Surprise of the week

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

sigma endorphin

Reviewed on 12/17/15

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is not swimming to Casablanca, he is swimming in Casablanca, if that is what you want to call it. However, with his incredible athletic abilities we can easily believe he could swim to Casablanca if he wanted, and do most of the approximately 200 miles underwater.

In this 5th version of the Mission Impossible series, there are the good rogue spies and the bad ones. Ethan and his IMF team (Ving Rhames, Jeremy Renner and Simon Pegg) are the good rogues. They attempt to stop the rogue spy (Sean Harris), head of the Syndicate, from terrorizing the world. In this attempt, Ethan meets his female counterpart in Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson). You decide what side she is on. In every way she is Ethan's equal. She even joins Ethan in "swimming" in Casablanca. They like to stay underwater as long as possible.

I have not been a fan of the MI series, however I was thoroughly drawn in to the action and suspense in this one once they got to Casablanca. The mission isn't confusing, just impossible. The inevitable chase scene is exciting in each bump, twist, and vertical and horizontal turn. The fight scenes are choreographed well and just as unbelievable as in every other action film with the goons who never can hit their targets when shooting at them. Yes, Ethan is very lucky, which CIA director Hunley (Alec Baldwin) mentions early in the film when evaluating the worth of the IMF team. Hey, maybe there is something to Scientology after all?

I am now looking forward to the next MI film. Why? Because of the new IMF girl, of course. I'd put her up against any Bond girl any time. What a discovery Rebecca Ferguson is. Smart move to bring her into the fold. She is a rogue nation of one!