Tom Cruise Can’t Stunt His Way Out Of A Middling ‘Mission’ Finale
At this point in the Mission: Impossible series, franchise stewards — star Tom Cruise, and writer/director Christopher McQuarrie — have trained audiences to expect, well, the impossible. Purchasing a ticket means a promise to see Cruise spit in the face of God, and put his very life on the line pursuing an escalating number of daredevil stunts for the entertainment of us mere mortals. Certainly, Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning delivers some dazzling setpieces, but an uncertain tone and lacklustre pacing coupled with a constant need to pay tribute to its own past stifles the picture’s explosive potential.
This is usually the part of the review where we’d give you a little summary of the plot, but walking into a Mission: Impossible movie expecting a coherent story is like ordering a salad at McDonald’s. But to make sure my editor is happy, and to give the uninitiated the basics, here’s what you need to know: an advanced A.I. named The Entity is infecting computers across the globe and plans to launch the world’s nuclear arsenal and wipe out humanity for good (undeniable shades of SkyNet from The Terminator franchise or the machines from The Matrix). Ethan Hunt (Cruise) has a magic key (acquired in the previous film Dead Reckoning) that can destroy The Entity. But standing standing in his way is baddie Gabriel (Esai Morales — also from the previous film), the U.S. government, and the Russian military. But with his crack team (Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Pom Klementieff) by his side, they’ll “figure it out” as they always do to save the day.
Let’s be clear — none of that matters (and that’s not what we’re here for). It’s just a lot of cyber goobledygook to move the characters along to the next action scene. And should you really want to know what’s at stake, the script will keep reminding you every fifteen minutes or so what everyone is doing and why. But, what you, dear reader, want to know is: do Cruise and McQuarrie once again blow your eyeballs out of their sockets and make you pick them up off the floor? The answer is: yes…somewhat. The adrenaline pumping middle act features the film’s finest moments, with first place going to an abandoned submarine sequence that might be among the best of the series. Editor Eddie Hamilton also does a terrific job of cross-cutting between a fiery arctic cabin shootout and a fist fight in a submarine to breathless effect.
However, this middle act is preceded by an uncharacteristically saggy first act. Saddled with flashbacks to Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (to set the stage for this movie / (read review) and a clip laden victory lap of past entries and events in the franchise, it plays like a YouTube supercut that just doesn’t know when to end. But it offers payoffs too, notably in the return of William Donloe (Rolf Saxon), the CIA analyst from the very first Mission: Impossible who worked in the impenetrable vault at Langley that Ethan, naturally, broke into. McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen craft a true arc for Donloe, one that repositions his role in the franchise. Beyond a mere cameo, it’s a shining example for other IPs on how to bring back characters in truly meaningful ways.
In fact, for the all the retconning of some of the previous instalments, its the characters that shine brighter than the stunts this time around. Pegg’s Benji, who over the course of the series has grown more confident as a field agent, finds himself thrust into situations this time around that Ethan would normally handle himself. Klementieff makes her presence known often without saying a word as former assassin turned ally, Paris. And newcomers like Severance star Tramell Tillman, and Love Lies Bleeding breakout Katy O’Brien stake out their own territory with ease and charm in their minor appearances.
By the time Ethan is hanging off a biplane, and the fate of the planet is in the balance, Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning starts running out of steam. The series is at its best when it’s well orchestrated, fast moving, high calorie euphoria; a cotton candy sugar rush strung along by the faintest narrative tissue. But here, the endless talk about fate and destiny intoned with po-faced severity and a self-congratulatory air takes the wind out of the sails. For now, Ethan Hunt is done running, jumping, driving, shooting, flying, swimming, and nearly killing himself for the sake of the world. Will he be back? Only The Entity known as Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions knows for sure.
Reviewed on May 14th at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival (78th edition). 169 mins.
★★★/☆☆☆☆☆
