Written Review by John Delia, Sr.
The seventh episode of the successful franchise Mission Impossible: “Dead Reckoning” comes in two parts. Part one is just short of three hours long and that could be one of the reasons why the decided to break it in two. Other franchises like Harry Potter Deathly Hallows part 1 drew just under a billion dollars with its part 2 bringing in $1.3 billion; and Twilight Breaking Dawn 1 grossed $712 million worldwide and part 2 reached nearly $830 million worldwide. So it’s not an impossible idea to do 2 parts. My guess is that Dead Reckoning will top previous films and break some sort of record for their feat.
The film opens with a Russian submarine moving below the surface of the Bering Sea, it’s in the area closest to the United States. They have been spying on various countries’ ships and off shore locations to establish a plan for their military. The sub is equipped with a super stealth mechanism that keeps them invisible to anyone and a weapon that supersedes anything other countries have developed. The volatility of the weapon is so powerful that it could end the world as we know it. When an onboard disaster causes the sub to explode, the special two part key to the weapon that’s vital to its operation, goes missing.
The United States government has received information that one half of the key is in the hands of a former MI6 operative Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson). Impossible Mission Force agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) gets offered an assignment to retrieve Ilsa’s half of the key setting him up for the greatest challenge of his lifetime.
Thus begins a powerhouse adventure with nonstop action exploding on the screen slowing only for added character development and compelling dialogue. Feeding his audience with unexpected changes in both location and adversaries, Christopher McQuarrie’s film captivates while tantalizing the need for more encounters with adversaries.
The acting of the stiller cast is never in question as it develops on the screen. While Tom Cruise continues to be unbreakable, his character Ethan Hunt is a bit worn and expectable. Yet, who cares about predictability in his role as it’s stunning and exciting to see him doing most of his stunts and character development. He’s a master at what he does and very few others could meet his match.
The IMF crew is back for another adventure including Ving Rhames as Luther and Simon Pegg as Benji. They both play a big role in the entertainment the film provides as they have been doing from the original to all the sequels of the franchise. Reviving Director of IMF Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny) from the first Mission Impossible, he becomes an important cog in the development of the storyline. But, the shining new stars of this first half are Hayley Atwell as Grace, a killer and Esai Morales as Gabriel, a powerful terrorist. Rounding out the cast is Rebecca Ferguson who plays the former IMF agent. She’s the ‘prize’ for this episode and seeing her in action really kindles the film.
Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for intense sequences of violence and action, some language and suggestive material. The violence gets a bit over the top, but I’ve seen uglier in other adventure films. For the target audience of adventure, action and spy thriller 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Mariela Garriga, Henry Czerny, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Charles Parnell, Frederick Schmidt, Cary Elwes, Mark Gatiss, Indira Varma, Rob Delane
Directed and co-written by: Christopher McQuarrie
Genre: Action, Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some language and suggestive material.
Running Time: 2 hrs. 43 min.
Opening Date: July 12, 2023
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Released in: Theaters