Watched July 6th, 2023
So, I am a little late to this review, but I have to say Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part One is the blockbuster of the summer so far! Not only that but Tom Cruise proves once again that he is one of the last movie stars left in Hollywood! Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part One delivers on insane stunts, impressive acting performances and a solid story.
The premise of the story is one of the more interesting parts of the movie in my opinion. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) embarks probably on their most dangerous mission yet. To find a new weapon that threatens the fate of the whole planet before it falls into the wrong hands. Tom Cruise at the ripe young age of 61 knows what will put butts in seats, and that is practical stunt work and a compelling story. The Mission Impossible franchise has always had crazy stunts and very good performances in my opinion. Where it sometimes lacks are in the story. For this movie, the first half of the movie at least is a lot of exposition where they beat you over the head with the “villain” of the film. I get why they must do it, but it got to a point where it was blatantly obvious that the villain was bad, and it posed a threat to the entire planet. There is a lot of exposition that needs to be gotten through before you get to the actual story at hand. Once you get there, there are some amazing stunts and action set pieces here that leave the audience at the edge of their seat.
Cruise, somehow at the age of 61, continues to up his practical stunt work and makes his stunts better and better. Cruise is committed to entertaining those that watch his movies and you have seen this on display from his past movie, Top Gun: Maverick. Top Gun: Maverick had cameras in the planes where you felt immersed in the film, just like you were flying a plane. For this one, even though we had teasers about it, had an insane cliff jump that sucks the air right out of the room. Even though much of the audience knew what was about to happen there was such a thrill and anticipation about what was going to happen. Tom Cruise has managed to find a formula that gets audiences immersed in the films that he is in.
I would like to talk about some of the characters in the film. First, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is back, and he is better than ever. He has progressed over the films and has become a more emotionally layered character that many in the audience can relate to. Ethan Hunt fights for the greater good even if it means going “rogue”. But Tom Cruise can play this role perfectly and it helps add to the emotions of the story. Next, new characters Grace (Hayley Atwell) and Paris (Pom Klementieff) are great new additions to this franchise and help add a breath of fresh air to this older franchise. Atwell in particular flexes her acting range and even has some great chemistry with Tom Cruise. The only disappointment when it comes to the characters in this movie is Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson). Rebecca Ferguson was great in the past Mission Impossible movies that she was in, and it was disappointing that she did not get as much screentime as I believe she deserved.
You might be wondering, where does this film rank in the Mission Impossible franchise? For me, it ranks right below Mission: Impossible Fallout. Dead Reckoning has the more impressive stunts and action set pieces. But overall, as a film, I believe the story, along with the action are better in Fallout and Fallout is still my number one movie in this franchise. I believe that Mission: Impossible Fallout can deliver a cohesive story along with the action to deliver the perfect action movie. To be fair though Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part One is only one part of a story and I believe it sets it up to be an amazing finale. Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part One is one of the highlights of the summer movie season and I cannot wait to see where the next one goes!
Review: 4/5 Stars
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