Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation

This review is Spoiler-free.

When all seems impossible... enter Ethan Hunt.

Or rather, enter Tom Cruise, who makes him possible; both by producing the movies Agent Hunt appears in, and by playing this epic character with determined fearlessness that pushes the boundaries of what is possible in film making. In the 5th installment of the iconic franchise that was adopted by Cruise in 1996, Ethan goes up against the Syndicate -- a villainous organization of rogues bent on destroying the IMF (Impossible Missions Force). This installment is written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, and he handles this behemoth blockbuster expertly to great effect.

Epic action movie is impossibly epic.

Plot-wise not much explanation is needed. This Mission: Impossible, just like the last four, plays by the guidebook for M:I movies -- a handbook that had yet to get old in the past twenty years, so it's safe to say that it never will. "Plot" is just what happens between the guide's plays to link them all together. The guidebook requires there to be a small team working against impossible odds, antagonizing for this team from both good and bad sides, something that requires stealing, at least two chase scenes, three fight scenes, one sequence where characters wear evening attire, one or two moments where there's no escape in sight, one surprise on the audience, cool gadgetry, sharp comic relief and an epic finish -- but most importantly, stunts. Stunts that make you go "wow." And if there's one guy for that job, it's Tom Cruise.

No doubt you've seen that one big stunt in the trailer where Ethan is holding on to the outside of an airplane. And perhaps you know that stunt was real. Well, while it was the most obviously scary stunt in the movie, the whole film is full of moments just as real and just as -- or even more -- impressive. Notice, if you will, how long the underwater takes are; or that it's really Cruise riding that motorcycle; and driving that car -- and fighting and jumping and climbing as the requirement comes. But beyond being one of the craziest actors who does his own stunts in the business, with Ethan Hunt, Tom has created a fantastic, personable character, and every time we come back to see him, we love him just as much -- or even better -- than we did before. Ethan is a great, determined, caring a brave guy. The exact kind of guy you would imagine out of a man who's saved the world as many times as he has.

If the world's in trouble, Ethan Hunt is the man you want on the job!

As for his supporting team, it's never exactly the same twice, but this one is the most familiar out of all the films.

The right-hand man is Benji Dunn, played by the brilliantly funny Simon Pegg. Benji has been in the M:I films since he had a small supporting role in M:I3. He was the quirky tech support. Then in Ghost Protocol he had just passed his field exam (crazy, right?); here, he's not a newbie anymore and is featured heavily, and I honestly think it made the movie. He is now perfectly capable of throwing punches, thinking on his feet, and using initiative to help the cause and his teammates -- but always his major is in computers. I just love that this film finally gave him (this is true for both Benji and Pegg) a chance to really come into his own and show what he's made of. He may still have all the most hilarious lines and reactions, but that's not what he is anymore. I've never considered this about anyone besides Ethan, but I now firmly believe that Benji Dunn is a necessary character for the Mission: Impossible franchise. 

The progression of his character over the last three films has been a real treat to witness.

Jeremy Renner is listed second is the credits, but his character of William Brandt, who first appeared in Ghost Protocol, spends a considerable amount of time is the background, wearing ties and talking politics while Hunt and Dunn are in the field. I expected this, and expected it would disappoint me too, but it actually didn't. The character of Brandt is just geared more that way, and this film knew very well how to properly utilize its characters. Brandt is the guy who wants to play everything by the rules, and this gives him and Ethan plenty of chances to clash their opinions together. The only thing I missed from the character was that his chances to show off his action-star tail-kicking skills were limited here, while he got plenty in the last film.

Luther Strickell, played by Ving Rhames, is the only other character besides Hunt to have been in the first Mission. In fact, he was technically in all of the M:I movies, only his appearance in Ghost Protocol was just a short cameo at the end -- after the world had already been saved -- so that really doesn't count. And even here his role is limited, though at least helpful this time. Luther is a very charming and sharp gentleman, and his presence is always a useful and welcome addition. He plays a big part in making this cast feel like an old friend.

Cool cool cool.

The good guy antagonist is Alec Baldwin -- no complains whatsoever. The main villain is played by Sean Harris. Now, one of the few things M:I movies don't have a step-by-step guaranteed-successful checklist to follow for is the villain. They have ranged from the incredible terrifying coldness of Phillip Seymour Hoffman in M:I3, to... totally forgettable. Sean Harris' Solomon Lane lands solidly on the upper side of that scale. He's effectively malicious, has an unnerving confident and disconnected air to him, and plays a memorable and active part in the plot.

Rebecca Ferguson's Ilsa Faust was an addition I wasn't sure of going in, never having seen her act before, but I couldn't help growing to care for her character very fast. She had a great screen presence. Being so gorgeous didn't hurt, but it really was something about her essence that was both elegant and commanding that catches your attention -- and the camera's. She wound up being a very memorable and involving addition.

Photos do her surprisingly little justice compared to film. That dress though. So epic.

M:I movies require both heist/con events and purebred action events, but this one leans heavily towards the pure action side. There are two heists, one secret mission, and a con, but for the most part the film concentrates its focus to the action side of these. The secret mission had the classic small-time heist feel. The main heist was great -- well-planned and well-executed with that classic "just in time" tension, and minimal improv. The con was action-heavy, and epically satisfying. And in between each of those, there was a chase scene.

The format of these movies is tightly-packed awesomeness, and Rogue Nation has the most awesomeness per square minute out of them all so far. It really blows the mind how many various action-flick must-haves are included. I don't think one action cliche was overlooked to be added to the plot, and then turned on its head to feel fresh and original. You should have seen me grinning like an idiot during the big car chase. The opening was tight and stylish perfection, setting the perfect tone, and the climax was downright magnificent and it knew it.

