Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is the continuing story of our world at risk. Fortunately, the Impossible Mission Force (IMF) exists to save us from the invisible threats lurking in the shadows. After a submarine disappears under suspicious circumstances, the IMF’s top agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) gets called in for duty. Hunt’s mission is to retrieve a related mysterious key broken into two pieces. One half of the key has been obtained by his ally, Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) which puts her in grave danger. As Hunt races to assist Ilsa, he discovers a new sinister force able to predict the IMF’s every move.
What works in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is the transactional investment at the heart of the film. This is a movie made with painstaking love focused on one core tenet: exceptional characters in amazing situations. With writer/director Christopher McQuarrie (his third time in the chair for this franchise) equally balancing those facets in harmony, he creates a world that is exceedingly captivating and engaging for audiences. Quietly, Mission: Impossible has built its own cinematic universe full of super spies that audiences can root for. Time and care have been into developing their personalities, motivations, and flaws. In this new outing, the roster further expands with the inclusion of Grace (Hayley Atwell). Atwell’s character is immediately riveting given her natural charisma combined with an air of mystery, and her obvious ability to kick ass with the rest of the crew.
RELATED: Final Trailer for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One Features Praise From Critics
To complete the recipe, McQuarrie pairs his performers with some of the best action sequences ever filmed. As with the previous outings, Dead Reckoning Part One relies almost exclusively on practical effects. This means witnessing Tom Cruise fight atop an actual train, ride a motorcycle off an actual cliff, and fall from actual heights. People will audibly gasp. The phrase “you’ll be on the edge of your seat,” has become cliched but it has never been more applicable. The reason this works is that months and months went into crafting the spectacle, and the quality shows.
Audiences unfamiliar with the Mission: Impossible franchise, or those who want their explosions to outnumber the exposition, may not enjoy Dead Reckoning Part One as much as others. As the seventh film in the franchise, there are definite rewards for the faithful including numerous nods and references to previous missions. That said, the film is accessible for newcomers as the movie will bring the uninitiated up to speed. To that point, Dead Reckoning Part One features a great deal of character development as both protagonists and antagonists strategize and philosophize. While this brings depth to the proceedings, some may feel that the dialogue-heavy scenes slow the pace of the film.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is a fantastic blockbuster that gets pretty much everything right. This franchise has soared on the quality of its performers and action thus far, and somehow Dead Reckoning Part One brings the series to new heights. Highly recommended for everyone.
Recommended if you Enjoyed: Top Gun: Maverick, Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is available exclusively in theaters starting on July 12th.
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