MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION REVIEW

 Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate - an International rogue organization as highly skilled as they are, committed to destroying the IMF.

Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Jeremy Renner, and Simon Pegg

Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie

Written by: Christopher McQuarrie, and Drew Pearce

  After "Mission Impossible 3" in 2006 many thought the franchise would end there. However, in 2011 came "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol," which seemed to revive the franchise. To no surprise another movie would be on its way in the form of "Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation." Ghost Protocol set the bar high, so could Rogue Nation continue the new found momentum for this franchise?

There's nowhere else to start when talking about Mission Impossible other than with the action. The action made Ghost Protocol, and it does the same for Rogue Nation. There are several fantastic action scenes, starting with a funny one right off the bat. Ethan (Tom Cruise) jumps on a plane, and is hanging on for his life as Benji (Simon Pegg) tries to remotely open the door to the plane.

 

The action gets much more intense than that. Of course there's a car chase, and it doesn't disappoint. It's a nice high-speed chase involving a bunch of motorcycles, and a smooth BMW. In a scene that's a little different, Ethan has to dive into a sealed chamber with no scuba tank. He only has a few minutes to hold his breath, and accomplish his dangerous mission. That's pretty suspenseful, but nothing like the ending scene.

 

The ending is all set up by a great story. This mission really does seem impossible until the very end. The Syndicate has a step on Ethan the entire time. It doesn't help that the U.S. government takes aim at Ethan and the team as well. One of the great things about the story is the involvement of Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson). The audience continues to wonder whose side she's on, as she plays both sides throughout.

As expected, the acting isn't a problem. Tom does a terrific job, as he seems to have found it very comfortable playing Ethan. Also, he does a great job in the action scenes. Rebecca does a nice job of never giving away her character's intentions. Simon is always welcome with his well-timed humor. Jeremy completes it all with his serious role as William Brandt.

There's no doubt that both Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation are action packed movies. The action has carried the franchise to new heights. In "Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation," the action just gets bigger, and bigger. Tom has taken the challenge with many of the stunts, and has done an awesome job. It doesn't hurt that a great cast surrounds him. With that said, I give this movie 4 stars!

HorrO 

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON REVIEW

When Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and it's up to the Avengers to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plans.

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, and Mark Ruffalo

Directed by: Joss Whedon

Written by: Joss Whedon, and Stan Lee

  How great is it to be living in the age of Marvel? Yes, Marvel has been around forever, but I'm talking about being able to see the comics really come to life. "Iron Man," "Captain America," "Thor," and "The Avengers" movies have all been a pleasure to watch. Since this series of movies has started, they have been some of the best movies to hit theaters, and "Avengers: Age of Ultron" is certainly in that same club.

The movie starts off right in the middle of a battle, and quickly reminds the audience of what each superhero is cable of. This scene is just an appetizer for the rest of the action to come. There's an absolutely great fight between Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) (much better than Mayweather-Pacquiao may I add). It's awesome how they aren't afraid to let the superheroes fight amongst themselves too! 

  As expected, it ends with the best action scene in somewhat the same way the first Avengers movie ends. Instead of aliens, the Avengers are forced to fight an army of Ultron's robots. Again the audience gets to see what see what each Avenger does best. It might have gotten a little too dramatic when they all huddle in the church together to stop the robots, but it's still an awesome scene. Hopefully in the next Avengers movie, they can approach the ending a little different. While it’s exciting seeing them battle armies of aliens, and robots, lets see if they can come up with a different kind of epic battle. 

Iron Man, and Captain America (Chris Evans) seem to get plenty of screen time, but it's also good to see some lesser characters like Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) get some of their own storylines. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) might have been the one Avenger whose time seemed a little shorter than the others. Also, it's nice to see that the Avengers got a few new team members. The audience knows what the Avengers can do so seeing new characters with new powers is a welcome sight.

  Ultron turns out to be a pretty interesting villain. The most interesting part about him is how similar he is to Tony Stark. Tony can almost be a mad scientist at times, and Utron is almost like that multiplied by 100. He comes up with a good plan to destroy, or change the planet, especially the way he went about it. What eventually happens to Ultron could have been done in a little more of a creative way.

"Avengers: Age of Ultron" is well worth the wait, and another great Marvel movie. The action is awesome from the start to finish. Not only is it great to see the heroes in action, but also the comedic moments when not in the heat of battle really adds to the characters. They set the bar higher and higher with each Marvel film, so it will be interesting to see where they go next. With that, I give this movie 4.5 stars!

  HorrO