Rogue Nation was good. Cruise is just Cruise, Ferguson is definitely stunning and the rest of the cast does well too. I love every bit of Baldwin, and Renner has some good bits. Wasn't really feeling Pegg in this one, and it was nice to see Rhames but not more than that. It's the familiarity with the franchise that makes me appreciate a lot of the film, but at the same time, it also started to grow dull on me. It's another very good MI installment, but it doesn't eclipse Ghost Protocol, and just feel like more of the same.

Everything feels very same, and often predictable. As a fan of the series, surely fun to watch, but just like Solomon Lane has it all figured out in the film, you've figured everything out as the viewer as well, and that does take part of the excitement out of it. Aside from the MI theme, the score isn't spectacular, it takes the scene from here to there, does it well, but just not outstanding. And that's just what the film mainly does, and is, fun and games, but not punch to make it memorable for me. The action scenes are definitely good, the chemistry between the leads, and camaraderie between the others are there, but a deep emotional connect is missing.
Sean Harris as the villain might be the best MI has gotten yet, creepy, cold, very effective performance. Cruise is the man, but Harris and Ferguson are a good match for him in this for sure.

It just feels very much like how I watched Jurassic World, as very fun entertainment, whereas Rogue Nation at least felt a bit more mature, it doesn't ever become more than just very good entertainment.

B+

1. Mission: Impossible - A
2. Mission: Impossible II - A-
3. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - A-
4. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation - B+
5. Mission: Impossible III - B-

It does feel very much like a follow-on from Ghost Protocol. I don't see what's wrong with that. Ghost Protocol was one of the best films of the last 10 years. If they give us even half of the excitement that GP had, then it's already a damn good time at the movies. Though I do hope that in the next instalment they go with something other than a disavowed storyline.

Update

With McQuarrie instead of Bird you lose a little bit of the charm and a slight bit of the spectacle, but you get a tighter script and a better villain, though I find Sean Harris’ performance to be a little dull. If Phillip Seymour Hoffman hadn’t been in the third one, I could really see him knocking this out of the park. Or maybe someone like a Michael Fassbender. You also trade Paula Patton for Rebecca Ferguson. I’m not sure which side I fall on, but they’re both great.

On this rewatch, I’d say I liked the film slightly more the first time I saw it. The scene that always bugged me was the underwater one because at the time, I thought it looked too fake. This time it was clear that even though the set might have been fake, Tom Cruise was really underwater. But the movie peaks in terms of action at the very first scene.

I really like the movie, but there’s something about it (probably the villain), that just keeps it out of reach from being great.

A-

Did you rewatch these or just lookup Rotten Tomatoes? Your grades are incredibly similar.

Rotten Tomatoes

Much easier.

It uses the same formula as Ghost Protocol but loses some of the charm specially because its unable to top the first action scene of the movie. The cast is great again and Ferguson is a great addition here, she matches Ethan from scene to scene being kickass. Harrison does really well as the villain here. The movie is much more darker spy thriller for most of the time than balancing between spy and action stuffs.

A-

Finally got around to watching this and it made me realize the Mission: Impossible franchise had essentially become a more convoluted, cornier, sexless version of James Bond. And Tom Cruise still gives me the creeps.

C

Watched this again as well this week and I quite dislike my original review now and don't really understand why I was as harsh on it. Some points still do ring true, but my thoughts when I first saw it completely undersell the film. Yeah, it had a great film to follow up on and that's always hard, but I really love the sequel Rogue Nation is. Baldwin is definitely a great presence to have in this, and I really dig the story they went with here actually, it follows Ghost Protocol up perfectly and though it may not have seemed to me like it at first, but I find it fresh for sure. The IMF getting folded, Hunt going at it alone, yet asking in help from his buddies and the sparring with Ilsa, it totally works. I oversold Harris as the villain before though, yes, he's good, and definitely a better character than the villain in GP, but in hindsight with M:I 1-4 fresh in mind, Hoffman was the best villain, and Voight and Scott were great too. The action, missions and stunts in this are all super fun and Rogue Nation is frankly still not among my favorites in the franchise, its merits have risen for me, and it's f'ing great.

A-