“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” (2023)– James Bond is dead. The “No Time to Die” (2021) filmmakers sadly saw to that.
Long live Ethan Hunt!
Twenty-seven years ago, “Mission: Impossible” (1996) – a feature film directed by Brian De Palma and starring Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt – revived memories of the long-running television show (1966 – 1973), and the movie recaptured that famous theme song, along with a lit fuse that danced across the screen.
Who would’ve thought that almost three decades later, Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible” series would still light up movie screens everywhere? Not this critic.
With the fourth movie, “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” (2011), the series started hitting its stride into mind-bending action set pieces and stunts, including Cruise hanging outside the Burj Khalifa building in Dubai, about 130 floors up. In “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” (2015), he strapped himself to a plane, an Airbus A400M, and in “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” (2018), he jumped out of an aircraft at 25,000’.
Fabulous.
Ethan Hunt is the United States’ version of James Bond, and thank you, Mr. Cruise and the various filmmakers over the past six films, including Christopher McQuarrie, who helmed “Rogue Nation” and “Fallout”, for choosing to accept these cinematic missions.
So, McQuarrie, Ethan, and his Impossible Mission Force (IMF) team – Benji (Simon Pegg), Luther (Ving Rhames), and Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson) – are back for another adventure; this time, it’s large enough for two movies in “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning – Part One” and “Part Two” (2024).
In “Part One”, which runs for lengthy 157 minutes (I timed it), Ethan and the Gang face a world-crushing threat, one ripped from current headlines, as a sentient AI menace, referred to as The Entity, is on the loose and could potentially infiltrate…anywhere. Every government on the planet would love to possess The Entity for strategic purposes, intelligence gathering, and to fashion general mayhem.
The only possible leash to control this 21st-century pet is a literal key.
The IMF’s mission is to possess the missing key (and actually, two keys exist) and find the location of the associated lock.
For just over two and a half hours, the IMF, The White Widow (Vanessa Kirby), and a terrorist named Gabriel (Esai Morales) – who has a long history with Hunt – are chasing down both keys.
Insert Grace (Hayley Atwell). She’s an independent contractor and professional thief, and “someone” hired her to secure the said item(s). Enter Stage Right, a vicious mercenary named Paris (Pom Klemenieff) – who works for “someone else” – is hot on Ethan’s tail. Paris means business, and Klemenieff’s character’s persona is the polar opposite of her sweet take on Mantis from the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies.
Paris may speak the beautiful French language, but Oh La La, she can unleash hideous violence while perusing Ethan and Grace, including ripping vicious stanzas of hand-to-hand combat or demolishing traffic in her path in an Arc-de-Triomphe-sized Hummer.
As expected, McQuarrie, co-writer Erik Jendresen, and Cruise offer spectacular set pieces with heaping, jaw-dropping doses of big, bold, brawny action and fleet-footed fisticuffs in close quarters. No question, the series’ seventh picture delivers lively cinema, and Cruise, naturally, offers yet another mighty stunt that will cross your eyes, as you shake your head in utter disbelief.
The man commits, and moviegoers and Cruise win in this relationship.
However, the movie does suffer from one glaring problem: its repetitive, one-note script. “Dead Reckoning – Part One” is a gimmick movie where heroes and villains try chasing the thing that’s the “key” (literally) to everything for over two and a half hours.
That’s the plot. That’s the film.
Unfortunately, due to the singular focus, you may or may not feel the extensive runtime. Indeed, this critic did, and after about 60 minutes or so, it will eventually dawn on unsuspecting audience members that chasing the key is the sole extent of film.
However, McQuarrie, Cruise, and company conduct a symphony of action.
The on-screen movements – in primarily a European setting in Italy and Austria (but two sizable scenes are set in the Middle East) – are skillfully crafted and designed to dazzle, including a wild and massive car chase romp. A colleague commented after my “Dead” screening that it is the best such scene since “Ronin” (1998), and I agree with him. McQuarrie also synchronizes dazzling intimate fights; sometimes, swords and switchblades slice up the scenery.
McQuarrie and cinematographer Fraser Taggart also make ample use of the scenic locales, ones that shine brightly, although “Dead” isn’t without CGI, especially when a towering haboob blows in during the first act and the last action sequence in the third act.
Still, popcorn-chomping escapism and non-stop thrills are why we flock to these movies, and “Dead” certainly delivers these lively wishes!
Speaking of wishes, Atwell delivers an inspired performance. As an impeccable pickpocket but flawed human being, Grace tiptoes on a high-wire act. She regularly teeters between a friend or foe persona and embraces her goals – first and foremost – but then personally entangles herself with the IMF. Grace leaves Ethan for dead at one point and ditches him a couple of other times under more benign circumstances. They are strangers, and she doesn’t owe Ethan anything. However, with Gabriel, The White Widow, Paris, and more presenting clear and present dangers, she’s faced with choices.
Her arc raises our curiosities, and Ethan’s too.
Ethan feels an inert need to protect Grace, which admittedly, feels like a bit of a stretch, especially when he yells “Grace” about as many times as Finn (John Boyega) screams “Rey” (Daisy Ridley) in the “Star Wars” sequels. Hey, at least Ethan has a purpose to these calls rather than Finn just hollering into the abyss.
Thankfully, Atwell plays Grace straight, as this new “Mission” addition doesn’t always have all the answers all the time. Grace isn’t afraid to reveal her vulnerabilities to Ethan in a few selected moments, and her “grace” is refreshing.
In fact, Ferguson, Atwell, Klementieff, and Kirby are a fantastic, fascinating femme-fatale-four!
On the other hand, U.S. special forces agents Briggs (Shea Whigham) and Degas (Greg Tarzan Davis) routinely – and without fail – pop out of nowhere in a non-stop pursuit to stop Ethan, but they always seem five minutes late and a few hundred dollars short at every turn. Still, McQuarrie and Jendresen scribe these two misfits into the mix, which sure, they provide another hurdle for our hero, but Ethan can unpin his cape, wave it for the bulls, and watch them pass him by.
Ole!
Look, Briggs and Degas are pretty useless, and this critic would be more than fine if they are killed off-screen before “Dead – Part Two”.
Granted, it’s not an urgent request, Mr. McQuarrie and Mr. Cruise. I reckon more important matters are on your plate in post for “Dead Reckoning – Part Two” (2024), and this critic and moviegoer will step out of your way and let you have at it.
So, as you were.
Long live Ethan Hunt.
⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie
Written by: Christopher McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Vanessa Kirby, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, and Henry Czerny
Runtime: 157 minutes
Rated: PG-13
Image credits: Paramount Pictures
