It always seems impossible, but the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE film series keeps topping itself and be very entertaining from movie
to movie. The last two MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE films (ROGUE NATION and FALLOUT) were the best in the series until now when MISSION:
IMPOSSIBLE- DEAD RECKONING PART ONE tops those two entries. Director Christopher McQuarrie is back again after directing
the last two in the series. He is current directing DEAD RECKONING PART TWO. Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie know their
audience. They are here to deliver well written (to a point given how the scenes do get changed (if Tom and McQ want to
try something different) and well directed entertainment with impressive action sequences. Many of the cast members from
previous films are back (Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Rebecca Ferguson) with even a cast member from the first one returning
for this movie.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE knows its continuity and builds on it while also making fun of the plots and missions with a dash
of humor and wink-wink to the audience. Actress Hayley Atwell joins the cast as a new main character known as Grace, a thief
hired by an AI entity to steal half of a key which must be rejoined with the other half of said key. The important key which
everyone is after including the US government, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his rogue IMF team, and Gabriel (Esai Morales)-
a dangerous figure from Hunt's past before he joined the IMF. This is a very personal mission for Ethan Hunt as he has to
face the past that made him join the IMF and try to keep his team safe while trying to make sure a rogue AI doesn't destroy
the world or be used by others to control or destroy the world. Hayley Atwell holds her own with Tom Cruise in every scene
they are together. I can't wait to see how her character is involved with the next movie which may or may not meet the release
date next year (given only part of the movie is shot to date and an actor's strike from SAG that may or may not happen).
The stakes can't be higher as Ethan Hunt has a mission to complete which would be impossible for everyone else. The MISSION:
IMPOSSIBLE movies have interchangeable plots where the films usually involve rogue agents, being chased by the government
while trying to clear their name and/ or trying to save the world, and recruiting someone to be part of the mission involving
some kind of McGuffin.
I really enjoyed this movie and would easily say it is one of the best movies of the year so far (and best summer movie
so far ahead of all other movies that I have seen this summer in theaters). DEAD RECKONING PART ONE disappoints and I look
forward to see how everything is wrapped up in DEAD RECKONING PART TWO. We will probably see more movies from the MISSION:
IMPOSSIBLE movies after the eighth entry next year as Tom Cruise says he wants to continue doing him until he is 80 (so another
20 years of these movies as long as they make money). DEAD RECKONING PART ONE is a fun action movie that will have legs and
do very well. Now starts the wait for MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE- DEAD RECKONING PART TWO (which may be delayed depending on how
long the SAG strike lasts).
This review is ©7-15-2023 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com
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