The mission is a bit confusing, but they must break into that bad company to steal that bad data and take down that organization and save the world. Blah blah blah. The confusing part is loyalties, fake faces, flashbacks and flashforwards, fantasies UGH. I don't mind the formulaic MI plotline, but I do mind the confusing nature of the movie. It's like when you hide gifts before Christmas and end up forgetting where you hid them. The Powers That Be got so wrapped up in writing a complex movie they confused themselves.
Written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie (Oscar winning screenwriter of "Usual Suspects") this movie is great when it's good and horrible when it's bad. It does feel like the other JJ Abrams movies which was nice and seemless. But there's no heart. Ethan gets angry at the death of someone the audience has no idea of whom they are to Ethan and it's never really explained. The movie gets 4 stars out of 5 because unlike the other MI movies especially the 4th one the heart is missing. If it had that I'd love this movie. Without it it's 2nd best.