Tom Cruise is at his peak, fighting a faceless enemy, performing incredible stunts unlike anything ever witnessed on film before... No, this isn’t a Top Gun : Maverick review...
I should start by stating, all my reviews are opinion based and are subjective to my own personal knowledge and allegiances, that being said, TOM CRUISE IS THE GREATEST MOVIE STAR OF ALL TIME.
Now, I could end the review there, as that is more than enough of an incentive to go watch yet another action filled blockbuster, stocked from start to finish with jaw dropping must see action but I feel the need, the need for... no wait, wrong movie. I feel the need to expand upon my adoration for Mr. Cruise and to really dive into what makes the 7th instalment into the Mission franchise so great, yet, not perfect.
Firstly, the villain of the movie, The Entity, an AI with unfathomable power, while faceless, is nothing short of terrifying. As it all to closely resembles the direction the world outside our window is taking right now! A somewhat positive side effects of the pandemic delay. The Entity continuously evolves throughout the movie, becoming smarter, faster and more insidious, manipulating humans, governments and nations to its will, which can not be described as anything other than chilling. The Entity is always one step ahead of our heroes, including the great Ethan Hunt, as he attempts to track down 2 sister keys that will shut down The Entity, through great difficulty and strife, allowing us to see a side to the IMF (Impossible Mission Force) that we have yet to see in great depth throughout previous instalments...Fear.
The returning band of heroes yet again shine, each delivering enthralling performances to counteract the strength of the newly introduced powerhouses, in the form of Hailey Atwell's silk fingered Grace, who throughout the movie shows a wide range of qualities that could one day mean she has a permanent position within the ranks of the IMF, should she choose to accept it...
Esai Morales' devilishly handsome mystery man Gabriel, lives up to his name of biblical grandeur, as a prophet of The Entity, providing a somewhat great, if not at times flawed, counter to Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt in the pursuit of ultimate power. Hunt with the intention of destroying it, Morales, whose intentions are some what vague, not too dissimilar from his character as a whole.
Pom Klementiff's chaotic yet visually enjoyable introduction to the Mission franchise as Paris, is at times underwhelming as she is given very little to do bar punching and grunting, which in certain situations works great, in others...not so much.
Of the familiar faces, Simon Pegg's Benji Dunn, shows an emotional depth we have rarely seen from such Misson Impossible characters. Previously having been relegated to the 'guy in the chair' role, Benji is dealt deadly hands that require composure, intelligence and adaptability, all of which, he proves to have in spades.
Other notable returns come via the Mission Impossible staple of systematic globe trotting as we meet Ving Rhames' Luther Stickwell in Abu Dhabi, Vanessa Kirby's Alanna Mitsopolis in Italy, Rebecca Furguson's Ilsa Faust in the Arabian Desert and a deep cut for Mission fans all over, from Mission Impossible (1996), Henry Czenry's Agent Eugene Kitridge, in the USA.
Now this movie isnt perfect by any stretch of the imagination, however it needs to be reiterated, this is part one of a larger story, which I believe does justify some, not all, of the movies deficiencies, of which there was a few, including the use of far too much exposition that was not just subtly littered throughout the movie, but occupied was large chunks of time, that I believe could have been better utilised throughout the movie to expand upon aspects of underdeveloped characters, such Ethan, yes Ethan and his past and Ilsa as a whole, are two glaring examples.
Mission Impossible : Dead Reckoning Part One is an enjoyable cinema experience, dipped in the daredevil flair only Tom Cruise can provide, feeding the hunger of Mission fans with references and call outs to previous instalments, all the while, leaving room and building the excitement for what promises to be an incredible Part Two.
