The indestructible Tom Cruise returned to theaters this summer as super agent Ethan Hunt. His blockbuster efforts finally arrive on Blu-ray in Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation (Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment, rated PG-13, $39.99)
As the spy saga unfolds, a sourpussed CIA director (Alec Baldwin) shuts down the Impossible Mission Force, Mr. Hunt goes rogue to settle a score with the mysterious leader of the super-secret organization known as the Syndicate.
Our hero gets help from his favorite IMF team members, including tech expert Benjamín Dunn (Simon Pegg), Operations Director William Brandt (Jeremy Renner) and agent Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) while also meeting a female MI6 undercover agent (Rebecca Ferguson) enamored by his survival instinct.
That leads to an over two-hour thrill ride peppered with the use of high-tech gadgets, some amazing close quarters combat and stellar, special and practical effects delivering big-budgeted action sequences.
The digital transfer (2.39:1 aspect ratio) highlights cinematographer Robert Elswitt’s work to capture some beautiful scenery in a nighttime Vienna and London as well as daylight detail in Casablanca and the Morocco countryside.
For extras, viewers get roughly 48 minutes of featurettes that mainly focus on a behind-the-scenes look at three of the coolest action sequences — the underwater server break-in, Mr. Hunt hanging off the side of a plane and a high-speed motorcycle chase.
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Better yet for bonuses, Mr. Cruise worked again with one of his favorite writer/directors, Academy Award-winner Christopher McQuarrie and they give viewers an in-depth, information-loaded optional commentary track about the movie.
Both talk about all aspects of the production, breaking down scenes such as Mr. Hunt’s torture and subsequent escape from the Syndicate and the opera assassination attempt, and both point out many of the homages to classic spy movies such as “Three Day of the Condor” and “North by Northwest.”
Additionally, owners of the Blu-ray package get a code to unlock and digitally own any one of the four previous “Mission Impossible” films starring Mr. Cruise.
That, along with the commentary track cements the purchase of a very fun movie for “Mission Impossible” fans.
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