Ever since Christopher McQuarrie took the reins of the Mission: Impossible franchise with the release of M:I – Rogue Nation (2015), he’s managed to one-up himself with each subsequent film, smashing any and all expectations. Now with the release of Dead Reckoning Part One, we have what is without a doubt the best film in the franchise, and one of the best movies of the year.
As far as the spy thriller subgenre is concerned, the 27 year-old Mission: Impossible film franchise is up there as one of the best, and this entry cements that fact. Dead Reckoning Part One puts on a masterclass in the arts of misdirection, suspense, tension and mind-blowing twists. Right from the opening scene it’s clear this film isn’t messing around – it kicks off with one of many intense set pieces, establishing the film’s blistering pace while setting up the globetrotting narrative that’ll really put Ethan Hunt’s skills to the test. From there, it takes a page out of S Club 7’s book and doesn’t stop moving, constantly pushing from one insane action sequence to the next with hardly a moment to recuperate in between. Each action sequence, no matter how big or small, is memorable. Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie have put everything into this project to ensure it’s the best it can be, and they deliver across every department.
The finer details of the narrative are better left unsaid, but the story generally follows Ethan and his IMF team on a mission to recover the key to a dangerous weapon. From the opening minute this narrative had me hook, line and sinker, and it continued to hold me on the edge of my seat right up until the credits began to roll. It’s packed with great character drama and immense tension that continues to build both during and between each action set piece. At every point in the film, one or both of these two things is true – the IMF are pursuing someone or someone is actively pursuing the IMF. This is a genius narrative approach from McQuarrie as it ensures it’s always moving full steam towards the finale and never meandering to pad out the runtime.
Speaking of the runtime, this movie sits at a huge 2 hours and 43 minutes with a tonne of content packed into it. Thanks to the rapid pace, it doesn’t feel that long, but there is a point in the film at around the 2-hour mark where it seems to be coming to a natural conclusion… but it doesn’t. To be clear, when I say a “natural conclusion”, that’s considering the fact that this is a Part One and there’ll almost certainly be a cliffhanger. At this point in the film, it seemed like it was all winding down, but then the pace started ramping up again and it became clear it’s not over yet. If it ended where it did, I’d have been satisfied, but everything that came after that point was too awesome to miss. This isn’t a criticism, just more of an observation on the effect making this a “part one” had on my viewing experience.
Being a Mission: Impossible film, one thing you can always expect is a hefty assortment of game-changing twists, and that’s no exception here. This narrative offers a few big twists that are so well executed it’s near-impossible to see them coming, leading to “oh shit” reveals that are thoroughly fulfilling. These awesome moments occur both inside and outside of the wild action sequences, all of which are filled to the brim with non-stop excitement. From the suspense-filled airport sequence to the heart-pounding intensity of the car chase sequence (which is eerily and coincidentally very similar to a Fast X chase scene) it’s hard to pick a favourite. Within each action sequence there’s multiple insane stunts set back to back to back, all of which are impressively well executed. The film’s ability to keep up such a high level of suspense for long periods of time is remarkably fun to watch.
The impact Tom Cruise has on the industry is evident through this entire film. The fact that he does the majority of his own stunts, including riding a motorcycle off a literal cliff, adds an element of realism and authenticity. His dedication to the craft is invaluable in the success of this franchise. Speaking on his performance, he’s brilliant in the role of Ethan Hunt. It would be easy for Cruise to just resort to playing himself across all his action films, but he doesn’t – he emphasises the qualities that make Ethan Hunt such a likeable protagonist. He’s accompanied by a fantastic ensemble cast that literally all bring their A-game – there’s not a single weak link. Franchise mainstays, Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg contribute to all facets of the film from the action to the comedy. Their chemistry is great and they spread positive vibes across every scene, single-handedly delivering much of the film’s comedy.
Hayley Atwell joins the cast and is an instant favourite. Her character is witty, strong and smart, and the back and forth moments she shares with Cruise make for some of the best scenes. Pom Klementieff impresses in her largely dialogue-less role as Paris – she doesn’t need to say much to make an impact on the film. Her presence is felt immediately any time she shows up and she’s ruthless in the action scenes. Then there’s the likes of Henry Czerny, Shae Whigham, Rebecca Ferguson and Vanessa Kirby who are all solid in their respective roles.
In the end, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is one of the best modern spy thrillers we’ve ever been blessed with. It’s a stellar combination of fantastic writing, intense action, gripping suspense and plenty of twists to boot, all guided along by an ensemble of great performances. It doesn’t miss a beat and remains thoroughly entertaining right through to the end – collating everything we love about the franchise in one film. It weaves in a good dose of comedy, but never becomes overly comedic, opting to maintain a more serious, grounded tone that works. As much as fans will love this film, I feel like it remains approachable and entertaining even for newcomers of casual spy thriller fans. Nevertheless, it’s one of the must-see events of the year.
9.6/10
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