The eighth Mission: Impossible film starring Ethan Hunt has all the thrilling action sequences you could ask for, along with hilariously ludicrous moments and a villain that is both startlingly foreboding and intricately intertwined with the past. Dead Reckoning Part One isn't a flawless movie—there's one major error that will undoubtedly cause controversy—but it's pretty darn close. Dead Reckoning Part One, the first of a two-part film, begins a wider storyline that, presumably, won't be resolved until the second installment, but it lays the way with an engaging tale that feels self-contained: As multiple parties look for control key, a rogue AI program that Ethan (Tom Cruise) and co. have nicknamed "The Entity" hangs over the events. When Henry Czerny's Eugene Kittridge makes his triumphant return to the series, he states fairly menacingly that control of The Entity will give whoever possesses it the power to decide the truth and the whole concept of good and evil. The expected set-up occurs with customary flair: Ethan, who has been charged by the US government with discovering the key, chooses to go rogue in an effort to destroy it and stop it from getting into the wrong hands, and things start to go wild from there.
Many of the new characters who are introduced in Dead Reckoning Part One will return in Part Two. Gabriel, played by Essai Morales, acts as The Entity's talking, walking surrogate. Gabriel also has ties to Ethan's history, which is an excused retcon included to give their antagonistic relationship another depth. paris, Gabriel's persistent henchwoman, is played by Pom Klementieff. Unfortunately, paris falls victim to the "Silent Asian" cliche that has recently afflicted programs like The Umbrella Academy and The Boys. It's unfortunate since she and Cruise engage in a memorable battle during a particularly devastating scene that drives Dead Reckoning Part One to an excellent conclusion.
The most prominent addition to the movie is Hayley Atwell, who plays the enigmatic Grace. Grace is partnered with Ethan for most of the movie and comes out as a bit of a cypher. Perhaps the Mission: Impossible series is reserving some character development for Part Two, but she comes off as one-note in the movie, especially in comparison to Rebecca Ferguson's Ilsa, one of the series' standout characters. Thankfully, that turns out to be less of an issue than it would be in a less competent movie. The chemistry between Atwell and Cruise is energizing, and their antics provide some of the franchise's funniest set pieces in recent memory. In spite of this, as Dead Reckoning approaches the end of its lengthy 163-minute running time, Grace's antics might start to grate.
An otherwise good film has a few additional weak spots. The conversation is awkward, with Ving Rhames' Luther stating the usage of the MacGuffin and the bigger stakes involved more than three times, almost as if he's speaking directly to the camera. This makes you wish the movie would have more faith in its viewers. As the movie approaches its finale, its running duration becomes excessive. Dead Reckoning Part One isn't helped by the fact that Fallout was so sparing with its pacing, but these are just minor gripes.
With a Mission: Impossible movie that has some of Cruise's most ferocious Ethan Hunt behaviour to date, the movie once again demonstrates why Cruise has been acknowledged as a key player in bringing the movies back. First, with Top Gun: Maverick's spectacular run last summer. Even if every set piece has been teased in some fashion leading up to the movie's release, it doesn't really matter because this franchise is brazen enough to practically give away the whole plot of Fallout in a montage set to the Mission: Impossible theme during the opening credits. It even has a satisfying conclusion that, while leaving certain threads open for the second part, won't be as shocking or disappointing as some recent midpoints in two-parters. Each and every exciting moment is more exciting than the last.
The summer blockbuster might very well be Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One. A busy schedule is filled with other high-profile films, but the action epic stands out from the crowd. Its release in the same month as Barbie and Oppenheimer, the box office battle royale for 2023, demonstrates how confident Cruise and Paramount should be with the project. The camera work of McQuarrie alternates between twitchy anxiousness and grand majesty. The cast, which includes Ferguson, Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Vanessa Kirby (all of whom are returning), is crucial to the plot in a way that heightens the sense of closure that will be reached when the story wraps up next year.
There may already be an obvious leader in summer with too many options, and we should all be grateful to Ethan Hunt for taking the lead.
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