Ethan Hunt and team continue their search for the terrifying AI known as the Entity — which has infiltrated intelligence networks all over the globe — with the world's governments and a mysteri...
First things first: director Christopher McQuarrie‘s “Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning” is a good, but not great, movie. In a franchise as long-running and consistently entertaining as this, “good” is more than enough. In a cinematic landscape full of misfires, messy reboots, and IP fatigue, it’s a relief to say that this supposed final installment isn’t a massive disappointment. In fact, it’s an old-school Hollywood blockbuster through and through: glossy, grand, and deeply cinematic.
Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is back, along with Benji (Simon Pegg), Luther (Ving Rhames), and Grace (Hayley Atwell). With the world’s governments in a panic, the IMF team is in a race against time to find the Entity, a rogue artificial intelligence that can destroy mankind. Teaming up with Paris (Pom Klementieff) and Degas (Greg Tarzan Davis), the group works together to hunt down Gabriel (Esai Morales), who wants to harness all the power of the Entity for himself.
Thematically, the film has more on its mind than most blockbusters. It delves (with sincerity) into loyalty, sacrifice, and what it means to do the right thing in a world increasingly governed by unchecked technology. I do hope the message isn’t lost on audiences worldwide.
The premise of an AI run amok is a little corny, but also timely and disturbingly plausible. The stakes feel enormous as humanity’s future teeters on the edge, and the film doesn’t shy away from portraying that threat with a grim intensity. However, some of the narrative turns are outright absurd, which means this film demands a massive suspension of disbelief (arguably more than all the prior “Mission: Impossible” entries combined). It’s best to throw all reason out of the window if you want the best chance of enjoying the movie, because the story is so implausible.
The nearly three hour film has a rocky takeoff. The first half moves at a snail’s pace and is burdened by a convoluted script trying too hard to tie together threads from previous installments. The result is a bloated setup filled with too many characters and too much exposition. While technically a continuation of the story that was set up in 2023’s “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” it’s okay to be unfamiliar with the previous movie. There may be a lot going on here, but it’s easy to follow and get involved from the get-go. Once the film its footing about halfway in, it never lets up. Basically, you have to sit through the first 90 minutes to get to the really, really good stuff.
While the script may be unrealistic and overstuffed, the emotional moments shine through. There are genuinely touching scenes that humanize Ethan and his crew, a reminder that beneath all the heroics are people driven by duty, friendship, and sacrifice. It feels like a goodbye at times, especially in the film’s first half hour, but the ending leaves the door wide open for more (which I would welcome with open arms).
Once again defying both gravity and age, Cruise is as magnetic as ever. He’s a bonafide movie star, and his megawatt screen presence is highlighted by his commitment to practical stunts. Knowing that Cruise himself did most of his own stunt work adds a visceral edge to the action, with the jaw-dropping grand finale aboard an airplane that is absolutely thrilling. It’s not just edge-of-your-seat exciting, but it’s that bite-your-nails kind of nerve-wracking. I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat, pulse pounding, wondering if Ethan Hunt was going to yet again save the world.
“Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning” delivers just about everything you’d want in a big summer movie. The casting is terrific, the visual effects are top-tier, the score by Max Aruj and Alfie Godfrey is appropriately intense, and the action set pieces are polished, if not always the most impressive. Despite this not being the franchise’s best entry, you’re still going to walk out of the theater having had a damn good time.
