Cruise Again Lives 'Dangerously' in Fifth 'Mission: Impossible' Film 2015-08-08

"Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" is the fifth installment of a successful 20-year-old spy movie series. The series is based on the iconic 1960s TV series, also called "Mission: Impossible."

As in the first four movies, Tom Cruise is the lead actor in the new film. He also serves executive producer.

Cruise's character, Ethan Hunt, is part of the Impossible Missions Force, or IMF. But, the group is broken up and absorbed by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Ethan Hunt is trying to prove to the C.I.A. the existence of an international crime organization called the Syndicate.

The Syndicate's members are dissident agents. They damage the world economy and kill world leaders. Hunt must try to investigate and destroy the Syndicate without letting agency chiefs know.

As in the past 'Mission: Impossible' films, Tom Cruise performs the stunts himself. Stunts are difficult and sometimes dangerous physical acts.

Filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie wrote and directed 'MI5,' as this latest installment is affectionately called. He said he wanted to make the film for an international audience. He wanted to take movie watchers to places they might not able to go to in reality.

For example, the production team chose Morocco to film a wildly dangerous motorcycle chase on a curvy mountain road. Cruise speeds down the road. He does not even wear a helmet for the stunt.

But Cruise says he feels lucky. He says, "...I get to work with the best bikes so that we can do very extreme things."

The actor also into has to perform a stunt in deep water without an oxygen tank. He had to train to hold his breath for more than three minutes. He said he was surprised by the difficulty of that training.

The "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" cast also includes Jeremy Renner, Alec Baldwin and newcomer Sarah Ferguson. The movie cost $150 million to make. It was released July 23. Within its first two weeks in theaters, "Rogue Nation" made almost $140 million worldwide.

I'm Mario Ritter.

VOA movie correspondent Penelope Poulou reported this story from Washington. Caty Weaver wrote it for Learning English.Mario Ritter was the editor.

Words in This Story

installment n. any one of several parts of a long book, television program, etc., that are published or shown over a period of time

iconic adj. symbolic

stunt n. a difficult and often dangerous action

helmet n. a hard hat that is worn to protect your head

cast n. the actors in a play, film, or television show