What is next for the IMF after defeating someone the CIA once deemed a hammer to Ethan Hunt’s (Tom Cruise) scalpel approach? Taking on artificial intelligence. As we catch up with the Impossible Mission Force, Ethan and co.—Luther (Ving Rhames), Benji (Simon Pegg) and the enigmatic Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson) are all eventually briefed on “The Entity.” The Entity is AI that has gone rogue, possessing the ability to hack electronics, change the economy, and even start wars. It is as close to God as one could get, which is why every major power is seeking to harness it. Although the details are hazy, a key—currently split in two (!)—promises the possessor control of this sentient being.
Hunt’s first opportunity to secure the key comes in Abu Dhabi, which brings him in contact with an old nemesis whom he thought was long gone in Gabriel (Esai Morales), now working for The Entity. Simultaneously, his path crosses with Grace (Hayley Atwell) a chronic pickpocketer who unknowingly swiped the wrong thing at the wrong time. From here, these individuals and other interested parties will converge all across the world as they race to unite and acquire this accessory.
How do you top Mission: Impossible – Fallout, a movie that is widely regarded as if not the best action movie of the last decade, then at least the 1B to Mad Max: Fury Road? Try as hard as you might, it’s hard to, but you lean into what Fallout did and divulge a bit by creating a two-parter that inherently “raises the stakes” in what is widely assumed as the beginning of the end for Cruise’s stint as Ethan Hunt. With so many familiar faces returning, the chances of the first part of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning absolutely sinking were nil, and this is very much a really good feature despite a few bumps.
One of those familiar faces returning is director Christopher McQuarrie, a man who has as much to do with the recent revitalized success of the M:I series as its thespian megastar. Talking about scale as it pertains to action, few do it better than McQ. For action junkies, there’s pretty much everything one could desire out of setpieces, which include trains, automobiles (we had enough planes and copters in the prior M:I movies) and the laying of the foundation for an intensive underwater excursion. All of these setpieces are, well, set in dynamic locales and/or slick backdrops, often including the oh so sweet motion of Mr. Cruise hauling it for long stretches. Some camera angles McQuarrie and cinematographer Fraser Taggart use are clear tributes to the first Mission: Impossible. The score from Lorne Balfe is grandiose in its purest form. One sort of notable flaw? Slightly more CGI is present in this installment than prior ones, perhaps a byproduct of the COVID restrictions.
Through a combination of (mostly) sheer luck, COVID restrictions, and maybe just a sneaky bit of world insight into where things were going as we were still deep in a pandemic, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is quite timely with making its main villain a formless artificial intelligence. Writers Erik Jendresen and McQuarrie craft a plot that is…believable and engaging enough, even if at times it is reminiscent of Avengers: Infinity War (there are two moments in here when the discussion of every permutation the AI can make that feel very Doctor Strange-y) and every MacGuffin-centric feature in the F&F universe since 2013. Like those other movies, M:I7 also happens to be extremely lengthy yet not as tightly paced as its predecessor.
Where the duo really stumbles is how and why the physical manifestations of villainy are connected to The Entity. The focus on the AI does minimize Gabriel, who at the end of the day is ultimately a henchman as opposed to a true big bad. This is sad, because Morales fits the vibe of this franchise, has a great look here, and feels ready to chew scenery. I would have loved to see a film put all the attention on him as the sole bad guy. When it comes to a henchman, or a henchwoman in this case, it is pretty cool to see Pom Klementieff getting an opportunity to color outside of the Marvel lines. She doesn’t speak much but every minute is electric when she is on the screen.
Stating the obvious here, but Cruise at his age continues to carry a presence and be fully devoted to the art of the blockbuster. What differentiates these from, say, their Fast & Furious contemporaries is that even though Cruise remains one of the bigger stars ever, they still feel like an ensemble production compared to the latter features of the former car racing franchise which often have focused on Toretto outward. That isn’t to say that all of the cast is able to shine all the time (Ferguson here draws the short stick), but they do feel like less of afterthoughts, particularly Atwell and a returning Henry Czerny who both have high levels of chemistry with Cruise.
If anything, Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One does land the plane and simultaneously gives adequate closure in areas while laying down all the cards for an explosive Part Two. If it takes a slightly wobbly Part One to make for a spectacular Part Two, that’s a mission trade-off I’m willing to take.