Review of Mission: Blacklist Full Movie

Review of Mission: Blacklist Full Movie: Insert generic TV action show here. That's what this feels like. They got rid of the wittiness, the captivating love story, and everything else that makes these shows watchable, and focused strictly on the action. Scenes regularly consist of two lines of dialogue followed by a mad dash to stop the next group of bad guys from doing something.

They sprinkle in about 3 minutes of Tom's backstory per episode. I'm out. This format is not going to work. They show should emulate "The Backlist" instead of some lame ripoff of "Oceans Eleven" or a bad episode of the original Mission Impossible series. CHANGE THE FORMAT QUICKLY and it might survive, but otherwise, this won't last long.

This one is all about loyalty. At the end of the day, who's going to be loyal to who? And trying to figure out where everyone lies is one of the more interesting parts of this movie. This one dials down on the chases and big set pieces, which I don't mind. But it can get bogged down at times with the scenes of everyone talking about who is on what side and what their motivation is. This is a solid action movie but I would put it a little behind Ghost Protocol.

Having seen the previous four 'Mission: Blacklist' films, I have to admit that none of them impressed me to the degree that I had hoped. I guess my expectations for action thrillers centering on secret agents were set too high because I saw the 'Bourne' trilogy and Daniel Craig's James Bond films first. The first three 'MI' films all seemed a little too slow, cheesy or convoluted on my first viewing. The fourth one was pretty good, even if the story does feel a little forgettable

So, where does that bring me for the fifth entry of the franchise? My expectations were set at the average around this time, despite all the good word-of-mouth I've been hearing. However, it wouldn't have mattered if my expectations were set around the same level for the latest 'Bourne' or James Bond film (very high) - 'MI:5' blew everything I'd expected from it and then some! 

Where to begin? The film possible contains the biggest, and possibly best, a story out if all the other installments. It is fascinatingly complex and dynamic - moving from country to country, dealing with characters who have questionable allegiances - all on top of Ethan Hunt trying to outrun the CIA while trying to get to the bottom of what the Syndicate really wants. It may seem like a lot, but the script is really well structured and paced. Even though the film does take a few liberties with how some of its characters will ultimately act in the end, the plot isn't nearly as predictable as one would make it out to be. Writer/director Christopher McQuarrie also manages to squeeze in some surprisingly silly moments at the most random of moments.

The action scenes in this film are also some of the best in this franchise. Soon after showing Ethan Hunt take off on the side of an Airbus, the film kicks it into overdrive and delivers an adrenaline rush packed with REALLY well-done car chases, okay hand-to-hand combat scenes (they're kind of choppy), and ONE very suspenseful, a pulse-pounding scene involving multiple snipers. McQuarrie's direction over the editing of these sequences is incredibly nuanced - so much so that I found myself repeatedly leaning over the edge of my seat with excitement.

People who weren't fans of the cheese factor (forced romances, convenient gadgets, and the overuse of face masks) of the previous films would be glad to know that it's been done away with in this film. And for people fearing that this is a film that takes itself too seriously, let me be one of the first to say: it doesn't. One may draw parallels between the events that have happened in this film to some of the recent events in our world, but I see it as a clever way for the franchise to keep up with our times.

'Mission: Blacklist' is without a doubt one of the most exciting films I've had the pleasure of experiencing this year. It completely took me by surprise with how well-done it was, and should just about take anyone else to the same conclusion. You would think that after five films this would have become a tired premise, but the way that it takes on the spy genre as both an intelligent espionage thriller as well as a big-budget blockbuster makes it even better than the new James Bond films. 

It's exciting, slick, cool and fun, but this series, most of all in this film, has got an amazingly inexhaustible energy to it that makes it so brilliant. Let's start, then, with the main attraction of this film: the action. Simply, it's stunning. There are five separate big action sequences here, each lasting around ten minutes more or less, and they are all high-octane thrill-rides that never let up and make this such an entertaining film.

Tom Cruise proves once again that he's a blockbuster star like no other, giving his all in the action here, whether it's attaching himself to a plane, jumping in a chasm of water or riding a superbike through the desert (in what was, in my opinion, the greatest, most exhilarating car chase ever).

On that note, actually, the incredible bike chase is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the great action, but credit has to go to director Christopher McQuarrie for excellently turning this into a good-looking and intense action thriller, using great camera work (avoiding shaky cam) to make it so brilliantly entertaining.

