Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning hits the heights of action filmmaking

As one of the most consistently entertaining franchises in Hollywood today, a mediocre Mission: Impossible film is still better than most. With Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, we take off not long after the previous film, Dead Reckoning, as Ethan Hunt has sequestered himself from the world. With an evil Artificial Intelligence taking over the nuclear supply of all nations, though, he’s forced out of hiding to save the world once again. Running at nearly three hours, The Final Reckoning features some of the greatest sequences in any MI film, while also leaning a little too heavily on exposition to coast on its inflated runtime.

The first 90 minutes are a bit of a slog, loaded with explainers and flashbacks, while also (improbably) feeling rushed. Sequences that thrust the action forward feel reshaped to retrofit a new direction for the film. The disappointing box-office returns of Dead Reckoning led the filmmakers to pursue a new direction and create something that’s more of a standalone film; while the growing pains inevitably pass, the movie tests the audience from the outset. Though they try to lean heavily into nostalgia by featuring montages built from all the previous Mission: Impossible films, it only weighs down the momentum of a franchise that has always excelled at impressive action set pieces above all.

As expected, though, the film does feature some incredible sequences, with the standout being a near-silent underwater scene that rivals the best the franchise has to offer: an intelligent sense of space, strong rhythm and escalating suspense. The lack of dialogue and intercutting similarly reflects the franchise’s refusal to appeal to the lowest common denominator, trusting that the audience has the attention span to embark on something thrilling that also requires patience — at least in comparison with the bombastic overstimulation of other blockbuster cinema. 

The editing is near perfection throughout the film; the movie plays with time and space, with a lot of classical intercutting that heightens both emotions and actions. It helps alleviate some of the awkwardness of so many plot points hitting while integral characters are literally hundreds of miles away from each other. It also helps push things forward when they begin to be bogged down with added information. One never really escapes the feeling that the movie was heavily reworked after Dead Reckoning, but it’s remarkably smooth, all things considered.

Unfortunately, the movie never fully reaches the heights of the best Mission: Impossible films. Even though it features a handful of technically incredible sequences, they ultimately don’t come together in a way that’s wholly satisfying. The highs are high, but the movie really takes a long time to get started up, and it never fully recovers from that slow start. The movie’s conclusion also acts as an oomph factor — while in many ways Mission: Impossible films are a bit like James Bond movies, almost always open-ended, leaving room for the next adventure, this movie doesn’t really leave you wanting more. 

While it seemed as though these would be the last Mission: Impossible films, director McQuarrie suggests that might not be the case. As good as Tom Cruise is (he hardly feels his age here), he will be closer to 70 than not by the time another film is ready for release. It’s not that he can’t do it (he’s clearly made a deal with the devil) but it also feels desperate to try to run a series of otherwise good films into the ground. It’s a bit of a shame that this movie doesn’t end on a high note, but it also borders on desperate to continue. 

Can Mission: Impossible live on post-Cruise? Could they go the way of James Bond and start cycling through different iterations of the same character? It seems unlikely. Tom Cruise, for one, is insane and no actor in their right mind would sacrifice body and spirit the way he does. Beyond that though, there really are no actors of his stature or influence anymore. He’s one of the last movie stars — Mission: Impossible or otherwise, we should enjoy it while it lasts. ■

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning opens in Montreal theatres on Friday, May 23.

---

For our latest in film and TV, please visit our Film & TV section.