Twigs - Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

Ethan Hunt's biggest mission begins.

[Note: This review will discuss elements of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One that were revealed in promotional material, such as trailers. If you’re someone who enjoys going into new movies knowing as little as possible, you may want to skip reading this review.]

I love the Mission: Impossible movies.

There’s nothing quite like turning on the TV or going to the theaters to see Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt betrayed by the US government and having to beat the bad guy to clear his name. Or betray the US government for the greater good, stopping a force that could destroy the world. And Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One is no different. Taking place a few years after Ethan hunted down the remains of the Syndicate in Fallout, Dead Reckoning sees Ethan embroiled in a mission that involves a super artificial intelligence known as “The Entity” and a villain from his past that hopes the harness its power to wreck havoc upon the world. Teaming up with faces new and old, Ethan sets out on his biggest mission yet: To find a key and destroy the Entity before the CIA or a new, nefarious enemy can, wielding the power of the Entity for themselves.

I’ve noticed in my time watching Mission: Impossible movies over the last few years that the odd-numbered films usually have the better storylines. And Dead Reckoning is no exception. While it’s a much larger movie with more moving parts than your typical Mission: Impossible, this latest outing features a potent tale about AI, government betrayal, and Ethan Hunt’s as-yet-unknown past catching up with him. There are many new characters and factions introduced throughout the movie, justifying its incredibly long 2 hour and 43 minute runtime. While not every character is fleshed out and some antagonist motivations feel flimsy, it’s nothing new from a series that primarily focuses on its heroes and its stunts.

But before I talk about the main show—the death-defying stunt work by Cruise (who I’m surprised has only ever broken his ankle doing anything for these movies)—I want to discuss the new characters introduced throughout the film. While Ethan, his team, and other familiar faces in Dead Reckoning are just as well-written as in previous Mission: Impossible movies, the new characters are a bit of a mixed bag. Hayley Atwell’s Grace was a welcome addition to the movie, as Atwell’s chemistry with Cruise is very palpable. Ethan and Grace feel like a dream team that makes some particular action sequences all the more exciting. However, I feel like her character doesn’t have the same uniqueness to her as others in the franchise, especially with how much about her goes unexplained. As for Esai Morales’ Gabriel, his robotic way of speaking is perfect for his character, and his level of mystery is clearly something that’s going to be explored in Part Two. Pom Klementiff was another standout in Dead Reckoning, though her character felt more like it was ripped from a comic book than for a Mission: Impossible film. Though I feel like any complaints I may have with characters in the movie will be ironed out by Part Two. This is, after all, just the first half of an incredibly long movie.

However, despite Dead Reckoning Part One’s status as a “Part One,” it still delivered a satisfying three-act structure instead of ending on too massive a cliffhanger. Going in, I wasn’t sure the movie would end in the middle of itself like Mockingjay Part One or Fast X does. Luckily, I can report the movie has a conclusion that, while leaving some threads dangling for Part Two, very clearly feels like an ending of some kind instead of the movie getting cut off halfway through. I appreciated this, as it made the plot and characters feel like they had received ample development that was going to carry over while also ending at a point that felt satisfying. I appreciated his structure a lot and it made me more excited for Part Two than if they’d just ended the movie halfway through its ongoing story.

But the part about Dead Reckoning that stood out to me the most was its stunts, as is the case with every Mission: Impossible film. The stunts in the movie are exactly what you’d expect from the trailers. Cruise driving a motorcycle off a cliff and parachuting onto a train. Cruise fighting bad guys on top of a train before it crashes, forcing him and Atwell to escape. Speaking of Cruise and Atwell, the pair are involved in a lengthy chase sequence that is both exhilarating and comedic, similar in tone to Ethan chasing after John Lark on foot in Fallout. While the stunts in this film were not my favorite in the franchise (the helicopter scene in Fallout has yet to be topped, but that’s just my opinion), they were perhaps the most technically impressive. And with a massive budget of $290 million, they needed to be. It shows with every stunt, every set, and every plan in Ethan’s biggest mission yet where every single dollar for the production went. It’s nice to see a movie that borders on costing $300 million and have it actually feel like a $300 million movie.

If I had to give the movie any real criticism, it would unfortunately spoil the film. So, without getting too much into it: The movie makes a decision roughly a half hour in that has major ramifications for how the audience views a certain aspect of the movie going forward. It then does something with that aspect that has less emotional weight because of the way it was handled earlier in the movie. While this isn’t a detriment to Dead Reckoning as a whole, it’s a weight the movie carries with it throughout, especially in its final act. It’s also something that fans of the franchise may feel was unnecessary, despite being handled well when it comes back around again. This element of the film was a mixed bag for me, and something I hope Part Two will be able to rectify by addressing it with a motive beyond audience manipulation.

But that’s really the only imperfection in Dead Reckoning Part One, and it’s not even something that disrupts the story all that much. Overall, Dead Reckoning was a fun time at the movie theaters and another incredibly fun entry in the Mission: Impossible franchise. While it’s clear some elements of the film won’t be fully realized until Part Two comes out (hopefully) next year, the movie was still a solid entry in the franchise. With a strong story, worthwhile stunts, and action that will, at one point, leave you wondering how Cruise does any of this without CGI, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One is an event for the big screen. Despite how overshadowed the film has been by Oppenheimer and Barbie’s releases this week, I’d say if you’re looking for a really fun time at the theaters, Mission: Impossible is where you want to be.

I can’t wait to see how Ethan’s biggest mission ends in Part Two.

***

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