The first among the current wave of franchise pictures Jeremy Renner is riding, the latest Mission: Impossible installment solidified him as a dependable performer, able to bring a certain earnestness mixed with mystery to his characters with what has become great consistency. This intrigue is essential to the Brandt character, spelled out pretty clearly by the exchange with Tom Cruise and played in all the promos for the movie before its release: “Who are you really, Brandt?” “We all have our secrets. Don’t we, Ethan?”
He holds his own against the powerhouse that is Tom freaking Cruise, which is noteworthy as Renner was being tossed around as possibly replacing Cruise as the headliner for the franchise. He’s fun to watch, but with a couple other franchises on the go, including another leading part in The Bourne Legacy that will likely lead to future commitments to that role, one hopes that Renner doesn’t get stretched too thin. Although, with the energy he shows alongside Cruise in this thing, maybe he can handle it.
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