In this life, few things are as consistent as the “Mission: Impossible” movies. Even the worst film in the franchise — which, in my recognizably unpopular opinion, is the third film — has its merits. With each new entry, the scope of the story somehow gets bigger, and Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) faces threats that are increasingly more menacing. From deadly viruses to secret terrorist organizations, it seems like nothing can beat Hunt and his team of IMF — Impossible Mission Force — agents.
That is, until now.
Released 26 years after the first film in the franchise, “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” was one of my most anticipated films of the year. I genuinely believe that 2018’s “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” is one of the greatest action spectacles of all time, so to say that my expectations were high was a bit of an understatement. Not to mention my love for Cruise’s other passion project, “Top Gun: Maverick,” which feels equally nostalgic and cinematically fresh.
In “Dead Reckoning Part One” Hunt faces a more abstract threat in the Entity, an artificial intelligence program that gained sentience and wants to control the world’s intelligence networks. The film’s cold open introduces us to the scope of the Entity’s power, as the program tricks a Russian submarine into firing missiles at nothing, causing the missiles to retract and destroy the submarine.
The timeliness of this conflict is unignorable. When watching the film, one can’t help but think about what the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikers are fighting for: restrictions on the use of A.I. in film and television.
Because of this, “Dead Reckoning” feels like a threat. Not to audience members, but to A.I. itself. If there’s anyone who can take on the usage of A.I. in film, it’s “king of movies” Cruise.
This film feels urgent, passionate and paranoid. As Hunt and his team race to find two keys that they believe will unlock the program’s source code, the conflict becomes personal and difficult to decipher.
The action set pieces — namely a car chase through Venice and the climactic train fight — are visceral and extravagant, stitched together by razor-sharp editing, an intense score by Lorne Balfe and Cruise’s commitment to doing things practically. I’d expect nothing less from a man who once scaled the Burj Khalifa and hung from a plane as it was taking off.
Fraser Taggart’s digital cinematography is all-encompassing; every scene feels appropriately intimate or expansive. The artificial film grain doesn’t feel fake. Instead, it adds a nostalgic, traditional overlay to the film’s modern themes and preoccupations.
Everyone in the cast is at the top of their game. Cruise is obviously operating at an almost inhuman level, but Haley Atwell — a new addition to the cast — is his perfect scene partner. She’s cunning and charismatic, but also vulnerable and — as she becomes more involved in Hunt’s plot to defeat the Entity — scared. Although Pom Klementieff’s Paris is a character of few words, she commands every scene that she’s in due to her calculated facial expressions and strong screen presence.
“Dead Reckoning Part One” feels like an appropriate companion piece to the first “Mission: Impossible” film. Even though Brian De Palma’s 1996 film is more of a spy thriller than an action epic, the paranoia and urgency seep through. 27 years and countless missions later, Hunt’s biggest priority is still the safety of his loved ones.
Is “Dead Reckoning Part One” better than “Fallout”? Maybe not. But will “Dead Reckoning Part Two” — possibly the last film in the franchise — probably change cinema forever? I have no doubt about it.
One thing is for certain: the movies have never been more back.
