After enduring significant delays due to Covid, the long-awaited seventh installment of the Mission Impossible franchise, titled “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” has finally arrived. And if you thought that 2018’s “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” was the best yet, hold onto your seats because this latest film vows to deliver an even more thrilling experience..
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, who has successfully helmed the past three movies, the film reunites the stellar quartet of lead characters, including the indomitable Ethan Hunt portrayed by Tom Cruise, alongside Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), and the always uproarious Benji Dunn portrayed by Simon Pegg, among others.
In this chapter, Hunt embarks on a new mission that requires him to save the world, as is often the case in these death-defying adventures. The mission centers around finding a mysterious two-piece key that vanished after a catastrophic explosion, with the imminent risk of falling into nefarious hands. With Hunt’s IMF team clueless about the key’s whereabouts or purpose, they eventually unveil its connection to an enigmatic artificial intelligence entity referred to simply as “The Entity.”
The blend of high-tech gadgets and deceit has always been integral to the Mission: Impossible series, starting from the original TV show in the mid-1960s. In “Dead Reckoning Part One,” the plot thickens as those who deceive are also being deceived, with the introduction of AI, blurring the lines between reality and falsehood.
With the looming threat of AI and a cast of human accomplices, Hunt and his team travel across the globe in a series of high-speed cat-and-mouse adventures. Although the storyline can be confusing at times, the thrilling chase scenes keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Director McQuarrie promises that this film features some of the most incredible and daring stunts in the entire Mission: Impossible franchise and in the history of film.
These stunts include Cruise driving a motorcycle off a cliff, a breathtaking fight atop a moving train running at 100 km/hr that culminates in a train wreck caused by an explosion, and an exhilarating car chase through the streets of Rome, starting with a stolen police motorcycle and then a BMW. One of the highlights is when Cruise gains access to a modest sub-compact yellow Fiat 500, as opposed to the Porsche 911 in “Mission: Impossible 2,” the Lamborghini Gallardo in “Mission: Impossible 3,” or the BMW M5 in “Mission: Impossible – Fallout.” The action-packed car scene features our hero driving at high speeds, one-handed, while being handcuffed to the delightful Grace, played by Hayley Atwell.
The speed, traffic, and the challenge of maneuvering on cobblestone Italian streets add to the excitement, although at times it can also add to the unpredictability.
Cruise expressed his desire to give the audience a thrilling experience, stating in an interview, “but the key is don’t crash.”
As an IMF agent, Hunt is always dedicated to the mission, willing to take risks and make life-altering personal sacrifices to ensure the safety of his team. However, as the film progresses, we see a deeper emotional side of Cruise’s character. This is evident when it appears that one of them may not survive the mission. It becomes even more apparent when the villain Gabriel, played by Isai Morales, acting as an agent for the Entity, declares that one of two people will die, and Hunt may have to make a difficult choice. Moreover, Hunt is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission, not even the lives of those he cares about the most.
Gabriel’s connection to Hunt’s pre-IMF history, briefly touched upon in earlier films, reopens old wounds, adds to the emotional turmoil, and sets the stage for potential future storylines. Moreover, the return of former IMF Director Kittridge, portrayed by Henry Czerny, last seen in the inaugural Mission: Impossible movie in 1996, ignites more curiosity and speculation.
As the film’s name suggests, there will be a Part Two, scheduled for release in June 2024. Despite this fact, the creators have made “Dead Reckoning – Part One” the longest Mission: Impossible film to date, clocking in at a whopping 163 minutes (two hours and forty-three minutes). Despite its length and the knowledge that it will end on a cliff-hanger, the film kept me glued to my seat, eagerly trying to anticipate what would happen next.
[Fun Fact: Each subsequent Mission: Impossible film is longer than the previous one.]
After watching “Dead Reckoning – Part One,” the wait for June 2024 cannot come soon enough. However, it also left me contemplating whether the next installment could be foreshadowing the end of the franchise.
At 61 years old, will Cruise eventually become too old and fragile to continue performing his death-defying stunts?
Will he pass the baton to a younger version of himself?
Does the presence of Gabriel and Kittridge hint at a potential Mission: Impossible prequel?
Will it go out with a bang; or will it be like The Who, who continue to tour despite Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey’s “Farewell Tour” in 1982?
“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” opened in theaters on Wednesday, July 12th. Make sure to see it on the big screen for the ultimate experience.
The syndicated edition of the article appears at Troy Media and 32 affiliated syndicated sites. Podcasts also appear at either Toastcaster.com or Toastmasters Podcast.com.
Greg Gazin, also known as the Gadget Guy and Gadget Greg, is a syndicated veteran tech columnist, communication, leadership and technology speaker, facilitator, blogger, podcaster and author. Reach him @gadgetgreg or at GadgetGuy.ca.
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