Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.firstshowing.net/2023/review-mi-dead-reckoning-part-one-is-a-summer-blockbuster-in-its-purest-form/ "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One delivers precisely what it set out to do: stunningly frenetic, relentless on-location action with adrenaline-charged energy levels. A 163-minute runtime rarely feels this light, thanks to the contributions of the sublime cast – Hayley Atwell is outstanding – and the truly memorable score that elevates all the otherworldly set pieces. It has the "problem" of being the first of two parts, with some unnatural, repetitive exposition scenes that get in the way of its progress, in addition to a somewhat generic, ambiguous narrative around A.I. Nevertheless, it's a summer blockbuster in its purest form, as you'd expect from the icon Tom Cruise, to whom we owe our allegiance." Rating: A-

In the interest of full disclosure, I’m often somewhat skeptical about films that include the word “part” in their titles; I frequently feel that such offerings have difficulty standing on their own, unable to complete their stories in a single vehicle. So, admittedly, that consideration was on my mind as I screened the first half of the final installment in this long-running action-adventure franchise. To its credit, director Christopher McQuarrie’s latest has a lot going for it – an intriguing plot with a strong cautionary tale message for us about the potential dangers of AI, an array of superbly staged action sequences, the welcome addition of some much-needed comic relief (something this series has often lacked) and a fine cast of supporting performers (especially the expanded role of Vanessa Kirby, who was woefully underused in the franchise’s previous release). However, with that said, there are some elements that could use improvement. For starters, the picture is simply too long; with a runtime of 2:43:00 (and this is just the first half of the story!), the film is definitely bloated and could stand some judicious editing, especially in the action sequences, several of which begin to try one’s patience after a while. Then there are certain aspects of the narrative that are predictable, formulaic, and, at times, implausible (particularly in the picture’s overlong final act train adventure sequence), qualities that are not as apparent (or at least better hidden) in previous outings. Finally, there are the underwhelming performances of the IMF crew (Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames). The leader of the pack (Cruise) comes across more like someone whose presence is designed largely to carry the plot rather than serve as a genuine, actively engaged protagonist, and his two colleagues are underused, seemingly playing sidekick roles rather than participating as key characters (unlike previous installments in the series). All told, this is by no means a bad picture, but it could have been better, especially with it being the series finale. It makes me wonder if the full story of “Dead Reckoning” might have been better executed in a single, slightly longer offering than as two separate feature-length releases. That might have solved the issues noted above, and it may have eliminated that nagging “part” problem I wrote about, allowing the picture to stand on its own two feet as a single vehicle. We’ll have to wait another year to see how it all plays out, but I can’t exactly say I’m holding my breath about it.

I'm not really a great fan of Tom Cruise. Yes, he does his own stunts and is as fit as a fiddle, but as an actor - well don't let's have too many scenes that require him to actually put his heart and soul into them. Luckily, there are only a few such scenes here as the rest of this is an enjoyable, quickly paced, continuation of the MI strand with this time, an elusive antagonist that reminded me a little of the "Forbin Project" (1970). The military have created the perfect intelligence that is locked into the sonar dome of a state-of-the-art Russian submarine. Seems though, that this dome isn't that impregnable and when a cleverly manipulated catastrophe hits the sub, it soon becomes clear that this gadget has, and is rapidly honing, a mind of it's own. The only way to stop it is to obtain the two conjoining parts of a cruciform key - and then discover the location of the sunken wreck, if there is to be any hope of thwarting it taking over the world. The story is more the stuff of "007", I thought, but it is a good, solid and well written story - and one that resonates well on a planet where technology and communications are pervasive across all aspects of our lives. Together with Ving Rhames and the (always annoying, sorry) Simon Pegg it falls to "Ethan" (Cruise) to ally with his deadly pal "Ilsa" (Rebecca Ferguson) and the nimble-fingered "Grace" (Hayley Atwell) to stop the key from falling into the hands of the enigmatic "Gabriel" (Esai Morales). End-to-end action; trains, planes and automobiles, parachutes and just like in "Fast X" (2023) poor old Rome comes in for a bit of a pasting - as does Venice and the Orient Express would now present even "Hercule Poirot" with an insurmountable whodunnit challenge. It's entertaining and serves well as a vehicle for the star, setting up the concluding part which, of course, leaves the plot here having to be a little undercooked and a touch predictable. Better than I was expecting and well worth a big screen outing.