Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

The latest Mission: Impossible film is a part one of two story but finishes in a satisfying way rather than annoying and you won't feel hard done by.

It's another great big screen action film that we've come to expect. It feels huge the whole time however I must say I while the set pieces were stellar, the hand to hand combat scenes were not great and a big step down from the last film (Fallout).

Thebeginning is slow with a lot of expository being dumped (more than you'd usually see) but once it gets going it is pretty nonstop.

This is a good chapter and Haley Atwell shines but it is nowhere near my favorite of the series.

7/10

Mi rankings

Mi6 Fallout Mi3 Mi4 Ghost Protocol Mission: Impossible Mi4 Rogue Nation Mi7 Dead Reckoning part one.

The arms race of big-budget action movies is on full display in this Tom Cruise production (yes, he gets a possessive credit for the movie in the opening credits, which don't show up on screen until 28 minutes into the overlong film). I found the derring-do scenes exciting to watch but was not thrilled by the pointlessness in toto.

Of course, an action movie requires action, though even here there are several intrinsically dull and static scenes of the actors carefully and deliberately reciting the dialogue exposition establishing the basic details of an AI-themed end of the world (unless Cruise can save the day) scenario. Especially with the feature climaxing on a train, I would vastly prefer a less pretentious, suspense/thriller with more small-scale issues, as in the classic "The Narrow Margin" by Richard Fleischer or its remake by Peter Hyams.

I had trouble recognizing Hayley Atwell, the dexterous leading lady, who I had admired in more full-figured (even her face is different) form in "The Duchess" and "Agent Carter". The more emotional scenes between friends and dire enemies are the highlight, as all of Tom's running, flying, biking and fighting are merely a given. Outdoing everyone else's stunts and one's own time after time is a pointless exercise.

The lavish Italian party segment only reminded me of a better (and more visceral) sequence from one of the John Wick movies, and the hokey final perils on the falling train cars was merely the same kind of showing off that made the recent "Uncharted" film so silly.

Around 1970 (after "Easy Rider' was such a hit) movie budgets were capped and the resulting films were all the better for it. If the comic-strip movies were reduced to Saturday matinee level and scale, and the ridiculous spending in the hundreds of millions ceased, I think overall storytelling and quality films could make a comeback.

Greetings again from the darkness. The challenge in continuing the "Mission: Impossible" franchise is that fans expect each entry to be "bigger" and more awe-inspiring than the last. With the seventh film in the series, and the third straight he has directed, writer-director Christopher McQuarrie and superstar actor and daredevil Tom Cruise have managed to accomplish what seemed unlikely ... they have delivered Ethan Hunt's biggest and grandest mission yet. Prepare to be awed by the action.

You should know that this is "Part One" and it runs 163 minutes, a full hour longer than most movies, and exponentially more expensive to produce. All this during an age when ultra-high-budget blockbusters are being rumored to be fading from public interest. Of course, we are only one year removed from Tom Cruise's TOP GUN: MAVERICK being credited with 'saving cinema', so stay on alert for a 'sky is falling' panic. McQuarrie co-wrote the script with Erik Jendresen ("Band of Brothers"), and they remain faithful to the characters and storylines established by the TV series creator, Bruce Geller.

There may never have been an actor more suited to a recurring role than Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt (Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones might be the closest). The story itself is fairly straightforward, even if the item being chased often feels like a MacGuffin. Your questioning of how a 'simple' spy-thriller can be effective is understandable, yet it's fascinating to watch as Ethan Hunt's mission in life as an agent is evaluated, as is the cost he's paid as a man. Providing a contemporary theme, the obscure object of desire is an all-powerful key (actually two parts of a key) based on controlling an all-encompassing Artificial Intelligence (AI).

In a twist on a familiar theme (and a classic comedy film), we have Airports, Trains, and EVs, the latter being a tiny Fiat with handcuffs. Still, the car chase is everything we might hope, while the high-tech facial search in the airport sequence delivers the thrills for techie viewers, and the train sparring occurs inside as well as on top. And lest you be worried, there are enough Cruise sprint scenes here to put CHARIOTS OF FIRE to shame.

Familiar faces include Ethan Hunt's team of Luther (Ving Rhames, who along with Cruise, has appeared in all 7 MI films), Benji (Simon Pegg), and Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson). It's nice to again see (and hear) Henry Czerny as Kittridge, Vanessa Kirby as arms dealer The White Widow, and Esai Morales - as Gabriel, the required villain in search of the same key as our good guys. New faces include Haylee Atwell as master pickpocket Grace, whose soul may or may not be beyond salvation; Cary Elwes as agency director Denlinger; Shea Whigham and Greg Tarzan Davis as officers after rogue Hunt; and Pom Klementieff as a hired assassin.

The stunt work here is outstanding, and of course, Tom Cruise is renowned for personally handling many of the most breathtaking acts - the most memorable one here being his riding of a motorcycle off a cliff. This stunt has a 'making of' video that's been available for a while. As movie goers, we've never seen anything like it. This part one was originally scheduled for release in 2021 (thanks a lot, COVID), and now Part Two is set for 2024. It's been 27 years since the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE (1996) with Jon Voight ... Cruise was 34 in that one. This particular mission is the biggest yet, and it would certainly be impossible for the rest of us. It's a mission that will be closed out in Part Two, and simultaneously bring an end to Cruise's remarkable run as Ethan Hunt.

Opening July 12, 2023.

Good God. I feel ashamed for approaching this film with a modicum of doubt that Tom would still be able to deliver. Unbelievably, this epic actually manages to top the brilliant Fallout. Tom is literally going to die if he keeps doing these stunts. The motorbike sequence is utterly ludicrous. Intriguing plot with actual stakes and some familiar faces ably supported by brilliant new allies and villains. Sets up Part II perfectly with a sensational finale that homages Back to the Future 3, MI:1 and Speed. It is funny, action packed, polished and exhilarating. Harrison was great last week, but Tom is still the King. 9/10.

Just saw this one in a theatre, and boy... what an adrenaline rush it is. The latest Mission Impossible features some of the most incredible stunts ever put to camera. The story is absolutely exhilarating and continues to bring new life to a veteran movie franchise. The sheer scale of this movie is epic, and with every twist and turn of the movie, you cannot help but marvel at the incredible sets used to bring this movie to life. Such a movie begs to be seen on the biggest screen possible where you can truly feel the grandeur of the film. Tom Cruise has once again delivered one of the best movies of the year, and I cannot recommend that you see it enough!