Coming four years after Ghost Protocol, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation has the honor of being the first film in the series that I actually saw in theaters. Perhaps that is why I have always been so attached to Rebecca Ferguson in the franchise from this point on? From this point onward (lest a ninth film be released with a different slate), Christopher McQuarrie sat in the director’s chair and had a central role in practically every aspect, from the screenplay to the execution of the story and the production.
It is also the first entry to fully devote itself to picking up the threads from a previous entry, a marketable strategy if I’ve ever heard of one.
This time around, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is thrust into a high-stakes crisis in the aftermath of stopping the bombing in San Francisco, resulting in the IMF being on the chopping block. His mission is to prove the existence of a secretive organization known only as the Syndicate, because if he can’t, then everything that he has spent his life working for and protecting will be torn down by lesser men. Much like Ghost Protocol, his official support is limited. With CIA Director Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin) breathing down his neck, and the chief orchestrator of the IMF’s potential downfall, Ethan has only his stalwart personal allies to fall back on and the CIA hot on his trail.
Four films in, Mission: Impossible finally has a cohesive force behind it. While Tom Cruise has almost always had a direct hand in how the movies unfolded behind the scenes, having a full apparatus at his back meant that many aspects in the film were thrown together at the last minute. As if on a whim. The end result is an entertaining, thrilling film. Still, a chief example is one of the central set pieces of this film, the underwater heist sequence. Everything made sense by the time the film was finished, as if often the case. Still, during the production process, the entire sequence was scripted, storyboarded, and filmed without an inkling of what Ethan Hunt was even stealing.
Like other entries, previous characters were intended to return, specifically Zhen Lei (Maggie Q) and Jane Carter (Paula Patton). However, for various logistical reasons, neither made it back. Considering the reduced role that Brandt (Jeremy Renner) was given, it’s unknown how large or small their roles would have been. This writing process continued into Fallout, which notoriously began production with a thirty-three-page script, yet still managed to become the most successful film in the franchise. By a lot.
Even with behind-the-scenes issues, Rogue Nation proved to be a good time. It featured audacious action scenes, compelling new characters, and the introduction of a new and entertaining lead villain – Solomon Lane (Sean Harris). A former MI6 intelligence operative, as the leader of the Syndicate, he was responsible for pushing Ethan into acting throughout the film, beginning with the murder of an IMF agent. This puts him in league with Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) from Mission: Impossible II, as a villain who knows and understands how to manipulate the protagonist. He is also a stark contrast to Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist), despite having similar agendas of violently upsetting the world order. Where Hendricks was practically insane and planned to initiate nuclear war to “better” humanity, Solomon Lane is motivated purely by revenge for the system that he served. Whether that makes him a “better” person is up to the audience.
Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and Benji (Simon Pegg) return in this entry, with Rhames having a larger screen presence after practically sitting out Ghost Protocol. However, it is not quite on par with his role in the first three films. Conversely, Benji has by far his largest presence in the film up to this point, acting alongside Ethan throughout almost the entire movie. Finally, William Brandt returns in a slightly reduced capacity from Ghost Protocol, now that the character is no longer being positioned as a replacement for Ethan Hunt. The main new character on their team is Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), who is portrayed as straddling the line throughout the movie – ostensibly working for Solomon Lane upon her introduction while ensuring Ethan escapes captivity not long after their first meeting.
Ilsa has the notable distinction of being the first female lead in a Mission: Impossible film to return for a sequel with the same or greater importance – with even Michelle Monaghan, Ethan Hunt’s literal wife, not being given the same treatment. Why this is, is anybody’s guess. Still, I like to believe it is because Rebecca Ferguson had a natural chemistry with Tom Cruise and was slotted into the franchise at the right time.
This is not to discount Thandiwe Newton, Michelle Monaghan, Maggie Q, or Paula Patton in any way. Each actress, when placed opposite Tom Cruise, was effortlessly able to prove their worth, but none of them, save for Monaghan’s uncredited cameo in the previous entry and a minor role in the succeeding entry, ever returned. Scheduling conflicts were the primary reason, but let’s be clear, if the production wanted to bring them back, they would have figured out a way to do so.
Rebecca Ferguson has gone on to appear in every successive film (barring the upcoming project unless movie magic is thrown in, fingers crossed), showing that if the stars align and the producers work at it, then a return appearance can work. Besides, the franchise has rarely, if ever, had difficulty bringing back the men in the ensemble when they wanted to.
Alan Hunley, portrayed by Alec Baldwin, plays a major supporting role as the Director of the CIA, who, aided by Brandt – even if agaisnt his personal desire – can come the closest to tearing down the IMF. Considering how close to disaster in Ghost Protocol, it is not entirely surprising that Hunley saw fit to try and scrap the group.
Their stated goals and the methods by which their agents use have proven to be at times unreliable and can lead to even worse disasters. While Ethan Hunt may be able to pull out a victory from the jaws of defeat, how often have we seen that victory come so damningly close to defeat? As an audience, we have a God’s Eye View, as a person within their Universe, Hunley does not. Still, by the time the credits roll, Alan Hunley has a very different opinion on the IMF.
The British have a larger role in this entry, as they are central to the main crisis Ethan is attempting to unravel, but where to lay the blame becomes a major subplot. Chief Atlee (Simon McBurney), the MI6 Director, and the Prime Minister (Tom Hollander), who had previously starred together in Rev., are the lead representatives beyond Ilsa Faust. Which one of them is responsible for the Syndicate proves interesting, as the organization has grown beyond the control of the government and is ostensibly responsible for its creation. Granted, Ethan Hunt and his team aren’t renowned for asking for permission when executing a mission, and when the time comes to infiltrate the highest levels of the British Government to save the world, collateral damage is to be expected.
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation gave us a great story, thrilling action sequences, and a compelling cast of characters. By relying on what worked over what didn’t, even the behind-the-scenes issues that plagued the film couldn’t stop it from becoming a juggernaut at the box office. Moving it from its planned December release was, quite honestly, the best first move they could have made. For those unaware, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Spectre were the big Christmas releases in 2015. The former made $2 billion during its initial release, and the latter grossed over $800 million. With Furious 7, Age of Ultron, and Jurassic World nearing the end of their theatrical runs at that point, it had little direct competition and was able to stand on its own. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Dead Reckoning.
Let us see how The Final Reckoning will fare, as it hits theaters next Thursday, as we take a look at the sixth entry, Fallout.
Lloydd Marshall Books 