One of the most influential and entertaining franchises the film industry has ever seen comes to a close with Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. This latest installment attempts the daunting task of tying together eight films spanning over 30 years of countless mask reveals, last-second bomb defusals, and, of course, death-defying stunts. Once again, Tom Cruise cements his role as the face of the theater-going experience.
Originally titled Dead Reckoning Part Two, the film picks up just two months after the events of its predecessor. Ethan Hunt now holds a key capable of shutting down The Entity—a rogue artificial intelligence threatening global stability by targeting economies, societies, and most importantly, nuclear arsenals. With a doomsday clock of four days, Ethan finds himself battling not only The Entity’s liaison, Gabriel, but also rising pressure from the U.S. government. The movie’s first hour is largely devoted to recapping the events of Dead Reckoning and revisiting key moments from earlier entries in the series. This approach is effective at making the movie accessible to hard-core and casual fans alike, but also shines a spotlight on the cracks left in the foundation that Dead Reckoning laid.
This effort to connect all the dots becomes the film’s biggest stumbling block. Mission Impossible, which was never designed with an overarching story in mind, struggles to connect dots that aren’t on the same page. The story takes some generous leaps and even retcons history to tie in each of the previous 7 films. While it’s fun to see familiar faces return, they ultimately clutter what was already a messy narrative. Dead Reckoning tried to sell the idea that The Entity had been orchestrating Ethan’s journey from the very beginning, a plan supposedly thirty years in the making. For a franchise known for redefining the action genre with each entry, it’s disappointing to see it rely on such a tired storytelling trope.
Looking back, Mission: Impossible is really a tale of two eras. The first three films, while entertaining, act more as fun standalone adventures. It wasn’t until Ghost Protocol that the franchise started to build to something larger. Director Christopher McQuarrie elevated that even further with Rogue Nation and Fallout, building a layered story where the stakes felt more personal and intense. Much of the praise for Fallout centered around its ability to conclude a story that had been building for so many years. The ending left a blank slate for The Final Reckoning, but it wasn’t able to recreate the magic. Still, if you’re willing to look past the narrative flaws and, as Ethan Hunt might say, “trust him one last time,” there’s plenty here to love.
One of the standout additions from Dead Reckoning was Haley Atwell as Grace, and once again, she steals scenes throughout the movie. Atwell has that charisma and wit that have made Tom Cruise a staple in the action genre for so long. Fan favorites Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames return as the heart of the IMF, Benji and Luther. Their dynamic with Cruise is enjoyable is ever, and carries all the emotional weight of the film. The Final Reckoning also welcomes many familiar faces from across the series, along with a few new ones, which at times feels a bit crowded. But thanks to strong performances across the board and a clear love for the material, The Final Reckoning makes the ensemble work.
Director Christopher McQuarrie returns for his fourth Mission: Impossible film, continuing his streak of jaw-dropping set pieces. Cruise and McQuarrie manage to fly over the bar set by Dead Reckoning with the sequences in The Final Reckoning. While the story between the action beats can get a bit messy, the stunts and set pieces remain incredible. The opening action is a ton of fun and would probably be the standout in other franchises, yet somehow, each subsequent sequence is even better than the last. There is something so raw about watching these absolutely over-the-top sequences and knowing: Tom Cruise did that. Despite the cheesy dialogue and cliche stakes, it’s hard not to be on the edge of your seat.
Cruise and McQuarrie clearly understand what makes a theater experience unforgettable. The story may be messy, and the occasional all-too-serious dialogue can be jarring, but everyone walking out of the theater had a huge smile on their face. The Final Reckoning has everything a great action movie should: romance, humor, plot twists, high stakes, and of course, the iconic soundtrack. The Final Reckoning embraces the chaos and flaws of its impossible mission, and just like our beloved IMF team, it somehow stumbles through to deliver an exhilarating payoff.
