Continuing the franchise’s winning streak, “Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation” is a summer blockbuster that will thrill the senses while not insulting the audience’s intelligence.

            Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has been saving the world from numerous shadowy organizations and mastermind villains for over 19 years. He runs, jumps, hangs off of high things, rips off rubber masks, and runs some more. After five installments one would think that would get old and repetitive, but believe me when I say that is not the case in “Rogue Nation.”

            When the Impossible Mission Force (IMF) is dissolved for their reckless behavior, Hunt and a select few agents (played by Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, and Jeremy Renner) must take down the crime organization known as the Syndicate without any government help. The Syndicate is described by Pegg’s character as an “anti-IMF” and has alliances seemingly everywhere making it hard for Hunt and his team to know who to trust.

            While past “M:I” films have had a mixed reception when it comes to the clarity of their plot, and “Rogue Nation” does feature a complex one, director Christopher McQuarrie and company make sure to keep audiences up to speed while also entertaining with big action set pieces. The plot seems to unfold and become clearer as twists happen rather than become confusing and murkier, which makes the film more fun as it speeds along.

            To go along with the twists and turns of the plot, “Rogue Nation” also features some truly breathtaking action moments. The airplane stunt seen in the trailer is one of the film’s sillier stunts, but the true gem of the film comes when Hunt must break into an underwater security system. Instead of using numerous quick cuts that can get tiring after a while, this scene is mostly just one long take as the audience follows Hunt get past numerous security devices all while being underwater.

            The rest of the action is certainly over the top, but it never gets to the “Fast & Furious” level of silliness. McQuarrie seems to have a real sense of action by not trying to force too much into shots and making everything clear and crisp. Although the film certainly has some CGI moments, mostly everything feels practical and real, which makes it all the more exciting.

            While the plot and action beats are certainly the selling point for “Rogue Nation,” the film also features some fine performances for a blockbuster. Cruise is as reliable as ever, but the film’s scene stealer is Pegg. Pegg’s Benji Dunn has had his moments in the previous two films, but his character gets a much bigger role here and Pegg not only adds the expected comedic relief, but gives some dramatic heft as well.

            “Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation” is simply put one of the franchise’s best installments. Whether it is better than “Ghost Protocol” or the underrated “Mission: Impossible III” remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure is that this franchise is on an upswing. Thankfully for audiences everywhere it looks like Tom Cruise will be coming back to do the impossible very soon.

GRADE: A-