The Leader-Post from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada • 17

BREAKING NEWS AT LEADERPOST.COM SECTION FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2015 Spy flick stuck in Cruise control MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE ROGUE NATION stars out of five Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie Running time: 131 minutes CHRIS KNIGHT NATIONAL POST I dont know about impossible, but given that its taken almost 20 years to churn out five instalments of this series something the early Bond franchise managed in six years, and the 1960s M.I TV show in just six weeks these missions are certainly a lot of work. Then again, given that the least popular still managed to take in more than $130 million US in North America alone, its remission impossible until Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise, 53, but still nowhere near the old-guy style of action-hero roles) or the series makes a serious financial misstep. But why, given the long lead time and an estimated budget of $150 million US, does the oddly titled Rogue Nation (a k.a. 1 5) feel at once so far-fetched and yet drably derivative? Much of the action plays out as though screenwriters Drew Pearce (Iron Man 3) and Christopher McQuarrie (Edge of Tomorrow) sat down and designed the most improbable, inescapable booby trap they could manage, then reverse-engineered Hunts getaway You could argue that all action-movie scripts follow this formula; there are no actual volcanic lairs, Maze Runner labyrinths or Shawshank prisons out of which to break. But the big set piece in Rogue Nation a computer control centre housed inside a whirlpool and then buried beneath a power plant feels particularly egregious.

Surely its unwise to have all that electronic equipment in close contact with rushing water. Besides, its basically the computer-vault scene from the first Mission: Impossible movie, only louder, faster and (youll recall in that one how Hunt produced a single bead of sweat that almost undid his efforts) much, much wetter. Hunt has to log into this waterlogged system to reprogram a gait analysis security system to allow his confederate Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) to steal a microchip that contains vital information needed to stop a bespectacled bad-die (Sean Harris) from committing wait, where was Ran out of breath there, much like Hunt. Harris is Solomon Lane, leader of The Syndicate, a criminal organization so mysterious we never really find out what it is. Hes got the requisite evil haircut and a voice that must have required six weeks with a de-elocution coach, and hes playing cat-and-mice with Hunt and the enigmatic, deadly Dsa Faust.

Shes played by Rebecca Ferguson, putting the sex in sex-tuple-cross. Honeu she changes sides more often than the tourists on Abbey Road. Not sure why Solomon spends so much time on lisa, however. Like so many movie villains, hes got enough henchmen that he can randomly shoot the odd one just to prove how bad he is. And when he decides to assassinate a world leader at the Vienna State Opera, hes able to send in multiple hit men and women, plus find time to rig a car bomb, just in case.

Solomon and his maybe-agent lisa are just the start of Hunts problems. In another movie trope, the Impossible Missions Force (to be confused at your peril with the International Monetary Fund) has been disbanded by a grouchy CIA honcho (Alec Baldwin), making it almost impossible for IMF boss William Brandt (Jeremy Renner) to help. I say almost because impossible is the IMFs middle no, wait, first name. Again, when have we not seen this before? Has there ever been a movie cop that wasnt called on the carpet by those pencil-pushers at HQ; a movie spy organization that wasnt dissolved, outlawed and forced underground by bureaucratic bunglers; a movie critic who wasnt told to hand in his 3D glasses and notebook by an uncaring editor? (Hey, I stand by that half-star review of Transformers So, of course Hunt has to save the world with only his closest allies Benji, Brandt and Luther Stickell Ving Rhames) to assist him. He does this by flying under the radar motorcycles are perfect for this sort of thing and occasionally by flying beside it.

In the opening scene, Hunt demonstrates that when he gets on a plane, he gets ON thfe plane. These are thrilling moments, to be sure. As are director Mc-Quarries wonderful array of establishing shots: Havana! Paris! Kamloops! Washington! Minsk! Casablanca! (I made up one of those.) Rogue Nations plot is one with means and opportunity galore, but little in the way of motive. And in a year brimming with spy stories Kingsman came out in February, Spy last month, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. next and Spectre in the fall you need to bring your A game to stand out.

Anything less is infeasible, impracticable, unattainable; you get the picture. TROY FLEECELeader PostFile John Fogerty, seen taking the stage at the Brandt Centre in 2012, returned to the venue Wednesday night as part of his Creedence Clearwater Revival 1969 tour. The tour celebrates the quality of Bayou Country, Green River and Willie And The Poor Boys, three of the bands best albums, all of which were released in 1969. Legendary singer delivers 4a rocking good time' 1 0 II FOCUHTY July 29 Brandt Centre JEFF DEDEKKER LEADER-POST hile 1969 was undoubtedly the most prolific year in the professional life of John Fogerty, the rock roll legend wasnt about to put any limitations on his current tour. Entitled Creedence Clearwater Revival 1969, Fogertys tour celebrates the quality of Bayou Country, Green River and Willie And The Poor Boys, all of which were released in 1969.

The 70-year-old Fogerty pulled the tour into Regina on Wednesday night and while the two-hour, 25-song set contained many hits from the 1969 albums, he didnt forget to include songs from the depths of his vast catalogue. Were going to have a rocking good time tonight. Were not going to worry about what time it is or what year it is, Fogerty told the Brandt Centre crowd early In the show. The evening got off to an unusual start. Rather than have an opening band, Fogerty chose to run a 20-minute film that touched upon many important events of the time, both social and political.

Fogertys memories of Woodstock, the Vietnam War and the U.S. astronauts landing on the moon opened his world to many of the fans who were too young to have experienced those historic events. While the film did give some insight into Fogertys life and career, the crowd was thrilled when his SET LIST 1. Born on the Bayou 2. Travelm Band 3.

Up Around the Bend 4. Who.ll Stop the Rain 5. Lookin' Out My Back Door 6. Joy of My Life 7. Susie 8.

Midnight Special 9. Keep On Chooglin 10. Hey Tonight 11. New Orleans 12. Lodi 13.

Green River 14. Good Golly Miss Molly 15. Mystic Highway 16. Ramble Tamble 17. Long As I Can See the Light (intro with Whole Lotta Shakm' Goin' On Rockin Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu) 18.

1 Heard It Through the Grapevine 19. Have You Ever Seen the Rain? 20. Down on the Corner 21. Centerfield 22. The Old Man Down the Road 23.

Fortunate Son Encore 24. Bad Moon Rising 25. Proud Mary She found me in my darkest hour and pulled me into the light, said Fogerty. "This was my very first love song. While it is a nice song, it doesnt sound like a Fogerty tune.

Its light and fluffy and loving and thats not Fogertys sound. See FOGERY, B2 band members took to the stage. Footage of Fogerty performing Born On The Bayou, circa 1969, was shown on the big screen at the back of the stage and near the end of the opening verse Fogerty emerged from a wall of lights to take over the tune. Ten songs in, the set did originate from the 1969 albums: Born On The Bayou, Good Golly Miss Molly, Proud Mary and Keep On Chooglin from Born On The Bayou; Green River, Bad Moon Rising and Lodi from Green River; and Down On The Corner, Fortunate Son and Midnight Special from Willie And The Poor Boys. Fogerty took a moment to try and describe what life was like for him and his bandmates in 1969.

"We put out a huge amount of music that year. We had four singles, thats eight sides, that all got radio play in 1969, he said. We would write and record during the week and then fly out on the weekend for three shows in three cities before returning home to do it all over again. While the crowd was with Fogerty throughout the show, the stories he shared between songs added a good dose of personality to the performance. For example, Fogerty explained the inspiration for Joy Of My Life was his wife Julie.

Tom Cruise, shoot to thrill In Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation..