It’s incredibly rare for a movie franchise to get to reach seven movies and counting, but it’s unheard of to have them maintain high quality (give or take some motorcycle jousting). While Mission: Impossible has never dominated the box office, it’s credibility is consistently high because of the dedication that its star, Tom Cruise, puts into each production.
Mission Impossible has always kept some loose threads that connected the story, but for the most part, the movies could stand alone. Now, we are introduced to a two-part story that could very well wrap up the franchise.
This won’t come as a shock to anyone who’s seen the series, but Ethan Hunt must once again save the world from those who threaten to take power, but must also go rogue to stop his superiors from pursuing their own selfish motives. This time around, Ethan and the team always seem to be one step behind in a race to track down two corresponding keys that give the user the ability to control omnipresent AI.
Dead Reckoning feels unique for a M:I film. Instead of having Ethan take the lead while his team backs him up, he has a co-lead in his adventures and someone that gets a fair chunk of screen time. Hayley Atwell, as Grace, has the charisma and talent to help carry this movie and provide the right character elements for a fish-out-of-water story.
Esai Morales joins the cast as the villainous Gabriel. He haunts Ethan both literally and figuratively based on their shared history. He is a menacing character that can easily go toe -to-toe with Ethan, but much of his arc is clouded in mystery. Unfortunately, his character, or currently lack of, shows the flaws of having a two-part story. So much context is being saved for the second movie, that we never get to see what history these opponents have. Joining Gabriel is Paris (played by Pom Klementieff). Klementieff sinks her teeth into this character that will stop at nothing to stop Ethan, even destroying the streets of Rome.
While the plots of these movies have remained very similar, the styles have substantially changed with each director. I have long been a fan of Christopher McQuarrie’s version of M:I. In this seventh movie, he still focuses on the death-defying stunts of Cruise as the big moments, but the vibe of the series feels more reminiscent of the 90s Brosnan era of the Bond movies. Hunt is partnered with a heroine, while being pursued by a femme fatale who works for a mysterious villain who has the power to change the world power structure at their whim.
Similar to a Bond movie, there’s far more humor in this sequel than in any previous in the series. This humor flows naturally between characters, but also through the action scenes. This helps the pacing as this 2 hour 43 minute movie relies heavily on exposition of the new threat to the world. There’s only a few incredible action set pieces here, and I can’t help but feel they’re saving some big moments for the upcoming sequel to cap off what this story is setting up. Even the motorcycle cliff jump feels more like a publicity stunt that Tom Cruise really wanted to accomplish, but doesn’t translate as well in the movie.
While there is plenty of big budget CG here, the movie feels more genuine because of what Cruise is willing to put himself through. Wire work isn’t necessary when the lead actor is putting his life on the line for each stunt. Between his ability to command an action scene and the rapport that the beloved team have, this is a sincere blockbuster that may be the best of the Summer.
Between Dead Reckoning, Across the Spider-Verse, and Fast X; 2023 is rife with “part one’s.” Spider-Verse and Fast X left the audience without a climax. Thankfully, Mission Impossible has a first, second, and third act that is thrilling and brings closure to certain arcs. The third act is so fun to watch and makes the entire experience feel like a full movie, while also teasing what will come next. I’d rather movies didn’t leave us with a “To be continued” screen, but M:I leaves us with the strongest example of a near-complete experience between the cliffhanger movies this year.
With its incomplete story and partial character explanations, Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning isn’t as strong as Fallout. The humor, character dynamics, and action easily make it the Summer’s best tentpole. Though, I wait with baited breath to see how the second part of the story will turn out. It has the potential to improve this experience or make the sequel’s format shift feel inferior to previous installments. This should be seen on the big screen and I plan on doing so again. B
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