‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ Is An Exhilarating Epic

‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ Is An Exhilarating Epic

By Lynn Venhaus

Superspy Ethan Hunt is not a superhero, but Tom Cruise is built like one in talent and temperament. Perhaps his superpower is his character’s fierce and unwavering loyalty to his Impossible Missions Force ‘team,’ as exemplified in the full-throttled grand finale “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.”

Over eight movies in 29 years, he has played the maverick secret agent trying to stop an enemy force to prevent global disaster with the fierce bravado everyone expects. Now 62, he continues to demonstrate remarkable physical dexterity, performing his own stunts – and they are next level here, his best yet.

Eye-popping, jaw-dropping and breathtaking feats in the sky, water and on the ground — the derring-do is dazzling once again, for writer-director Christopher McQuarrie pushes the team farther with each chapter.

With his daredevil gravity-defying aerial sequences and underwater action in the Bering Sea, he outdoes the thrilling train escapade and stunning motorcycle dive in “Dead Reckoning, Part I.”

Preventing the world from Doomsday this time around is exciting, exhilarating and surprisingly emotional, a fitting way to kick off the summer movie season and effectively wrap up this series – if this is its swan song.

Starting in 1996, this storied espionage franchise followed the missions of an elite covert government agency, a movie adaptation of an award-winning and popular television series created by Bruce Geller that ran for seven seasons (1966-1973) on CBS.

That’s when Cruise as Hunt, Henry Czerny as Eugene Kittridge and Ving Rhames as technical wizard Luther Stickell first appeared, directed by Brian DePalma. The ensemble cast grew to include Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn beginning in “Rogue Nation.” Kittridge, the former IMF deputy director, became CIA director and showed up in the last two films.

Sequels arrived in 2000, 2006, 2011, 2015, 2018, 2023 and now. After DePalma, John Woo, JJ Abrams and Brad Bird directed the first four, McQuarrie took over with “Rogue Nation” (MI5) and has been at the helm ever since.

McQuarrie, Oscar winner for “The Usual Suspects” original screenplay, also co-wrote the script with Erik Jendresen, who was on board for the last installment. They’ve crafted a smart, suspenseful storyline that believably escalates the tension.

“Our lives are the sum of our choices,” we’re told, and after a flashback montage of the previous seven films, we are caught up to speed (literally and figuratively) since the movie a mere three summers ago.

That’s when the “Entity” materialized as a massive artificial intelligence that could wage the apocalypse because it is so advanced it manipulates reality and the truth to cause endless chaos. Hunt and the IMF team continue their search for this terrifying AI. By now, it has infiltrated intelligence networks all over the globe – with the world’s governments and a mysterious ghost from Ethan’s past on their trail.

In this version, the dire threat it represents is made clearer, and we grasp its power, so we understand the higher stakes. Esai Morales returns as the morally bankrupt Gabriel, who wants control of the Entity. He is a slippery, shadowy figure, ruthless to the core.

Like Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, Cruise has crafted Hunt to make him his own, with his specific energy and intensity. Of course, Hunt goes rogue because he doesn’t follow rules that won’t produce a favorable result. The action gets more elaborate and the plots more high-tech focused with each chapter, and you expect Cruise to be all systems go, deliver the adrenaline rush.

With some new allies this time, Hunt has brought a fearless band together, and their warmth and humor stand out. Hayley Atwell’s Grace is a former pickpocket and thief and Pom Klementieff is former assassin Paris, who both turned on Gabriel and are now helping IMF.

Greg Tarzan Davis is agent Degas, who has switched sides from hunting Hunt, and Shea Wigham’s character arc as Briggs is best not spoiled as allegiances shift and the plot twists.

A pleasant surprise is the return of Rolf Saxon as William Donloe, a CIA analyst who was a minor character in the first film but is back in a more substantial way this go-round. His memorable wife Tapeesa is played by the charming Lucy Tulugarjuk.

Links to the past and present are threaded throughout this spectacle, which is another fine gesture.