Away from the stunts, this film has still got a very good plot to it. There are few blockbusters that couple great action and intelligent storytelling nowadays, but this really bucks that trend because it's absolutely enthralling to follow from start to finish. There are betrayals and deceptions galore in this spy thriller, as well as a genuinely exciting climax, which is so unpredictable that it makes you forget about the generic plots of the less successful films and be properly engrossed in the current story.

Finally, this is also a very nice film to look at, thanks both to McQuarrie's direction, as well as the beautiful sets and landscapes that this is set in all over the world. From the mesmerizing desert of Morocco to the foggy alleys of London, this is a global journey that goes even further than the previous films, and comes out with a stunning result, the best of the series in my opinion! Rogue Nation, like the latest movies in the franchise and others in the spy/action genre, starts with a small crew, with little support, against huge odds, having to deal with challenges that seem impossible (no pun intended). 

What makes Rogue Nation better than most is that it makes it all plausible without super-human characters, crazy gizmos (except one that I shaw not mention, but it is not overused like in M: III), and brilliantly made down-to-earth action sequences. The latest 007 movies are following the same ideals, but M: I has made a solid choice of supporting actors (especially Simon Pegg) that add a subtle layer of comedy and improvisation, which helps a lot into building some suspense in the audience - it feels like as if they are as clueless as we are of what is going to happen.

Another great aspect that sets this moving apart are the terrific action sequences which are paired with outstanding sound effects and music score (without spoiling, there is an entire action sequence that plays with this very aspect). Was lucky enough to watch a pre-screening on IMAX, and strongly recommend watching it on IMAX or a theater with a good audio setup. 

The storyline, while not hard to follow, benefits from having watched at least Ghost Protocol, since key characters are back and lack some introduction, and the story somewhat picks from what took place in the last instance. Much like Ghost Protocol, the storyline packs some interesting twists and doesn't seem obvious - even though we all know that the good guys win, Rogue Nation adds some shady characters which are not as black and white, making for some interesting development.

Overall a highly entertaining movie, packed with stunning action sequences and a storyline that is well thought-out and manages to keep the audience hooked until the end. A solid addition to the franchise that keeps one-upping itself on every new release. Even two hours won't be enough for "Mission: Blacklist" to be able to unravel all its exhilaratingly high-octane action and drama. This fifth installment in the franchise surges with death-defying action proceedings, riveting and pulsing with the relentlessness and explosiveness of its spiking adrenaline, to deliver the franchise's most thrilling outing, yet.

That relentlessness is true and screaming right at the opening sequence of the film, where IMF agent, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), is seen dangling from the door of an Airbus, already adrift in the air as it ascends even further to the skies. That's the first of too many, and you wouldn't care less of the logic behind such impossible knockout stunt demonstrations, because once the momentum crashes past the speedometer's limit, there's no other choice left but to get consumed by the electrifying influx of near-impossible action setpieces. This doesn't mean there's barely any sense to take in, in fact, you would be awed to realize that in spite of its speed and strength-defying physicalities, characterizations are still working along the explosive chaos, and the behavior of the characters, and the emotional aspect of the narrative, still follows the acceptable reasoning.

The whole of 'Rogue Nation' can be seen as Hunt's team desperate attempt to keep IMF running, and save it, and the world it intends to protect, from extinction. This time, the major figure of terror is the mysterious organization, 'The Syndicate', headed by the despicably steel-fisted Solomon Lane (Sean Harris). Ethan is joined by co-IMF agent, William Brandt (Jeremy Renner), and suspicious British agent, Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson). The comic effort comes mostly from Hunt's sidekick, Benji (Simon Pegg), and Brandt, who spends most of the time running and chasing after the shadow-terrorist group, The Syndicate.

Much of the movie's strength emanates from its seemingly unstoppable delivery of edge-of-your-seat action, but you can't ignore the grandeur of its camera shots and the palatable efforts of its lead characters and supports. There's much to say about how inconsistent and illogical some of the narrative choices that the screenwriters took are, but they get overshadowed by the more relevant, and on this case, more effectively utilized high-tension action extravaganza.

One can inevitably notice how Cruise has aged through the franchise's almost two-decade history. He's more tired-looking here, but you can't question his commitment to the franchise. In 'Rogue Nation', he's definitely back, running after, and wrestling against, the equally desperate claws of 'The Syndicate'. He hops across the world to trump the enemy, and in every city, he inevitably gets himself involved in deadly strangulations. At such moments, the cinematography is top notch, and the breathtaking panorama becomes an exquisite backdrop for the ever-imminent rumbles. This is where this installment is strongest and most engaging, a strength that should warrant a sixth outing. once again, Ethan Hunt is on the run and forced to conduct a lone mission. 

