I can’t recall a blockbuster in recent memory that seems to come out at the absolute perfect timing than Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part 1. Not just because this has been a summer thus far of underperforming popcorn flicks that don’t involve Marvel superheroes and relying on Tom Cruise to work his “Top Gun: Maverick” magic to get butts in theater seats but the subject matter of what is the internal plot of the picture. That subject matter being no other than being the main villain that is known as the Entity. The Entity doesn’t act as an actual person but strictly as artificial intelligence, A.K.A. A.I.
It’s no secret that A.I. is on the rise more than ever. Although not quite the Terminator or cyborg level threat we come to expect, it is something that if not too careful, it could led towards the end of creativity and artistic integrity. That could also be a big reason why a writer’s strike is currently happening, using A.I. to create scripts with real writers giving soft patches to them so it could save the studios some money in the future. While I’m sure that was strictly convenient timing as the movie itself was suppose to come out in 2021, at least two years before serious progression of A.I. or the writer’s strike even happened, but no doubt director/writer Christopher McQuarrie saw some sort of writing on the wall and decided to make at least two Mission: Impossible movies out of it, with Dead Reckoning Part 1 releasing now and Part 2 set to arrive next summer.
Thankfully Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie are able to prove once again that they are up to completing the mission. While we will have to wait and see how this specific story wraps up next year, Dead Reckoning Part 1 is yet another superb entry in the very consistent and reliable Mission Impossible franchise. The action is bigger, crazier, and much wider in scope, the stunts are out of this world, the tone is perfectly controlled throughout, the runtime doesn’t feel intimating, and the social commentary on A.I. is well implemented that surprisingly doesn’t take you out of the movie. It doesn’t quite reach the highs of Fallout but it’s certainly a nice change of pace of a summer filled with mid to low-tier blockbusters that don’t remotely feel like it lived up to it’s 300 million dollar plus budget.
Plot Synopsis: Taking place sometime after Fallout, IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) embarks on a new mission to recover half of a key from his ally Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), whom the IMF puts a bounty on her head. After briefly reuniting with Ilsa and telling her to lay low, Ethan travels back to the US to meet with the Community, led by former IMF director Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny), who informs him of a new threat in Artificial Intelligence that is known as the Entity. Originally designed to sabotage digital systems, the A.I. itself went rogue and was able to expand itself to infiltrate all the major defense and military systems along with intelligence networks. The power which the Entity possesses is one which plenty are wanting to control and even ally with.
Ethan Hunt and his allies of Benji (Simon Pegg), Luther (Ving Rhames) and Isla go on a mission to recover the keys that can unlock access to the Entity. However, other folks are looking to recover the key for their own benefits such has a mysterious figure named Grace (Hayley Atwell), the White Widow in Alaana Mitsopolis (Vanessa Kirby), and a powerful terroist and possible former adversary of Ethan named Gabriel (Esai Morales) along with his side assassin, Paris (Pom Klementieff). There’s also some enforcers for the Community known as Jasper (Shea Whigham) and Degas (Greg Tarzan Davis) that are tasked with bringing Ethan in for infiltration.
With the power of the Entity becoming deadlier at every minute and the world at great stake, a deadly race around the globe is set. Ethan sets out for what is likely his deadliest mission yet, one that puts himself and those he cares about in greater danger than ever before along with introducing a new potential ally who he may not be able to trust. It’s now that he must come to the realization that the mission matters more than his friends and defeating the Entity might indeed cost him dearly.
When it comes to what one would expect from a Mission Impossible movie, it’s mostly four things: Tom Cruise, Tom Cruise in action, Tom Cruise doing absurdly crazy stunts, and of course, Tom Cruise running like the wind faster than Bullseye. Even after seven movies, the golden Hollywood superstar is able to find new and exciting ways to push beyond his limits in that department and then some. There’s a lot you can say about Tom Cruise as a person and an actor but there’s no denying that the man will doing everything in his power to entertain his audience, even if it involves putting his own life in peril.
As much as this movie involves Ethan Hunt facing off against A.I., it’s also about Tom Cruise trying to save Hollywood from himself. I think it’s safe to say that Ethan Hunt is the character that Tom Cruise has felt the most comfortable playing him. Ethan Hunt represents the kind of figure that allows Cruise to explore his own ego and self awareness along with playing a self insert version of himself that can always saves the world at every turn. Just as much as Ethan has to go through extreme measures to get his mission accomplished, Tom has to go through extreme measures to make sure the movies that he’s in are ones that everyone wants to see on the big screen. It’s a mission that both characters can constantly chose not to accept if they don’t want to but they will always accept it because it’s just who they are. Because of that, we get to see them both fly, jump, run, and go crazier than ever before.