The sprawling cast of formidable character actors includes Angela Bassett as U.S. President Erika Sloane, the former CIA director, and playing the military brass are Nick Offerman as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Sidney, Holt McCalleny as Secretary of Defense Serling Bernstein, and Janet McTeer as Secretary of State Walters. Tramell Tillman is a Navy ship commander and Hannah Waddingham as a rear admiral in charge of an aircraft character.

While there are physical encounters, most of the film’s details feature very precise digital cyberspace codes and gadgets, and timing is everything as the IMF team races against the clock.

The film, at 2 hours and 49 minutes, doesn’t feel draggy, but it could have been shaved a little in the mega-action set pieces. Nevertheless, fans are certain to embrace all the elements they’ve grown to enjoy over these 29 years, not the least of which is that iconic music. Hearing composer Lorne Balfe’s orchestrations on Lalo Schifrin’s unmistakable theme song is one of this franchise’s best features.

McQuarrie and Cruise have collaborated on more than this franchise, and it’s a potent pairing — on “Valkyrie” in 2008, followed by “Jack Reacher” and “Edge of Tomorrow.” McQuarrie also contributed to the “Top Gun: Maverick” script.

But this is their legacy. And if they don’t continue, this will stand alone in a significant way. You can be assured they’ll “figure it out.” “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” isn’t perfect, but it is a dandy experience.

“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” is a 2025 action adventure directed and co-written by Christopher McQuarrie. It stars Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Pom Klementieff, Nick Offerman, Holt McCalleny, Angela Bassett, Shea Wigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Hannah Waddingham, Rolf Saxon, Tramell Tillman. Janet McAteer and Lucy Tulugarjuk. It is rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence and action, bloody images, and brief language and the run time is 2 hours, 49 minutes. It opens in theatres May 23. Lynn’s Grade: A-

Cruise Goes All-Out in Nostalgic, High-Octane Blockbuster ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’

Cruise Goes All-Out in Nostalgic, High-Octane Blockbuster ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’

By Alex McPherson

Tense, nostalgia-heavy, and featuring mind-boggling set pieces with Tom Cruise yet again putting his life on the line for our entertainment, director Christopher McQuarrie’s “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” is a rip-roaring summer thrill ride that trades plot finesse for pure spectacle and a heavy dose of earnestness.

“The Final Reckoning” continues the story of sentimental daredevil Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his trusty group of Impossible Mission Force (IMF) cohorts as they face off against the self-aware, rogue AI “the Entity” introduced in 2024’s “Dead Reckoning.”

The Entity has grown to be an all-knowing threat that’s destabilized governments across the globe, inspired a cult of brainwashed followers, and, in four days time, will have control of the world’s nuclear arsenals, setting the stage for catastrophic destruction. The United States government, led by President Sloane (Angela Bassett), who is surrounded by a posse of officials with itchy trigger fingers, is weighing pre-emptive strikes on the other nuclear capitals before the US loses control. 

After the motorcycle-base-jumping, train-dangling antics of “Dead Reckoning,” Ethan gained possession of a cruciform key from the Entity’s primary henchman, Gabriel (Esai Morales), that is critical to ending its reign of terror once and for all. Getting the key was just the start, though, as Ethan and his team must locate the Sevastopol, a sunken vessel at the bottom of the Bering Sea containing the Entity’s source code.

Luther (Ving Rhames) and Benji (Simon Pegg) developed a “poison pill” that, once slotted in, should neutralize the dastardly system. A particularly vengeful Gabriel, having been sidelined by his AI overlord, wants to control it for himself. 

With the help of Luther, Benji, thief-turned-love-interest Grace (Hayley Atwell), reformed villain Paris (Pom Klementieff), and other returning and new faces, hope remains, no matter how far-fetched it seems. Ethan takes every opportunity to (literally) run towards danger if it means saving the world and, most importantly, his friends.

The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the whole endeavor gets rapidly convoluted as more parties get involved and over-the-top plans are set in motion (inevitably winding up improvised with near-”Looney Tunes”-level chaos).

