baldwin, the rather dyspeptic head of the CIA, does not believe that it exists, thinks it is a ploy by the IMF and is not impressed by Ethan Hunt who seems an outsider, avoiding accountability. But, Ethan has been pursuing The Syndicate, but is suddenly caught by the ex-British military head, played by Sean Harris. Will he escape being tortured? No, not escaping the torture, plenty of that, but eventually escaping the cell and going underground until he has a firm lead to find the villain.

By this stage, the action has been in Belarus, and in a rather detailed central London, then in Havana, hiding in Paris, which leads Ethan and Benji to Vienna.

For those who enjoy travelogue aspects of these thrillers, there is plenty to see in Vienna, especially at the Opera House (interiors, stage, and action on the roof) and, as a distraction from an assassination attempt on the Austrian head of state, a performance of Puccini’s Turandot. And then we are off to Morocco, to Casablanca seen in a great deal of detail, out into the deserts of Morocco and into the mountains. It all climaxes in London, focusing on the British Prime Minister, again with a great deal of touristic detail, though that is much more familiar.

A new ambiguous woman is introduced in the form of Rebecca Ferguson, attractive, athletic, lethal in some of her fights, with the audience hoping that despite appearances she really is a goodie. Simon Pegg is back as the technical whiz, involved in a lot of the action as well as the comic aspects. And Jeremy Renner is also back, the liaison with the CIA, as well as Ving Rhames as Luther, no mean activist with technology as well.

If you want ‘romp-action’, and an entertaining night out, plenty of adventure, quite a few twists, often a tongue-in-cheek turn, with quite some stunts, then this episode of Mission Impossible, written and directed by Christopher Mc Quarrie, best known for The Usual Suspects, but clearly a friend of Tom Cruise, writing screenplays for him for Valkyrie, Jack Reacher, Edge of Tomorrow, will fit the bill.

1. The series running for almost 20 years? The fifth instalment?

2. The origins in television, the inspiration, development of the basics of the program, characters, situations? The use of the background musical theme?

3. Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, the Impossible Mission Force?

4. Each film as topical, reflecting each decade, especially the United States? International developments?

5. The use of technology, developments?

6. Action, stunts, editing and pace? Tom Cruise and his own stunts?

7. The prologue, relevance, the tone, Benji literally in the field, the cargo on the plane, the contact with William in the US, with Luther in Thailand? Ethan appearing, chasing the plane, hanging on, the doors finally opening, projected into the cargo hold, the guards, exiting out the back?

8. The US, Washington, the CIA, the official and his jealousy, the hearing, William and his not being able to comment, the move for the abolition of the IMF?

9. Benji, the computer games, the polygraph test, his work, the opera tickets and his going to Vienna?

10. Ethan, allegedly in Cuba, the hit squad, his not being there, meanwhile in Paris?

11. In London, going to the shop, the encounter with the assistant, Ethan being taken, the torture, Ilsa and her presence, the key, helping him escape? Lane and his presence?

12. The role of Ilsa, helping Ethan, British, deep cover, in London, in Vienna, the set up, the shooting the Austrian leader, shooting at Benji, the tests for her loyalty to Lane, helping Ethan, on the roof, down the building, the car and escape?

13. The action in Vienna, the opera, the staging of Turandot., the singing? The attempted assassination? Ethan in the rafters, the attack on the shooters? Benji, his presence, the subway, the contact with Ethan, the visual contact, his controlling the props?

14. The transition to Morocco, the views, Casablanca, the mountains, the desert, the car chases, down steps, along highways, cars, motorbikes?

15. The extensive plant, the water, underground? The information stored? The role of the British Prime Minister, able to decipher, with words from Kipling? Lane and his assassins? Benji, the information, security, split-second timing for Ethan to substitute the new profile, Benji getting through security, getting the memory stick? Ilsa controlling the water, Ethan holding his breath, the tensions, the escape? Ilsa and her stealing the memory stick? Bill and Luther, their presence in Morocco, the chases?

16. Ilsa in London, meeting with Atlee, his being her control, the truth about the Syndicate, ex-British military? His deleting the contents of the stick?

17. Lane, his character, relentless? The setup for Ethan to meet him? The auction, Ilsa present, the Prime Minister, Atlee, the confrontation, the CIA official,
his being gobsmacked by the reality of The Syndicate? The unmasking – and Ethan in control?

18. The final set up, Lane, his presence, near the Tower of London, Ilsa at the table, the pursuit, the streets, the dangers, pursuits? Ilsa and her fights with the torturer, the knife? The ultimate trapping of Lane, the glass cage, in the van?

19. The characters of Benji, William, Luther, their particular expertise and use? Loyalties to Ethan?

20. The Senate committee meeting, William and the cover for the head of the CIA, reinstalling the IMF?

21. An entertaining action romp?