August 1, 2015 -- The latest Mission Impossible is much like the last one, only not quite as good. Like the last film, “Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol,” this one has the team going rogue again, outside the normal government boundaries, guidelines and regulations. The head of the CIA, Alan Hunley (played by Alec Baldwin of “Blue Jasmine”) disbands the IMF (Impossible Missions Force) and vows to arrest Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise).

Ethan goes on the lam, determined to hunt down an elusive rogue spy organization known as the Syndicate. Eventually, the core members of the IMF are reunited by Hunt to do battle with the Syndicate. These core members are Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames, reprising this role from the previous Mission Impossible films) along with Benji Dunn and William Brandt (Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner, playing characters introduced in Ghost Protocol).

A new character introduced in this film is Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson of the 2014 movie “Hercules”). Faust is a mysterious British agent who may be a double or triple agent. It isn't clear whose side she is on until near the end of the movie, but she does save Ethan Hunt's life early on in the movie. Much of the plot revolves around an encrypted computer file that gives the user access to billions of dollars in funds held in secret bank accounts.

As in past movies in this series, there are some impressive stunts in the film, including one near the beginning of the film, where Hunt is shown hanging on to the side of a flying aircraft. According to what I've read and seen, Tom Cruise actually did this stunt himself, attached to a flying aircraft. Like the James Bond films, the Mission Impossible series features lots of action, high tech gadgets and exotic locations around the world. This film is no different in that regard.

Where this film falls short of the previous film in the series it's pacing, which does bog down from time to time. It does drag in places, which makes it seem even longer than its two hour, 11 minute run time. That is a couple of minutes less than the last film, but it seems longer. There are also some holes in the labyrinthine plot, which at times reminds me of the old Mad Magazine's “Spy Vs. Spy” series of cartoons. Speaking of cartoons, there is a fair amount of humor in this movie, as there was in the last film in the series.

Despite its weaknesses, this is a solid action film, with many of the familiar Mission Impossible trappings, including those impossibly effective face masks. The acting is also solid by the main cast. The villain, the Professor Moriarty-like Solomon Lane (Sean Harris of “Prometheus”) is up to the mark. His Eurotrash henchmen are also properly menacing. This film rates a C+.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

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