Review of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) by Rebecca31 — 16 Jul 2023

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and company (Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg and Rebecca Ferguson) are back for the seventh time in a franchise that dares itself to do better with each new instalment. More espionage, deception, stunts, car chases, and lots and lots of running. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One delivers the full suite of spy movie tropes and yes that does mean the Scooby-Doo masks are back in force again. It wouldn’t be a Mission: Impossible movie without someone pulling their face off at some point.

Open with an evil Russian submarine, in a scene that felt like War Games on steroids and it’s time for rogue man Ethan Hunt and the IMF team to embark upon yet another impossible mission. This time they must track down a new weapon that threatens all of humanity before the bad guys get it first. This mysterious enemy is unlike anything they’ve ever seen before and soon the fate of the entire world is at stake. So you know, the usual stuff. Look we’re not here for the plot but this one definitely felt topical. We’re here to see people fight and run and fly and boy do we get it all and more. 2023 has certainly been a great year for the stunt departments, what with John Wick throwing half the stunt team down endless steps and now Mission: Impossible doing their very best to fling Tom Cruise off mountains, trains, rooftops, and whatever other surface a person shouldn’t be running on you can bet he’ll find a way. We’ve seen jaw dropping stunts in the previous movies from hanging onto the side of a plane, climbing buildings and a halo jump. The planning and dedication that comes to upping the stakes again and again is what will get the fans into the cinemas. This is proper filmmaking and it will always be superior to whatever new technology that threatens to replace it. Because that bike stunt (see poster) is absolutely incredible and it’s these carefully planned and seemingly impossible stunts that need to be seen to be believed.

Dead Reckoning is clearly made by people who understand what cinema audiences want, it delivers exactly what it advertises and further reminds us that this is a franchise that is not going away any time soon. It continually finds new and exciting ways to keep fans captivated, Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie bring us through an exhilarating thrill ride that moves from set piece to set piece without feeling rushed or overly long. Because at 2 hours 45 minutes I barely felt the time pass. Also as it’s part one of two it’s unclear whether splitting it in two was the right decision, with few exceptions generally splitting one story into multiple parts results in upsetting the story arc. But there’s enough packed into Dead Reckoning and although it may not be quite as good as M:I – Fallout, it’s very close. While the villain in the latest installment doesn’t quite live up to Sean Harris or Henry Cavill it’s Pom Klementieff as Paris who stole the show in Dead Reckoning. Her onscreen presence was something else, and with barely any dialogue she gave a menacing performance and almost felt like she was out of a completely different film. The women in the last few Mission: Impossible and James Bond movies don’t just show up and look pretty, they kick ass too and Klementieff was probably one of the most memorable characters in these action/spy movies.

Each time I see another one of these movies I can’t help but think they might actually be trying to kill Tom Cruise. The man doesn’t stop, he might not be much of an actor but he’s the best action man making movies right now. And they’re movies made to be seen on the big screen, because if there’s one thing you can count on a Mission: Impossible movie, it’s pure adrenaline fuelled entertainment. I loved it and it’s essential viewing for the fans of the franchise. And if I haven’t convinced you to see it, rest assured the Mission Impossible movies also have universal appeal, you can hop in at any one of them and you’ll be fine. So sit back and enjoy Dead Reckoning Part One which will leave you wanting more and more.