Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation Blu-ray Movie Review

Are the impossible missions becoming all too routine?

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 1, 2015

Staleness and franchise fatigue, with the former usually begetting the latter, are two of the biggest dangers facing any high dollar, razzle-dazzle Action movie series, including those featuring Jason Bourne, James Bond, or Mission: Impossible's Ethan Hunt. That filmmakers may become complacent with merely pushing the action envelope -- playing a game of one-upmanship either with a franchise's peers or, perhaps even worse, with the franchise's own previous entries -- and counting on "bigger," "faster," "slicker," and "more death-defying" to equal "better" is a temptation too difficult to resist and a fate to which many movies and series have succumb. And there's only so many ways to blow something up, shoot a bad guy, or drive a car at high speed. How many perfectly choreographed and precisely executed stunts can audiences devour without beginning to feel like they're all just pressed out in the same factory and slapped into whichever movie is currently in production? Every new Action movie trailer seems to only promise more of the same, the movie equivalent of a locker room measuring contest in the quest to plaster the screen with the most death-defying stunts, the biggest explosions, and more frenetic gunfire. Trailers for Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation certainly seemed to go in that direction, promising more incredible action and...who knows what else. In a franchise that has defied the odds and maintained a pleasing freshness throughout its lifespan, can this fifth film live up to the excellence of its predecessors, or will it show that time has finally caught up to Ethan Hunt's globetrotting, break the rules, attain the unattainable, save the day heroics?

The franchise isn't upside down...yet.

Impossible Mission Force super agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has successfully thwarted delivery of deadly nerve gas destined for terrorist use. He believes the intercept can lead him to the top of the elusive criminal organization known as "The Syndicate," but with IMF folded into the CIA following an oversight hearing involving CIA Director Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin) and IMF Chief William Brandt (Jeremy Renner), Hunt is left to his own devices in the field and declared a rogue operative. He's captured by The Syndicate but freed when an operative working on the inside, Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), aids in his escape. With Faust on his side -- along with Brandt and Agents Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) -- Hunt finds himself ever closer to bringing The Syndicate down, and its top man Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) with it.

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation certainly flirts with the disasters of franchise fatigue and betting on bigger action to draw in more viewers. Parts of the film feel like little more than a playground in which the filmmakers indulge in pushing the limits of Action movie extravaganza. The story doesn't break new ground and the characters aren't pushed all that hard outside of their physical demands -- their spirits don't feel quite so burdened as their bodies -- leaving parts of the movie feeling less story driven and more bridges to the next big, extended stunt. The movie begins with a sequence so spectacular that it could probably end most Action movies. It sets a breathless, death-defying tone but also a tone that establishes the idea that the movie is more about dazzling audiences and less about telling a good, meaningful story that challenges the characters. But gradually the film regains its equilibrium, blending in what becomes a healthy, though not fully robust, story, certainly not one that's going to redefine the franchise but one with enough earned dramatic credit -- thanks in large part to a richly developed and portrayed villain courtesy of Sean Harris whose slyly evil performance is classically understated yet intensely dangerous -- to keep it flowing in its narrative and present the action with a bit more purpose beyond pure spectacle.

But even as the film works hard to balance its elements, action definitely takes center stage. Rogue Nation goes through all of the usual series permutations, which include infiltrating impregnable facilities, donning lifelike disguises, close-quarter car chases, motorcycles zipping perilously along a mountain road, and so on, but the film absolutely succeeds in presenting them in a very tangible, dangerous, high intensity way that elevates them well above standard. The filmmakers have meshed practical and digital to the point that there's essentially no demarcation, all of them presenting as one fluid and believable realistic sequence after another. A sequence in which Ethan Hunt must navigate an underwater database is easily the film's best. It's wildly creative if not a bit impractical, but the end result is perhaps the series' most intense "break-in," arguably surpassing the first film's iconic, yet now almost two decades later somewhat cliché, descent into the laser-protected facility. Cruise is once again excellent. The part doesn't really challenge him but he's up to the film's exhaustive physical demands while finding a somewhat darker and more intense front the deeper he gets into the mission of exposing and stopping The Syndicate at all costs.

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation's 1080p transfer is terrific. The image is organically filmic and very attractive, with grain only spiking in a few darker shots but otherwise appearing even and light, enhancing detail and clarity throughout. Indeed, details are wonderful. Facial features are refined and intricate, showcasing every pore, bit of stubble, age line, and applied makeup without so much as the slightest stumble. General environmental elements, whether tall grasses or urban textures, all excel. Colors are rich and robust, particularly bright city lights contrasted against a nighttime sky, but natural greens, colorful clothes, and other objects and their corresponding hues sparkle. Flesh tones can push a touch warm at times and black levels sometimes favor a very dark purple shading, but neither ever approach the level of "deal breaker." The image further appears free of any compression related problems. This is a terrific presentation from Paramount.

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation's Dolby Atmos (core Dolby TrueHD 7.1, reviewed here) track is a blast. It's everything fans could want from a big budget Action movie, presenting everything robustly, widely, and accurately. Music is thunderous, spilling from every speaker with a command of clarity and stage placement that will leave even veteran listeners grinning. Classical and Opera are particularly stout, with operatic lyrics strikingly clear and well defined in chapter five. Of course, score is excellent, too, with full stage immersion -- including those added back channels -- and a potent yet balanced low end accompaniment. The signature action scene that begins the film is amazing, with the plane's heavy rumbles on takeoff and the sheer force of wind blowing through the stage essentially transporting the listener out of the couch and onto the side of the plane with Ethan. Gunfire hits hard, vehicles zip through the stage with impeccable placement and energy, and various crashes are precise, with every bit of crunching metal and flying debris fully accounted for. The underwater segment feels weighty, with the water pressure seeming to squeeze the life right out of the theater. Dialogue delivery is center focused and clear, with good natural reverberation at several junctures.

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation contains a commentary and a handful of featurettes. A DVD copy of the film and a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy are included with purchase.

• Audio Commentary: Actor Tom Cruise and Director Christopher McQuarrie deliver a well versed and very insightful track that covers all of the basics, including story, action, characters, performances, shooting locations, music, inspirations, and more. This is a strong compliment to the movie that fans of the film, the series, the participants, and the filmmaking process will love.
• Lighting the Fuse (1080p, 5:57): A look at Christopher McQuarrie's attachment to the project, building the story, evolutions from concept to final film, and building action sequences and constructing the story around them.
• Cruise Control (1080p, 6:33): A closer look at Cruise's deep involvement in the filmmaking process and his love for his craft and the film medium.
• Heroes... (1080p, 8:06): A glimpse at the four primary IMF characters plus Ilsa, their roles in the series and this film, and the actors who portray them.
• Cruising Altitude (1080p, 8:23): Making the film's spectacular opening action sequence in which Cruise risked it all.
• Mission: Immersible (1080p, 6:45): Making the film's exciting underwater sequence, including physical training.
• Sand Theft Auto (1080p, 5:35): A look at crafting the movie's high speed vehicle chases.
• The Missions Continue (1080p, 7:08): Cast and crew discuss the franchise's staying power.

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation is the series' most physically robust movie to date, but it's not the best overall Mission. The movie feels always on the precipice of overindulging in the physical and underwhelming in the drama, but even as the Action is easily tops in the franchise, the filmmakers muster just enough supportive content -- thanks in large part to Sean Harris' terrific work -- to build and maintain an equilibrium that keeps the movie, and the franchise, feeling fresh. Paramount's Blu-ray release of Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation features stunning video and audio. Extras include a commentary and a handful of featurettes, all of which are of very high quality. Recommended.