'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One' film review: This summer's cinematic spectacle
Heart-stopping and breathtaking, 'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One' (in theaters July 12) is a relentlessly intense ride from start to finish.
In short: Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team must track down a dangerous item before it falls into the wrong hands - or even the hands of any government. Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff and Henry Czerny also star.
As always, this will be a spoiler-free review - but suffice it to say 'Dead Reckoning Part One' is a white knuckle rush, but perhaps more impressively, this seventh 'M:I' flick feels like the most personal sequel to date. Yes the world is once again in danger. And yes Ethan Hunt is the one person who can save the day - and a notion perhaps no more true this time more than ever. For a film series that goes back almost three decades, the 'Mission: Impossible' flicks are as resilient as Tom Cruise himself - standing the test of time and seemingly getting better as the years go by.
'Dead Reckoning' feels like a true culmination of the 'M:I' series to date: while global powers and terrorists fight over yet another doomsday weapon, Ethan Hunt has time and again proven himself an agent of the greater good. The entire premise of 'Dead Reckoning' really relies on all of the previous 'M:I' flicks to this point: that Agent Hunt, while appearing to go rogue yet again, does not act for personal gain or glory.
'Dead Reckoning' is one of the best popcorn flicks of 2023 - and on top of the thrills and intrigue, it's unexpectedly pretty hilarious. The latest sequel is all too aware of the 'Mission: Impossible' tropes that have defined the series - and coyly acknowledge all the familiar trappings of the franchise ... without jettisoning any of them. At one point the script even seems to wryly mock the patently preposterous scheme Hunt has in store, as if the filmmakers are directly winking at the audience and letting them know they're in on the joke too. The amazing part is audiences know what to expect from a 'Mission: Impossible' flick and the characters straight up tell the audiences what will happen - and 'Dead Reckoning' is still delivers unparalleled heart-pounding thrills.
While 'Dead Reckoning' can definitely entertain anyone walking cold into this series or hasn't seen any or all of the previous flicks, having a working familiarity of the entire series makes ‘Dead Reckoning’ all the most satisfying. In addition to series mainstays Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg returning yet again, a character not seen since the 1996 original flick returns as does 'Fallout' star Vanessa Kirby, playing another character connecting to the original film. Rebecca Ferguson's cagey secret agent Ilsa Faust - first introduced in the fifth film - returns as a pivotal character in this seventh flick.
It's easy to see how 'Dead Reckoning Part One' can stand as a penultimate swan song for Agent Hunt, but there are hints that the franchise can and will continue with or without Tom Cruise - especially with the addition of Hayley Atwell and Pom Klementieff. And despite this sequel being labled as 'Part One,' this sequel sticks the landing in telling a complete and enclosed story - yet leaving enough unfinished business for an exciting conclusion.
To this movie's biggest credit, 'Dead Reckoning Part One' accomplishes the nearly impossible mission of crafting a edge-of-your-seat thriller that grips for its nearly three-hour-long runtime.
Final verdict: This genuinely feels like an impossible mission with harrowing stakes on every level - from personal to global. ‘Dead Reckoning’ is an essential film of 2023 and one that must be experienced on the largest screen possible.
Score: 4.5/5
'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One' opens in theaters nationwide on July 12. This action adventure has a runtime of 163 minutes and is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some language and suggestive material.
