Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

This instalment manages to tell its own satisfying story while at the same time, set the stage for the next chapter in the saga.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie

Back in May, Charlie Higson (author of the Young Bond book series) claimed, “The best ‘Bond films’ now are the Mission: Impossibles”, and it’s hard to disagree with him.

While the Bond franchise seems to be doing its best to recapture the excitement of 2006’s Casino Royale, over the past two decades Mission Impossible has consistently delivered engaging characters, fun gadgets and breathtaking set-pieces. I am happy to say that Dead Reckoning is no outlier.

This latest installment sees the Impossible Mission Force (IMF) take on a faceless enemy. An artificial intelligence known simply as "The Entity" has become complex enough that it could takedown entire governments, and as with any power too great for anyone to wield, everybody wants it.

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team take it upon themselves to beat the rest of the world to the finish line and destroy The Entity before it’s too late.

Now don’t let the subtitle of Part One put you off. This instalment manages to tell its own satisfying story while at the same time, set the stage for the next chapter in the saga. As always with this series, Cruise’s commitment to doing as much as they possibly can practically leads to the action being as exciting and believable as usual (although I don’t think the filmmakers expected me to laugh when I saw a car chase lead to the destruction of the exact same area of Rome only recently devastated in Fast X). The introduction of international thief Grace (portrayed by Hayley Atwell) ensures fresh dynamics to keep the characters from getting stale.

If you’re finding that recent action films just feel like they’re going through the same old motions, and you’re yearning for the type of suspense that only Tom Cruise’s near-suicidal stunt antics can provide, then I can’t see you leaving the cinema disappointed.

While Part Two was originally announced to be Cruise’s send-off for the franchise, recently the actor gave an interview where he revealed that he intends to keep making these films for years to come. I guess if Indiana Jones can keep kicking butt into his eighties, why not Ethan Hunt?

4.5/5 Stars