Movie - Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

Note:  There may be some minor spoilers throughout, but I will try to keep them at a minimum.

     I've been wanting to catch this one since it came out, but I have been super busy lately.  However, I finally got a chance to go catch it this afternoon.  I am a big fan of the franchise, and I am one of the few people who thinks very highly of Tom Cruise.  I think he is a fantastic actor, and there haven't been many of his movies that I haven't liked.  But enough about that, on to the review.
     So the new Mission Impossible picks up a year after the events in Ghost Protocol (which was fantastic, btw).  We see Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) trying to stop a plane from taking off, which has some nuclear warheads on it, and the big stunt that has been talked about so much in all the advertising comes at you right out of the gate.  I watched a behind the scenes thing on that scene, and that just makes me respect Tom and his willingness to go all-in on a role even more.  We also get to see Alec Baldwin's character and Jeremy Renner's character, in a courtroom arguing about the IMF, as Alec wants the IMF shut down, and Jeremy tries to explain how the IMF is tantamount to the safety of the nation.  In the end, Alec's argument holds up with the judges, and they are ordered to disband the IMF immediately and bring all the agents in.
     As Ethan attempts to get his new assignment, he finds out that the IMF has been compromised, and that a rogue nation known as the Syndicate has discovered his identity and he is taken hostage.  During his escape, we are introduced to a new character to the story, a woman who was meant to torture Ethan for information, who instead helps him escape, but then says that she must stay on and lets him go free.  The rest of the movie deals with Ethan and his friends/teammates attempting to find out who runs the Syndicate and to take them down, while getting the IMF reinstated.
     Some of the main characters from the other films are back, such as Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames, and they all do their part, but in the end, this is the Tom Cruise show.  And Tom is doing what he does best.  He is convincing as the guy who sees every angle to every situation, and he is still convincing as an action star, whether it's riding a motorcycle in a high speed chase or holding his breath underwater long enough to switch out a computer chip.  Tom is starting to get older, but it certainly doesn't show in this film, as I feel that he hasn't missed a step.
     As far as twists and turns go, none of the films will ever hold up to the original, which I would almost argue did too many to the point of confusion, but the film leaves you guessing on a lot of points.  Who is this new woman and which side is she on?  Will they be able to get the IMF reinstated, or will they have to go rogue themselves to continue to do what is right?  Will Ethan's attempts at revenge cost him the friendships that he has with the other characters?  The movie handles all of these things well, and in the end gives you closure on all of them, and in a sensible way that makes complete sense and leaves the audience with a satisfied feeling as the credits role.
     Is Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation the best film in the franchise?  I don't know if I would go that far, but I would certainly say that it has every right to carry the name.  I was a big fan of the first one, and Ghost Protocol, but I would at least put this one in the conversation with those two.  I would have to see the movie again before I could really pick out a favorite, but the fact that it is in the conversation tells me that they did everything right.  After seeing it, I am anxious to see if they make another one, and look forward to it if they do.  Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is a smart, action-filled blockbuster, and I would suggest it to anyone that wants to spend a couple of hours losing themselves in a good movie.

My rating for the movie is 8.5/10