Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part One

Cruise Control

The Mission Impossible franchise has become arguably the best action movie franchise of this generation. Now seven movies deep, each film (maybe except for the second one) got better than the last and continued to deliver new stunts, action set pieces, and kept things fresh. It’s a rare feat to see a franchise last this long and continue to deliver knockout content. Dead Reckoning – Part One is the alleged first chapter to a two movie finale that is intended to be a sendoff for Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt With that being said, I sure hope this isn’t the end because this movie is an absolute thrill ride from start to finish delivering arguably the best movie of the Summer and one of the best action movies in recent memories.

Ethan Hunt and the IMF team must track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity if it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than the mission — not even the lives of those he cares about most.

The film embraces what makes these movies spectacular and you will find all of your key ingredients here: a high stakes plot, Tom Cruise running insanely fast to catch someone, Tom Cruise on a motorcycle, brilliant action set pieces, an insane death defying stunt performed by Tom Cruise, tense encounters between characters, and a thrilling conclusion that will take your breath away. The franchise has found a formula that works, but also finds new ways to present that formula so it doesn’t grow stale.

Take the action scenes for instance this time around. We are used to seeing a car chase through a city, but this time we have Tom Cruise handcuffed on one hand driving down the wobbly and cobbly streets of Rome. Or even a sequence on a train falling apart that has the characters constantly rethinking the appropriate path to get out. We have seen Tom Cruise on a motorcycle, but have we seen Tom Cruise use a motorcycle to cliff jump 6,000 feet in the air? Each sequence feels unique and they constantly find ways to ensure that we are seeing something new that is presented as both exciting and tense. These movies are known for their high stakes and action set pieces, and they deliver tremendously on both fronts.

The story delivers quite well with a new elevated world ending stakes that makes you feel the weight of their mission. This time, the IMF team is fighting against a growing sentient artificial intelligence system that seeks to dismantle the world. The film’s commentary on the powers of AI especially in this day and age, ring powerfully elevating the film to a new level for the franchise. As the team learns more about the AI and how to take it out, the AI learns more about them. Facing off against an unseen enemy that constantly seems to be steps ahead of them helps to keep the team on their toes. The physical embodiment of the villain is in Esai Morales’ Gabriel, a mysterious man from Ethan’s past. While he is a menacing presence, it is the artificial threat in the background that makes the film feel real and visceral.

The other characters in the film also do well to round out the team. Tom Cruise, even though he is 60 years old, has still got the charisma and charm to move this franchise forward and the action stunts to keep audiences on the edge of their seat. He is mostly paired with newcomer Haley Atwell’s Grace who is a fantastic addition to the cast due to her excellent chemistry with Cruise and her own mysterious motivations. It’s nice to see the team stick together with Simon Pegg’s Benji, Ving Rhames Luther, and Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa who help support on the mission.

While Part One is in the title, this movie feels complete on its own with a strong first, second, and third act to tell a complete story. While the film does end with some loose ends to tie up, it is nice to go in with the expectation that most of these threads will be unresolved and picked up just a year later. The film ends less on a cliffhanger and more on a simple to be continued, wrapping up most of the story contained in this film but leaving more to tackle in the next. I appreciate that the film didn’t try to leave on a massive cliffhanger that makes audiences groan (even though that did work in the case of Spider-Verse).

Dead Reckoning – Part One is a refreshing return to a Summer blockbuster action film that seeks to continue to emphasize the importance of the theatrical experience. It delivers on every single front magnificently and invites you into pure escapism while grounding you in the reality of its stunts. This is definitely one of my favorite movies of the Summer, and one you should definitely check out this month!

(A) Exhilarating