“Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part One”
Tom Cruise once again brings back summer blockbusters in a very big way in “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part One,” the seventh film in the franchise.
Last year, the Tom Cruise led action masterpiece “Top Gun: Maverick” captured the hearts of the American public with a pure cinematic spectacle that more than justified the continued existence of movie theaters, institutions whose future is still unsure in a post-pandemic world. Now, Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie have reunited to thrill audiences with “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part One,” the seventh film in the groundbreaking action series. Not only is this one of the year’s most entertaining films, but this latest “Mission Impossible” film manages to surpass all of its predecessors, including “Mission Impossible: Fallout.”
When a rogue artificial intelligence program known as “The Entity” threatens the security of the entire world, every intelligence agency in the world begins hunting for the means of controlling this amazing tool of infiltration, information and destruction. Knowing that this power is too great for any government to possess, IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team of spies go on an unsanctioned mission to thwart the powerful enemies, agents of various governments and “The Entity” itself in order to save the world.
While the “Mission Impossible” franchise has a lot going for it, the biggest asset the series has is producer/actor Tom Cruise. Every time I see him in a film, whether it’s an action masterclass like “Top Gun: Maverick” or a drama like “Magnolia,” I’m reminded of something Chicago Tribune critic Gene Siskel said to Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert when they were reviewing the original 1996 “Mission Impossible” film. “He believes in his stories to such a degree, that his conviction in the material bounces off the screen and carries us along too.”
In this film, we see a lot of what we’ve come to expect from Ethan Hunt: amazing stunts, fun fights and so many shots of Tom Cruise running (which is fair, since he looks so damn awesome doing that). However, despite such a recognizable face and attitude, Cruise disappears behind this character that he’s been playing for close to 30 years and his performance is extraordinary as an action hero that is still vulnerable and always being pushed to the breaking point.
Joining Cruise and other returning cast members is Haley Atwell as Grace, a master thief who becomes wrapped up in this latest mission, who is exceptional in this world of espionage and doublecrossing. In this film, Grace’s allegiances are mainly towards herself and she’s constantly trying to get away from Ethan and his agents with the main McGuffin that everyone’s after: the literal key to “The Entity.” Her performance makes for a spectacular foil for Cruise and one of the most entertaining characters to be created for this series.
Along with the spectacular returning cast including Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson and Venessa Kirby, the film is full of amazing people who carry themselves quite well in both action sequences and periods of good, old-fashioned espionage. It’s also wonderful to see some new people in the cast like Pom Klementieff as a merciless assassin, Cary Elwes as the Director of National Intelligence, Esai Morales as a terrifying killer named Gabriel whose allegiance lies with “The Entity” and the return of Henry Czerny as Eugene Kittridge, the director of the IMF who was last seen at odds with Ethan Hunt in the first “Mission Impossible” film, proving to be the Deputy Gerard to Ethan Hunt’s Dr. Richard Kimble.
Haley Atwell (Left) stars in “Dead Reckoning – Part One” as an incredible thief whose growing partnership with Ethan Hunt and his team makes her a standout character in this ever expanding series.
With most films in the “Mission Impossible” series, it’s obvious what the weakest element is: the story. But that doesn’t really matter. Like the films of Alfred Hitchcock, the main object the spies are after, the “McGuffin” as Hitchcock put it, is what gets the ball rolling but it’s often uninteresting. But who cares? After all, “Mission Impossible” more than makes up for this with interesting characters, riveting suspense and action that continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in cinema.
What makes “Dead Reckoning – Part One” stand out is how well “The Entity” works in the context of the story. Artificial Intelligence has been an antagonist in cinema for a long time with films like “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “The Terminator” and “The Matrix.” However, in recent years, AI has become part of our public discourse and the ethical conversations surrounding this kind of software have only grown. With the main world-ending McGuffin being an AI program that is capable of interfering with the efforts of Ethan and his team, it makes for a catalyst that is more interesting than nuclear codes.
In the modern world of the summer blockbuster, there’s a growing weariness of Computer Generated Effects and, as more companies overwork and underpay VFX artists, the quality of CGI has been suffering in film. “Dead Reckoning – Part One” surpasses these issues with the practical nature that is inherently baked into this series. Is there CGI in the film? Of course there is. But it’s often used in the background and what’s on full display are practical action set pieces that have the actors and stunt people engaged in thrilling sequences with tight pacing and good humor.
These exciting action scenes are adrenaline-pumping thanks, in no small part, to incredible in-camera stunts that focus on realism. Yes this is a world where masks are used to impersonate people and where Tom Cruise jumps off a cliff but you still take this seriously because of how committed everyone is. Like the films that have preceded it, “Dead Reckoning – Part One” push the envelope of what’s possible.
In particular, an incredible car chase in Rome where Ethan and Grace are handcuffed to each other is one of the finest vehicular action sequences that I’ve seen in a long time. Keep in mind, “Fast X” also had a car chase in Rome but “Mission Impossible” is ultimately way better because of how it’s shot. This chase is more satisfying because it looks more realistic and there’s more ingenuity with how it’s set up.
As for the climatic sequence on a train which has most of the principle characters on board, it’s the most fun I’ve had with an action film since Tom Cruise and Miles Teller commandeered an old F-14 in “Top Gun: Maverick.” Just when you think that the film can’t get any more entertaining and the suspense can’t possibly be greater, it proves you wrong and you are on the edge of your seat. Normally, I hate it when people talk during the movie but, in the case of “Dead Reckoning – Part One,” anything I heard from the audience was purely involuntary. Because when you see so many incredible things on an IMAX screen, what else can you say but “Oh My God!”
Yes this film is a “part one” and is going to end on a cliffhanger. Unlike a film like “Fast X,” where it felt that the filmmakers were holding themselves back in order to justify having a cliffhanger and left the audience with a level of dissatisfaction, “Dead Reckoning – Part One” throws everything it can at you, leaving you wanting to see the next film but also feeling satisfied with what you did receive. Like “Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse” or “Dune,” the idea of having this story be a two-parter is understandable and, if this was just the first half of the story, where the second half will go drives me wild with anticipation and excitement.
While this summer has been lagging in both incredible spectacle and box office numbers, “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part One” is what’s going to turn that around. It’s the kind of summer film that you want to see as many times as possible on the biggest screen you can find so that you can feel more alive than ever.
