MOVIE REVIEW – Nearly three decades and seven films later, the Mission: Impossible series has, improbably, aged like a fine wine. Each film has surpassed the last – Brian Lepalma’s sexy and thrilling opener gave way to John Woo’s bombastic and action-packed sequel, J.J. Abrams’ Mission: Impossible 3 gave us perhaps the franchise’s most powerful protagonist, and set the stage for Ethan Hunt’s romantic story, followed by the very unique Mission Impossible 4, a Christopher McQuarrie-era sequel.

McQuarrie, who directed one of the best action films of all time six films and 22 years into the franchise, helped Ethan Hunt survive two James Bonds, three Batmans and the entire DCEU. Now it’s all culminating in what’s being billed as a big-letter event: Mission: Impossible Part One is the first part of a two-part story that will end in 2024, and after a number of setbacks – including COVID-related shutdowns, a release date delay and a leaked shooter rant – it’s finally here in all its glory.

Ethan Hunt’s seventh outing is everything you’d expect from a Mission Impossible film: breathtaking locations and action sequences that rival the best of the franchise, stunningly absurd and hair-raising moments, and a villain who is both eerily prescient and deeply connected to the past.

Granted, the first part of The Countdown is not a perfect film – there is one major stumble that is sure to be divisive – but it’s close. As the first of a two-part series, Mission: Impossible Part One of the Countdown kicks off a larger narrative that won’t conclude until the next film, but it paves the way with an intriguing story that feels truly original: an evil artificial intelligence program, dubbed The Entity by Ethan (Tom Cruise) and his companions, hovers over the proceedings as various parties search for the key to controlling it. Controlling the Entity gives power to whoever possesses it to decide the truth, the concepts of right and wrong, as Henry Czerny’s Eugene Kittridge, played by Henry Czerny, says rather ominously in his big return to the franchise. The obligatory prelude is typically pithy: Ethan, tasked with finding the key to the US government, decides to go rogue to try to destroy it and prevent it from falling into anyone’s hands, and things go haywire from there.

An arch-villain from the past…

The first part of Dead Reckoning introduced a host of new characters, many of whom will return in the second part. Essai Morales Gabrielle serves as a sort of apprentice to the Entity, a walking, talking substitute. Gabriel is also connected to Ethan’s past, a clever retcon that adds an extra layer to their adversarial relationship. Pom Klementieff appears as Paris, Gabriel’s stalwart henchman, who unfortunately falls into the “quiet Asian” cliché reminiscent of series like Umbrella Academy and The Boys from years past. It’s a shame, as he has an outstanding fight with Cruise during a particularly tragic scene, leading to an outstanding ending to the first part of Dead Reckoning.

But the most notable new addition to the film is Hayley Atwell as the mysterious Grace. For much of the film, Ethan’s partner Grace is a bit of a mystery – perhaps the franchise has some characterization in store for part two, but she ends up looking monotone in the film, especially compared to Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa, who is one of the standout characters in Mission Impossible and part seven. Fortunately, this proves less of a problem than in a weaker film. Atwell and Cruise have an invigorating chemistry, and their adventures lead to some of the franchise’s most fraught scenes in years.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 is excellent, but it makes a big mistake

This huge playing time makes room for some truly impressive scenery. The two scenes that close the film – one in the desert, the other in the Alps – are some of the most exciting of the franchise so far. Some of the action sequences feel like a video game in the best sense, and capture what recent video game adaptations like Uncharted and Mortal Kombat have been unable to achieve. There’s also a cleverly choreographed Roman car chase that gives way to Tom Cruise’s comedic skills, something we haven’t seen in a very long time, and which also relieves some of the over the top tension and drama.

Of course, we don’t want to spoil anything, but this most tragic scene of the film also serves as the emotional climax of the film, propelling Ethan, Grace and the team into the final confrontation of the film. The aforementioned dramatic twist and comedic bit work brilliantly, capped off by the film’s final action sequence, which can be considered one of the best finales in the franchise.

No less pithy is the film’s central theme: an old world battling a terrifying new superpower, the collision of truth and fiction and the derailment of everything that has worked so well for Ethan Hunt. But there is still a huge question mark around the true ‘protagonist’ of the film, which only the second part will answer.

How does Dead Reckoning compare to other Mission: Impossible films?

However, a few minor weaknesses in an otherwise strong film must be mentioned. One or two of the dialogues are a bit contrived and unnatural, mostly related to Ving Rhames’ Luther, who often seems to speak almost directly into the camera, trying to chew the viewer’s ear with background and explanations of events, which makes you wish the film had more faith in its audience. There is a bit too much dialogue for a Mission Impossible and the film becomes a bit too long as it reaches its climax. The fact that Fallout gets so bogged down in detail doesn’t help the pacing for a two-part film – but these are all minor quibbles.

The film proves once again why Cruise is credited with keeping classic franchises alive, first with the incredible success of Top Gun: Maverick last summer, and now with the incredible success of Mission: Impossible, which features some of Cruise’s wildest action sequences to date, such as when he jumps off a cliff on a motorbike, or during a mad car chase while handcuffed to a woman, or when he slaps a woman in a hellishly narrow alley.

The action sequences are amazingly on point, even if we knew them before the film was released. Of course, there’s also the insane Lalo Schriffrin Mission Impossible theme music, with its various catchy variations, which constantly keeps the familiar action scenes on top. Each action scene manages to outdo the last, and by the time the cliffhanger ending that precedes the second part arrives, the tension is at its peak.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 has accomplished its most impossible mission: not only is it the most powerful, adrenaline-pumping action epic of the franchise to date, but it has managed to ratchet up the tension and excitement to such a level that we’ll be waiting for the sequel for a year.

-BadSector-