In many ways, Dead Reckoning Part 1 acts as both a love letter and culmination of the entire franchise up to this point, even more so than Fallout. You get homages to the original 1996 film with the return of Kittridge, a more mysterious spy plot, a certain character that has a connection to Ethan’s early days in the IMF, and the consequences to Hunt’s action as had as an agent from that film to now. While the franchise up to Rogue Nation had been relatively self-contained minus a few tie-ins, McQuarrie knows that things must come full circle for what could be Cruise’s final times as being the character that will be most represented in his autobiography and is able to do that very fluently in ways that don’t feel contrived or forced.
Of course, Tom Cruise is not the only one to shine brightly here as he is once again backed up by a tremendous supporting cast from all members old and new to the series. Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg are back and they still as enjoyable now as they always have been as Ethan’s companions/friends of Luther and Benji. Rebecca Ferguson, while not in it as much as I would like, is still marvelous as Ilsa Faust and does get a few moments to shine herself along with Ethan. Vanessa Kirby continues to be electric as the White Widow. And Henry Czerny has not missed a beat as Kittridge and his return feels genuinely worthwhile without feeling like a pointless cameo.
When it comes to the new cast members, they shine even brighter. Esai Morales, while playing a henchman that feels a tad underwritten, makes a genuine impression as Gabriel, the new foe that tries to get under Ethan’s skin. Pom Klementieff steals every action scene that she’s in as the insane and sinister Paris, even if she spends most of her screentime being entirely mute. Shea Whigham and Greg Tarzan Davis are great fun as the agents that are constantly chasing down Hunt and make for a perfect buddy cop duo. The biggest new player her is Hayley Atwell as Grace, a sneaky thief that gets caught in the middle of the action and likely will have a new role played in future movies. She is able to fit into this series like a glove, has perfect chemistry with Cruise, and is just absolute mesmerizing every time she appears on screen. Atwell has always been a great, underrated actress and hopefully her performance here will land her more big roles in the near future.
From just a technical standpoint, this film is pretty much perfect. While the action isn’t quite as impressive as Rogue Nation or Fallout, it is still absolutely superb and every single set piece manages to top the one that came before. The entire Rome chase sequence alone is worth the entire price of admission with how tense and over-the-top it is. You also can’t forget the motorcycle off of the cliff sequence and the tension-filled climax on the train. It’s all excellent stuff and Tom Cruise continues to prove he’s the best madman we have in Hollywood. The pacing off the film is airtight, the runtime doesn’t feel intimating, and the score from Lorne Balfe is another fantastic one and one of my favorites in the entire series. While the 270 million dollar budget might seem overboard like a lot of big movies this summer, this actually feels like every single penny of production was put to good use and makes the trip to the theaters all the more worth it.
It is unfortunate tho is despite how great Dead Reckoning Part 1 is, it does make one story decision that will likely not vibe well with fans, especially those of the last two films. It’s a sequence that comes around the end of the second act where we see the great power that the A.I. possesses and the influence it can have on someone as smart as Ethan. It plays out well and makes the antagonist all the more threatening but the end result of it will likely leave a sour taste in some folks mouth. Without getting too heavily into spoilers, it feels like it falls into the trope of one character getting shafted for the sake of leaving room for another. While it’s a decision that could potentially be backpedaled in Part 2, the way it plays out makes it seem like a pill that fans will have to swallow to properly enjoy the rest of what transpires throughout the series.
There are also times to where the exposition surrounding the Entity and what it does can become too much, especially in the earlier scenes with it. These pieces of dialogue aren’t the best written and are the few moments where it feels like the movie is on A.I.-pilot (See what I did there!). Also, be warned that this is in fact a Part 1, something which the title card clearly states. While the movie does takes a definite stopping point that doesn’t feel abrupted, it does make it clear by the end that only one half of the equation is solved and there is still another half to go.
Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1 proves that this series has no signs of slowing down anytime soon despite being seven movies in. It’s able to continue to deliver the goods and thrills that people come to these movies for while also keeping that same tongue-and-cheek feel that makes these movies enjoyable. It’s yet another reminder why the theater experience is important and there should be nothing that should take away from it. In a time where A.I. is becoming more of a thing every day and a strike involving writers and actors is occurring, Dead Reckoning Part 1 is a reminder of why we all love going to the movies and how much of the movies we will miss once the impact of these circumstances will be greatly felt. No matter where you fall on in the state of Hollywood, A.I. or this franchise, make it your mission to see this movie on the big screen! I promise it’s a mission you will not regret accepting!
Other comments:
- Don’t let the release of this movie distract from the fact that the strike with the actors and writers is very serious business. Studios need to suck it up and pay them the money they deserve! A.I. will never be able to replicated what real living being can do ever do! I don’t care how good or bad a movie is, A.I. should never be the answer to that! So, just pay them the money they are owed!
- Btw, I will write a piece about this matter very soon!
- I’m sorry I couldn’t get his review out before the strike was official. I wanted to get it done before then but things got in the way for me. Apologies if the timing of the review comes across as tone deafed.
- I think you can all see why the timing of this movie’s release could not be any more confident.
- Even so, please go see Dead Reckoning Part 1 in theaters! It deserves your money!
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