The only impossible thing about this movie  is the likelihood of you not getting totally involved in the over-the-top awesome fun, everywhere it takes us.

The comic relief was so common throughout, with hit cracks one after the other that they gave this movie the feel of actually being a comedy. Of course Simon Pegg effortlessly steals the spotlight in this section, with the four or five topmost hilarious lines, but everyone does the comedy, and does it well. Tom Hollander shows up at one point and seems to have been cast solely for his epic comedic abilities. The comedy does fade down considerably though as the third act begins and the building drama breaks through the surface. It doesn't feel like an unnatural tone change though, because this is the way of M:I movies. When the seriousness comes, it is welcome, giving the film one last boost of energy that it rides to the end, and giving the film that deeper quality that rounds it out, and makes it the ideal, impossibly grand action adventure.

This epic, epic, smart, hilarious and totally involving fifth installment is, without a doubt -- for Tom and co. and for Ethan and co. -- another mission: accomplished.

About Time

This review is spoiler-free.

I will refrain from puns -- it's about time I refrain from puns! After that one, after that one...

The day Tim turns twenty-one, his father takes him aside and tells him the family secret. Like most family secrets, it's not exactly the sort of thing you'd want to go blabbing to everyone, but that's where the similarities end. Tim even has a hard time believing it. "This is such a weird joke..."  he says hesitantly after his dad solemnly delivers the punch line of, "all the men in this family can time travel." Swearing revenge on his father for such a strange prank, he goes in search of a dark cupboard. Inside, he closes his eyes, clenches his fists, and thinks of the past -- yesterday's terrible New Years Eve party. When he opens his eyes again he's still in the cupboard, but he's wearing different clothes and music is blaring. Knowing what will happen, he takes the opportunity to fix a few things: not knocking over a table of drinks onto a couch full of the cool kids, and planting a kiss on the girl standing by him at midnight -- before returning to the present, full of questions.

On his father's advice, he opts not to use his abilities for the gain of wealth, but for the gain of happiness. In his words: "I'd really like to get a girlfriend." But even with time at your disposal, love can still be a very complicated thing to figure out.

In fact, the option of time travel can make it even more complicated.

My sister and I are currently in the middle of a long search for "the perfect classic rom-com." It's an elusive little critter, and I was tempted to end the search with this movie, but honestly, About Time is far too extraordinary to fall simply under the category of "rom-com." Although it is primarily made of romance and comedy, it is not at all formatted like a rom-com, and never comes close to the sugary fluff that defines the genre.

The most glaring difference to me is that this movie is all about the guy. Played by the absolutely adorable Irish ginger Domhnall Gleeson. You may recognize him as Ron Weasley's brother; you may recognize him in Star Wars 7 come May, provided he hasn't landed a part as an prosthetic-covered alien. I discovered him this summer when I found every single ginger actor in the UK in an attempt to figure out who the 12th Doctor should be/have been. Having seen him act now I think he'd be a fantasic Doctor... but I'm straying from the point. Gleeson is an exceptional lead here -- by any genre. The movie is about him (and time) and he is unquestionably the best of it. Tim can be awkward and dense, and makes mistakes, but we are always on his side no matter what. He is completely charming, kind, gracious, and caring, and downright hilarious in a wonderful, classic British high comedy sort of way. And that last bit goes for the whole movie too.

Romantic comedies with leading men always seem to be the best.

The supporting cast is brimming with talented faces. Like Bill Nighy as Tim's dad. Everything he does is, of course, masterful. Lindsay Duncan is quirky, or, rather, slightly off, and amusing as his mum. Lydia Wilson of "The Making of a Lady" is Kit Kat, the sister, and almost completely unrecognizable under the persona of a loopy and care-free hippie. The gorgeous Tom Hughes makes appearances as her troublesome boyfriend. And Tom Hollander is outrageous as the disturbed playwright uncle who hates everyone and everything. I laughed so hard at one of his scenes we had to rewind after we were finished as our laughing bled into the next scene. Every side character has the quirks to make them totally individual, and the natural portrayal to make them believably realistic.

Even the smallest side character is unique and smartly portrayed.

And then, and then, there is Rachel McAdams. She is technically the second main character, as the love interest, but she is one of two things (albeit the lesser of the two) that puts a slight damper of the magnificence of this film. It's probably all my fault; I'm just not a fan of McAdams. She just doesn't charm me. I like her considerably better when she plays... dislikeable people, like in Midnight in Paris, and here, her character Mary, the American living in London, insecure, sweet and sassy, only occasionally (and perhaps unintentionally) borders on... dislikable. But as far as her likable characters go, this is her best by my reckoning.

They were cute, but I did think she was a little out of his league -- opposite of the way we were supposed to think.

The bigger dampener is the R rating, and the content that caused it. The language exceeds a PG-13 by a count of about 4, and otherwise, there were two scenes left unwatched. Not the worst it could have been, but would the film suffer if it were tamed down a notch? I wouldn't think so, but that's not accounting for the butterfly effect. (It is a time travel movie after all.) If the maturity of the content had been brought down, perhaps the maturity of the message would have been dragged down with it. I can't see why it would, but I do know I've never seen a more appropriate rom-com with a theme equal to this one; in significance, or sincerity.

We and Tim go through life in this film together, and see the truth of real life reflected in its simple and honest artistry. He learns, and we are reminded -- that worrying instead of living through life is never profitable; that it's better to give out love than receive it, and that every day -- every moment -- is a gift worth appreciating. They are common themes, a dime a dozen in movies with no better ideas, but the true, sincere concept of Tim's tale. Through his eyes you see that these ideas may seem insignificant and frivolous until they are applied with powerful effect to one's own extraordinary, ordinary life.

No time travel necessary.

See you again a long time ago! (In a galaxy far, far away!)