海角大神

One of the big problems with action movie franchises is that they have聽to keep topping the "wow!" factor of each preceding film. Inevitably things聽level off. This is what seems to have happened in 鈥淢ission: Impossible 鈥撀燫ogue Nation,鈥� which, in terms of the high bar set by Brad Bird鈥檚 鈥淕host聽Protocol,鈥� its immediate predecessor, is underwhelming. But writer-director Christopher McQuarrie, whose action movie skills are at聽best high-adequate, compensates by being good at interpersonal stuff. He聽can make us feel for the characters as something more than action toys.

At 53, Tom Cruise, reprising his role as Ethan Hunt, is almost聽alarmingly spry (and appears to be doing many of his stunts). The IMF聽has been shut down by the CIA (headed by Alec Baldwin in prime surly聽mode) and Ethan, eluding the agency鈥檚 dragnet, is on a worldwide聽undercover mission to uncover the nefarious Syndicate, a power-mad聽organization the CIA does not even believe exists.聽

Joining Ethan are his partners from the last film, Brandt (Jeremy聽Renner) and Benji (Simon Pegg), along with basso profondo Ving聽Rhames, but the most interesting addition to the corps is Ilsa Faust聽(Rebecca Ferguson), a fearsome agent who may or may not be working聽for the Syndicate. In the film鈥檚 best extended sequence, set in Morocco,聽Ethan must dislodge a top-secret computer chip from an underwater lair聽while holding his breath for more than three minutes. Ilsa comes to the rescue 鈥撀爋r does she? (A recurring motif from Puccini鈥檚 鈥淭urandot鈥� on the聽soundtrack pointedly intrudes whenever these two get googly-eyed.)

The requisite car and motorcycle chases are all here, and the聽Syndicate鈥檚 chief, played by Sean Harris, is appropriately reptilian.聽 Once聽you accept the fact that 鈥淩ogue Nation鈥� is not going to be the wingding聽of the franchise, it becomes a lot easier to enjoy. Grade:聽B- (Rated PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, and brief partial nudity.)鈥