“I need you to trust me… one last time.”
After nearly three decades of saving the world, it’s time for Ethan Hunt to face his Final Reckoning, and your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to join him on his most harrowing, death-defying adventure yet, which, thanks to Tom Cruise and writer-director Christopher McQuarrie, ultimately brings the franchise to an emotional (and mostly) satisfying close.
**This review may contain minor spoilers from Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning**
The eighth installment picks up two months after the explosive events of Dead Reckoning, with the world on the brink of a nuclear apocalypse courtesy of the Entity. With no options remaining, the President (Angela Bassett) manages to get a message through to Ethan Hunt, who has been off the grid ever since taking possession of the cruciform key.
Hunt - still trying to find a way to stop this all-powerful AI - swiftly assembles his team: Luther (Ving Rhames), Benji (Simon Pegg), Grace (Hayley Atwell), and new recruits Paris (Pom Klementieff) and Degas (Greg Tarzan Davis). Before they're able to formulate a plan, Hunt is ambushed by Gabriel (Esai Morales), who delivers a long-awaited revelation that shakes Ethan to his core.
After some quick thinking, Ethan gains the upper hand, but Gabriel escapes. In his haste, the villain leaves behind a device that shows Ethan what he must do and an inkling of an idea on how to stop the Entity once and for all. However, in order to do that, our hero must complete the most impossible mission of his lifetime. So, cue the music, light the fuse!
“We live and die in the shadows, for those we hold close and for those we never meet."
Despite never following orders, Ethan has done a lot for the greater good over the course of eight films. But, as Newton’s Third Law states, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, and it seems his monumental feats to save the world may have inadvertently sparked a chain reaction that has made him the architect of his own—and the world’s—destruction. How he bears that burden is what makes his journey to the end all the more compelling, and our fearless superstar, Tom Cruise, has never been better at bringing it to the screen.
Since Dead Reckoning explored Ethan’s choice to become an IMF agent, The Final Reckoning picks up that thread and fully delves into the consequences of that fateful choice, giving Cruise’s Hunt a rare opportunity for self reflection as he comes to terms with his role in everything that has happened in the saga thus far. But with the clock ticking, Hunt can’t sit around in his thoughts for too long as he must keep running at mach speed to save the world one last time. McQuarrie does his best to give this latest film the emotional gravitas befitting a finale, but with so much story to tell and less than three hours of runtime, he opts to expedite the quieter character moments in order to get us to the massive action sequences that have always been at the forefront of these films.
Originally titled Dead Reckoning Part Two, this final chapter is very much a Part Two to the story started in the previous film, so there is some prior knowledge required, although the new film is peppered with quick flashbacks to catch you up, if necessary. It ties up threads from the entire franchise and reminds us that Mission has never been a series about sentimentality, it’s always been about completing the Mission and moving onto the next. So, while it would’ve been nice if the first half of the film had a little more room to breathe and a little less exposition, it makes sense that Ethan nor the film make any attempts to slow down with the Entity still very much at large.
Having said that, The Final Reckoning kicks everything into overdrive during the second half, which is an absolute rollercoaster of a good time and everything you’ve come to love about these films. We’re reminded why McQ is one of the best directors working today. He and cinematographer Fraser Taggart craft yet another visually stunning adventure, conquering new never-before-seen shooting challenges with what always seems like relative ease. The underwater scenes are a jaw-dropping sight to behold and everything in the air is an absolute showstopper.
You’d think after the illustrious career he’s had, Tom Cruise would have nothing left to prove, but here he is, this time hanging off the side of a biplane trying to jump to another biplane in order to save the world from the apocalypse. It might sound crazy on paper, but it’s just another Wednesday for Tom. He's long been described as the undisputed last true Hollywood movie star, and this film may be the best example why. He is and always has been the main reason these Mission films have worked as well as they have, and may actually be the sole reason this one works at all.
Simply put, Cruise is incredible as this far more seasoned Ethan Hunt. He’s the perpetual battery that drives the movie, especially when it becomes clear the film won't be leaning as heavily into the team dynamic as previous entries have. The team is certainly present during the biggest moments, but, at the end of the day, this is really an Ethan Hunt solo adventure. Now, while he's always been at the center of every Mission, it's far more prevalent in this entry because well, nothing really happens when he's not on screen. Nothing can happen if he's not on screen because Ethan Hunt has essentially become God. Action-drama-comedy, Cruise must do it all to deliver the cinematic experience that audiences have come to expect from him over the past four decades. His performance alone makes it easier to forgive some of the smaller sins this final chapter commits, especially narratively, which was unexpected for a franchise known for its near-perfect execution. Cruise is given opportunities to stretch his dramatic chops a bit more and a major scene with longtime friend and co-star Ving Rhames should rank among the finest the series has ever produced.
Cruise may not have initially been keen on ending the franchise here, but he signs off with one of the most jaw-dropping action sequences ever put on screen. The biplane stunt should go down in the record books, for sheer audacity alone, and that’s not even to mention the degree of difficulty, which is on a scale that can’t ever be measured. It’s well worth the price of admission just to see that scene, sitting in silence in a jam-packed auditorium, on the edge of your seat, preferably in IMAX, bearing witness to a superstar delivering a cinematic treat unlike any other. This is peak Cruise and, if this is the end for Ethan Hunt, then he went out with a bang.
The supporting cast is at the top of its game but limited by plot demands and a flood of new characters. Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Pom Klementieff, Greg Tarzan Davis and Shea Whigham all shine, though with a little less screen time than in the previous film (Atwell fares best). Angela Bassett makes a welcome return, and Henry Czerny excels as the film's secondary antagonist. Newcomers, especially Tramell Tillman and Hannah Waddingham, make impressions, but their roles are brief. The most impactful character moments actually come from Rhames and Mission: Impossible veteran Rolf Saxon, who are both pivotal to Ethan’s endgame.
Now, as for the main villain, if there’s ever been a major miscue in any of these eight Mission movies, it has to be the Entity and Gabriel. The threat of the Entity actually, surprisingly, works since this is supposed to be an impossible mission, but the execution leaves much to be desired. After establishing itself in the previous film as an apocalyptic threat, we don’t actually get to see much of the omniscient AI in action in this film. We’re shown what it can do and what it’s about to do, but it feels almost like a non-character, despite the threat it poses. Most of that feeling can be attributed to its messenger Gabriel, who is, unfortunately, just not a compelling villain on any level. His motivations are relatively convoluted and his history with Ethan is never properly explained, so he feels more like an annoying obstacle rather than a proper threat.
There are a few other minor nitpicks, including some of the dialogue and pacing, but nothing that was a major dealbreaker, although we definitely wouldn't have minded if we were able to see more of Hunt working with his team one last time rather than a slew of new characters we have no connection to. Considering how the first half of the film plays out, it’ll be interesting to see whether an extended cut is eventually released. It would be unprecedented for the series, but it’s already known that there’s plenty of footage left on the cutting room floor, including some key backstory and subplots with previously announced characters.
To quickly address the elephant in the room - is this really the end? Maybe, maybe not. Go buy a ticket and find out!
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning is the action movie blockbuster event of the summer! Tom Cruise has delivered the epic finale we’ve been waiting for, bringing Ethan Hunt’s legendary IMF saga to an action-packed and (largely) emotionally satisfying close. Filled with heart, humor, and all the death-defying, heart-stopping action your heart desires, this is Mission: Impossible at its finest, albeit also its most indulgent. Whether this is truly the end remains to be seen, but, for now, let's all just enjoy the moment.