Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) Paramount/Action-Adventure RT: 163 minutes Rated PG-13 (intense sequences of violence and action, some language, suggestive material) Director: Christopher McQuarrie Screenplay: Christopher McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen Music: Lorne Balfe Cinematography: Fraser Taggart Release date: July 12, 2023 (US) Cast: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Henry Czerny, Pom Klementieff, Cary Elwes, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Frederick Schmidt. Box Office: $172.1M (US)/$567.5M (World)
Rating: *** ½
It’s been a fairly tepid summer as far as movies go. Sure fire hits like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, The Flash, Elemental, Fast X and even The Little Mermaid performed well below studio expectations. Not only have they underperformed, they also largely underwhelmed audiences. IMHO, they’re empty vessels assembled by folks more concerned with money-making potential than entertainment value. I know it’s always been this way, but it’s more noticeable these days. I can’t be alone in thinking this, right?
Of this year’s summer blockbuster hopefuls, I thoroughly enjoyed three: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part One, the seventh installment of a series that accomplishes an impossible mission of its own. In what can only be described as a cinematic anomaly, it just keeps getting better with each movie. I didn’t think it would be possible to outdo Rogue Nation or Fallout and while Dead Reckoning doesn’t quite pull it off, it’s still a solid entry. It’s GREAT! How great? You don’t even notice the running time. Every one of its 163 minutes zips by in a flash.
The plot itself isn’t complex. In fact, it’s rather simple. IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Cruise in top form as always) and his team are tasked with retrieving both halves of a key that will grant the user access to a sentient A.I. program called “The Entity”. The program, now gone rogue, is capable of infiltrating any computer system in the world. Whoever controls the Entity…. well, you know. All the world’s leaders want the key. So does a very bad guy who goes by the name of Gabriel (Morales, La Bamba). He has some connection to Ethan’s past before he joined the IMF. As has become the norm, Ethan is declared an enemy of the state after he disobeys the orders of his boss in favor of the safety of the world. He isn’t about to hand over the key to anybody. It’s too much power for one person or country to have.
Familiar characters return and new ones are introduced. Ethan is aided, as usual, by his team which consists of computer hacker Luther (Rhames, Pulp Fiction) and funny tech geek-turned-nervous field agent Benji (Pegg, Shaun of the Dead). Disavowed MI6 agent Ilsa Faust (Ferguson, Doctor Sleep) returns to the fold to help out again. IMF director Kittridge (Czerny, last seen in the first MI movie) is back as the shot-caller who sends a team of enforcers to bring Ethan back after he goes rogue. So is black market arms broker “White Widow” (Kirby, The Crown) who once again finds herself in the middle of the spy game going on around her. New faces include professional thief and pickpocket Grace (Atwell, Agent Peggy Carter), who gets recruited by Ethan after she interferes with a retrieval operation at the Abu Dhabi International Airport, and silent but deadly assassin Paris (Klementieff, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3).
In terms of plot, I’ve already told you all you need to know about Dead Reckoning. Once it’s been established (pre-opening credits), the movie kicks into high-octane action gear thanks to lively direction by Christopher McQuarrie who helmed the last two MI flicks. He’s now three for three. The action hardly lets up as Ethan gives chase while being chased himself. The things this guy does, WOW! Whether he’s jumping off a cliff on a motorcycle or fighting on top of a runaway train, it’s never less than thrilling. And of course, he runs. That what Cruise does, he runs. It’s always exciting to see that. He also more than holds his own in a fight, be it with guns or knives or mano-a-mano. Not too shabby for a man of 61. That’s right, Tom is just one year away from being an official senior citizen. Makes you feel old, no?
Although acting isn’t really a consideration in the MI franchise, the cast gives it their all nonetheless in Dead Reckoning. We get a little backstory on Ethan; specifically, the circumstances that led up to him having to choose between prison or joining the IMF. So that’s how IMF agents are recruited. Okay. In any event, Cruise once again shows why he’s still a big box office draw. He’s down for pretty much anything when it comes to stunts. As for his performance, Tom Cruise always plays Tom Cruise. It’s a fact of life, nothing can change it so it’s best just to accept it. Pegg brings comic relief to the proceedings while Ferguson provides heart as Ethan’s love interest. Atwell lends ample support as Ethan’s newest ally. Rhames is always cool to watch. Klementieff is a nice bad girl addition to the family. Morales is sufficiently menacing and hateful as the villain beholden to the Entity.
Dead Reckoning is one of the best movies of the summer if not the best. It has an abundance of action and every scene is perfectly orchestrated. It makes great use of its international locations, especially Venice. A lot happens yet it’s never overly complicated. It isn’t overedited to the point of confusion. The score by Lorne Balfe enhances the excitement factor. I don’t have a single complaint about Dead Reckoning. It’s a perfect summer movie. I wish they could all be this good.
Please take note. This is only Part One of Dead Reckoning meaning it ends on a cliffhanger. You’ll have to wait until next summer (June 28, 2024 to be exact) for Part Two. I, for one, can’t wait to see what happens next.
UPDATE: Due to the SAG-AFTRA strike of 2023, the release date of Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part Two was changed to May 23, 2025.
