Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt in a nearly 3-hour action movie that features breathtaking stunts, but struggles with an overstuffed plot
This image shows Tom Cruise in a still from the film "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning." CLEVELAND, Ohio — Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible” franchise has always thrived on the improbable — jaw-dropping stunts, convoluted plots and the reckless audacity of its impossible-to-kill hero, Ethan Hunt.
These aren’t bugs; they’re features. Hallmarks of a series that grabs you by the collar and shouts, “Let’s go!” The eighth installment, “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning," doesn’t reinvent the formula. It leans into it, mixing in a dose of nostalgia and delivering a finale that’s as thrilling as it is maddening. The story picks up shortly after the events of “Dead Reckoning Part One.” The Entity, the sentient artificial intelligence introduced in that film, has gone global, spreading through cyberspace and plunging the world into chaos. Misinformation is rampant. Systems are compromised. Nuclear tensions are rising. Desperate for a solution, President Erika Sloane calls on Cruise’s rogue IMF agent for one last mission : Destroy the Entity before it destroys us. First, Ethan must recover a key held by Gabriel , the ruthless and elusive villain from the last film. Then, he needs to find a long-lost Russian submarine buried beneath the Bering Sea, where the AI’s source code is believed to be locked away. Sound impossible? Not for The Living Manifestation of Destiny and his loyal crew: Luther , the zen master super hacker; Benji , the anxious but genius analyst; Grace , the quick-thinking thief; and Paris , the deadly assassin with a score to settle. As always, Cruise sells you the whole seat, but you’ll only need the edge. The action is relentless and often breathtaking. The film’s centerpiece features Ethan navigating a decaying submarine loaded with nuclear warheads, holding his breath as he scrambles to the surface. Director Christopher McQuarrie channels his inner Christopher Nolan and James Cameron, delivering 15 minutes of dialogue-free, pulse-pounding underwater tension, elevated by Eddie Hamilton’s taut edit and Max Aruj and Alfie Godfrey’s engaging score. Then there’s the grand finale: Cruise actually walking on the wing of a biplane, mid-flight, 10,000 feet in the air. It’s insane, yes, but by now so par for the course that it probably doesn’t even crack the franchise’s top five stunts. At this point, you may start to wonder if the over-the-top set pieces serve the story, or fulfill Cruise’s desire to play stuntman fantasy camp. Probably a little of both. But while the action remains top-tier, the story doesn’t quite stick the landing. McQuarrie and co-writer Erik Jendresen’s script is preoccupied with the idea of a “final reckoning,” with characters repeatedly reminding Ethan that the sum of his choices have led to this moment, where he must choose between saving the people he loves and those he’ll never know. It’s part of the film’s wistful tone, awkwardly trying to bring the franchise full circle. That means cameos and callbacks galore. Besides Bassett’s Erika Sloane, Eugene Kittridge and William Donloe return, too. Shea Whigham’s Jasper Briggs is even given a connection to a legacy character, and the MacGuffin in “Mission: Impossible III” is retconned to figure into the Entity’s origins. The result: “The Final Reckoning” clocks in at 2 hours and 49 minutes, feeling both bloated and incomplete. Some of the film’s most pivotal moments end up happening offscreen, and Gabriel’s backstory — teased heavily in the last one — remains frustratingly vague. Still, if this really is the end of Ethan Hunt’s journey, it’s a fitting farewell. Cruise, McQuarrie and company took a cerebral ‘60s TV show and turned it into one of Hollywood’s most consistently entertaining action franchises. If they want to take a victory lap, they’ve earned it. But if “Mission: Impossible IX” shows up in theaters anytime soon, I just might, well, self-destruct. “Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning” is rated PG-13 and has a runtime of 2 hours, 49 minutes. The movie is playing at theaters across the country.‘The Electric State’ review: Russo Brothers' robot adventure short circuits If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our
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