Whether it is truly the end or not, Mission Impossible The Final Reckoning delivers an adrenaline-fueled ride that brings the franchise to a fitting close.
Mission Impossible The Final Reckoning Review
For almost 30 years, Mission: Impossible has continually presented audiences with big-screen spectacles, high stakes, and humor. Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt has risked it all – his life, his health, and the fates of countless people all in pursuit of doing what was right even if that meant shirking orders. With the knowledge that this is meant to be the culmination of nearly 3 decades, it's no surprise that Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie wanted to go out with a bang, or rather several big action set pieces. It's a film that pays tribute to those that came before it (although the fan service gets to be a lot) while also acting as a big thank you to the fans who have stuck beside Cruise all these years.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is a nonstop adrenaline-fueled ride that brings the franchise to a fitting close. There are a few surprises, loads of callbacks, and emotional moments meant to remind fans why they care about Hunt and his team. Oh and of course there is Cruise doing what he loves to do best, anything dangerous. The two signature stunt sequences, the biplane and the submarine, are thrilling with the former fun to watch and the latter building tension until it feels like the screen may start leaking water. It's not without flaws though, failing to avoid the nostalgia pit many franchises have fallen into. The dialogue is laughable at times and the “bad guy,” the A.I. program introduced in the last film, just feels like a lesser version of Ultron.
Two months have passed since the events of Dead Reckoning, and Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is still trying to battle the rogue A.I. known as “The Entity.” After a plea from the President (Angela Bassett), delivered via VHS tape, Ethan must decide if he is going to turn over the key or keep trying to find a way to get to the sunken submarine on his own. While Ethan ponders his options, The Entity is busy taking over nuclear codes and spreading its own truth-altering information all over the internet. Not only must Ethan and his team fight this computer virus but they also must contend with Gabriel (Esai Morales), the man who resurfaced from Ethan's past and was working as The Entity's human puppet. Ultimately, Ethan will have to more or less work with the American government in order to find the source code and destroy this world-ending threat. Naturally, this involves some insane Mission: Impossible type stunts along the way.
Despite continuing the story (and reminding you of it constantly), The Final Reckoning feels a bit disjointed. There are plot points that go nowhere, as well as some that are so out of left field the only reasoning for them is to pull heartstrings. Think I'm exaggerating? Well then you explain why a hero who was healthy the last time we saw them suddenly is dying from some mysterious disease. And no, despite the overly long runtime, they never give any details about it. The first hour plus of Final Reckoning is spent rehashing all of Ethan's many achievements (or transgressions depending on what side you're on) from the previous films. Complete with a serious voice-over, extolling Ethan has the “best of men, in the worst of times.” It's an extremely sober affair, even after it decides to pick up the pace in the final act. There are one too many conversations about the end of the world, with somber looks, and Cruise tearing up slightly as he says please over and over again. Please trust me, please help me, please do this… One of the things I always enjoyed about the Mission: Impossible films was their ability to balance the seriousness with levity. Dead Reckoning and now Final Reckoning, seem to have forgotten all about that.
Once it puts all its players on the board and pieces in place, everything takes off (sometimes literally). However, the callbacks, cameos, and unnecessary explanations of random plot threads from previous missions continue to permeate the scenes. There is even a point where the original film's release date becomes important. (A date no one in my screening knew without googling.) I'm sure diehard fans will love spotting these, like I do when it comes to Marvel or Star Wars, but there is such a thing as too many easter eggs. And again, considering how long this movie is and the lack of importance most of these moments carry, it makes you wonder why they needed to be included at all. There is one nod I actually enjoyed (and it's been shown in the trailers). William Donloe (Rolf Saxon), the poor guy who lost his job after Ethan stole the NOC list out from under the CIA back in the first film, returns in a meaningful way. Even if it seems a little cheesy that he has held onto something to return to Ethan for decades, Saxon gives heart to the scenes he is in. I'm glad he was included in this final outing.
The overall moodiness of the first act finally gets out of the way of what people are undoubtedly in the seats to see– Cruise doing what he does best i.e. something dangerous. The turning point comes when Ethan finally makes it to the sunken submarine, the Sevastopol, giving Avatar The Way of Water a run for its money when it comes to underwater sequences. Cruise and McQuarrie have pushed boundaries here with this extreme sequence that lasts around 20 minutes. It's intense, claustrophobic, and bound to be ranked as one of the series' greatest stunts. The biplane sequence happens later and almost feels more like something from Fast and the Furious with the response being more “oh look at that, it's cool I guess” in comparison to the submarine set. All in all, the action hits. There are plenty of shots of Cruise running, car chases, and cat and mouse games happening throughout the runtime. The only stunt I think missing was a motorcycle one, but it was shown in a flashback so maybe it still counts if you wanted to check it off your M.I. Bingo card.
What I did appreciate was that the team was brought back together again. Each member was given an important job to do – reminiscent of Fallout. That was something I felt was lacking in Dead Reckoning. One of the things about Ethan is that he cares about his team and trusts them. It's a fact brought up by a character in this film, but where they mocked it as a weakness, fans know it to be a strength.
Verdict
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is a nonstop adrenaline-fueled ride that brings the franchise to a fitting close. It's not without flaws, most of which center around the overly dramatic “end of every living thing on the Earth” plot. I think the pacing and cohesiveness of the story could have benefited from scaling down the threat to one or two deadly weapons. The dialogue is cheesy and corny at times – what bad guy says “tell me I won” with the same attitude as a child in a classroom demanding a gold sticker for putting their name on their homework? Still, longtime fans will be rewarded with a plethora of Easter eggs, cameos, and flashbacks galore. Cruise and McQuarrie have not confirmed this is the last one but it definitely feels like it's a curtain call. At least if it is the end, they went out in an underwater bang.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is in theaters May 23. It is rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence and action, bloody images, and brief language. with a runtime of 2 hours and 49 minutes.
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