The talky first hour renders “The Final Reckoning” narratively clunky initially. It doesn’t fully find its groove until the main plan is set and the explosive, expertly choreographed set pieces ramp up. Even during its most haphazard moments, though, a soulful energy remains. Faults and all, “The Final Reckoning” achieves the mission of delivering pure, nail-biting, popcorn entertainment.

This potentially last “Mission: Impossible” is a more somber and self-reverential affair than most, with McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen’s screenplay taking ample time to establish the stakes of the Entity’s goals and to tie into previous entries. It also continues unabashed hero worship of both Ethan and Cruise as one of cinema’s last remaining “movie stars.” 

Indeed, it’s a messy, jam-packed opening stretch, chock full of indulgent montages and exposition dumps delivered with straight-faced goofiness by an ensemble fully on McQuarrie’s wavelength. This is complemented by fast-paced editing and cinematography that captures an anxious, sweat-drenched energy as the world teeters on the brink of annihilation. 

Emotions and Big Moments are rushed, particularly regarding one key character, and if one wanted a more contemplative pace than “Dead Reckoning,” that certainly won’t be found here; nor will much elaboration on the themes of fate vs. free will established in that film.

Much of the ambiguity surrounding the Entity in “Dead Reckoning” is gone here, too, with the evil system given a literal voice and opportunities to bluntly lay out its villainous designs. But most everything works to build tension, setting the stage for second and third acts that achieve real cinematic bliss.

Given that most of the cloak-and-dagger spycraft is sidelined from “Final Reckoning,” we expect some spectacular action filmmaking, and McQuarrie wholeheartedly delivers on that front. There are always multiple high-stakes scenarios happening at once, and McQuarrie zips between them with ease, making strong use of cross-cutting to underline the interconnectedness of each character’s role and to emphasize the ever-present countdown towards potential Armageddon.

Two sequences in particular stand out. The first is a visually striking, wordless swim sequence from a submarine to and aboard the precariously-perched Sevastopol, complete with intensely detailed sound design and a rotating set that stands toe-to-toe with Christopher Nolan’s work in “Inception.” It’s both patient and nerve-rattling, with each new growl of the lurching ship signalling fresh chaos for Ethan.

The second features the most impressive big-screen stunt work in recent memory: a frantic fight atop multiple planes doing barrel rolls in South Africa, with Ethan/Cruise hanging onto the wings for dear life as horns on Lorne Balfe’s score blare with each stomach-churning twist.

Both capture an infectious adrenaline that makes “The Final Reckoning” an absolutely essential watch in IMAX, as Hunt makes armrest-clenching, on-the-fly decisions to complete his objectives and survive, often using slapstick violence that pushes the PG-13 rating.

Nothing else in “The Final Reckoning” quite lives up to the crazy heights of these two sequences. Still, it’s great fun watching this film put its foot on the gas pedal and never let up, thanks in large part to Cruise (ripped as ever and committed to the plot’s cheesiness and heightened drama) and a reliable cast that, for the most part, understands the assignment.

Yes, the overstuffed narrative limits how much time each character gets in the spotlight — functioning more as quippy cogs in the machine of the plot than fully fleshed-out beings  — but everyone gets their moments to shine (especially Rhames and Klementieff).

“The Final Reckoning” is really Cruise’s show at the end of the day. McQuarrie’s film is at its most compelling when focusing on Cruise’s death-defying, no-holds-barred commitment to the bit. There’s plenty to critique from a storytelling standpoint, especially regarding the reliance on past films, but there’s no denying the raw power of seeing these shenanigans on the big screen — leaning into the fantasy at a time when humanity desperately needs a victory.

“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” is a 2025 action adventure directed and co-written by Christopher McQuarrie. It stars Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Pom Klementieff, Nick Offerman, Holt McCalleny, Angela Bassett, Shea Wigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Hannah Waddingham, Rolf Saxon, Tramell Tillman. Janet McAteer and Lucy Tulugarjuk. It is rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence and action, bloody images, and brief language and the run time is 2 hours, 49 minutes. It opens in theatres May 23. Alex’s Grade: A-