This film is oddly paced. We flit from location to location, proving that the mysterious lethal organization named The Syndicate is well and truly global. Establishing landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Big Ben orientate us through this mission. But it doesn't exactly feel much different from one another, but rather like a video game campaign where each leveled mission takes us through another set. There is a high-speed motorcycle chase in Morocco which quickly exits the distinct and dusty architecture of Rabat for a sleek highway that could be anywhere in the world. 

The final chase scene features yet another scuffle with the goons of our main villain Lane and is utterly drab in the night. For all the heroic stunt maneuvers on the side of a plane (and no, doing his own stunts does not make a movie better, but it is admirable somewhat), Hunt spends some weird moments boxed into confined and uninteresting environments. After escaping from a torture chamber in what is an utterly incomprehensible action scene featuring a flurry of cuts for each punch or kick thrown, he runs down a hallway and then inexplicably is in some phone booth in the city elsewhere. In the climactic showdown, the hero and villain pair run into some abandoned museum, fall into a vent thing (where it all started right) and voila, there you have the master plan. 

Sean Harris is the villain and not a very good one. Like so many before him, he is good turned evil, and thus his has concocted nefarious intentions in his payback. He has several monologues, none of which are assisted by his raspy voice which ends up rather wimpy (I suppose menacing is what they were going for), and he waxes lyrical on how he must bring about change to the world and metaphorical comparing himself to a surgeon and blah blah blah this is a very bland and shallow character. 

Not helping is the blocking and coverage which seems bizarre at times; Ilsa and him meet at a cemetery (and the ridiculous abundance of shallow focus all but obscures the background anyway), and some sort of threat is once again issued, and he demonstrates his hold over her, but meanwhile they walk and stop and walk again so casually it might be some romantic stroll in the park. Harris' best moment is his trembling facial tics as he struggles against Hunt reversing the odds on him in the climax, but the countdown timer does not seem particularly necessary. Surely a trigger would offer a lot more control? 

It's not surprising, but much of Rogue Nation's plot is dished out via exposition in rooms upon rooms. Renner, Baldwin, and Rhames are all criminally underused because of this, and they spend most of the film idle but somehow being in the right place to explain the right thing, somehow having the means to magically further the plot. Newcomer Rebecca Ferguson, fortunately, does not fall to that same fate and plays a crucial Bond girl type role in the two best action sequences. The mission to steal the Syndicate ledger from a highly secure facility is classic Mission: Blacklist and its entertainment value speak for itself. As always, they go over the plan and each intricate detail, discussing in voice-over, and this sort of thing is common in this genre, with Pegg chiming in with his impeccable comedic delivery ("That doesn't sound impossible!") and soft nodding to the previous installments of the series with both Benji and Hunt inquiring about alternate methods. 

The scene itself is gripping. Silence is used effectively here; there is nothing but the swimming strokes and bubbles in the track as Hunt makes his way to over to 108, but we still know that something is about to go wrong, and it's all the tenser when it finally does hit him. The camera drifts away slowly as he loses consciousness, and only after an extended wait, where we are almost actually made to believe our hero is done for, then the soundtrack flares in and Ilsa makes her rescue.

The other sequence, and perhaps the best scene in the movie, is the attempted assassination in the opera in Vienna. Voyeuristic overhead angles shots and effective cutting between the opposing perspectives of the snipers orientates us within the backstage of the opera stage, and we are treated to this tense but slow-moving chase between several combatants to the backdrop of Turandot and the blaring operatic tune of Nessun Dorma. The sound mixing here is particularly excellent and appropriate; it dips and rises in volume as Hunt plays a game of cat and mouse backstage, and it all but drowns out any noise that the urgent fist fights cause. But this only adds urgency to the perilous battle on top of those platforms; the choreography is desperate but subdued as they are silhouetted in the blue lighting while the crowds below are unaware. 

Admittedly, I haven't been diligently following this franchise but it is successful at what it does and Cruise shows remarkable ability even at this age. Ultimately this is one of those movies that you wouldn't hate to discover while flicking through channels. In several cases, Renner's Brandt attempts to be the voice of reason and tries to dispel any notion of heroics or peril, but Hunt waves him away and maps out yet another Mission: Blacklist. And isn't that what we want to see anyway?