Christopher McQuarrie did some uncredited rewrites on Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, though he’d worked with Tom Cruise a number of times in the past, having written and directed Jack Reacher then writing Edge of Tomorrow. Clearly, his strength as a storyteller, perhaps more than his friendship with Cruise, led Cruise to offer him the opportunity to help the fifth Mission: Impossible film. That opportunity to not only work on the script but also direct seemed to be the right formula Cruise (perhaps more the producer than the star) was looking for to bring the franchise into right zone he’d been looking for from the start. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our journey through our Mission: Impossible series with a conversation about McQuarrie’s 2015 film Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.

Right out of the gate, we’re given an exciting action sequence, one which had been advertised relentlessly to draw audiences to the film to see Cruise hanging off the side of a plane. For real. It’s insane but makes for a great start to the movie. Plus, we get more comedy with the team and intrigue as the IMF gets shut down by the Senate, which puts Ethan on the run. It’s a thrill of a way to start the movie that shows we’re on the right track now.

The team is great, keeping Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, and the ever-consistent Ving Rhames from the last film. It’s our first full repeat, and it works well. We do have questions about the roles of each of the team members though. Are they given enough delineation between them? Is this, perhaps, why Jeremy Renner doesn’t return? 

The big surprise is the addition of Rebecca Ferguson who proves herself Cruise’s equal and brings tremendous chemistry as a British spy working both with and against Hunt at seemingly every turn. She’s incredibly compelling and is stunning in that dress. 

Of course the villain has to work for the team to be of any interest, and we’re fans of what Sean Harris is bringing as ex-MI6 operative Solomon Lane, the head of The Syndicate. He’s compelling, and the plot moves in exciting directions dictated by him. It’s a thrill of a film in a franchise that only gets better. We have a great time talking about it, so check it out then tune in. The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!

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