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Synopsis
Having retrieved the key to the Sevastopol, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) gets a message from President Erika Sloane (Angela Bassett). The Entity, a malicious AI whose source code is onboard the Sevastopol, has taken control of various nuclear systems. Even worse, Ethan learns that The Entity plans to incite an apocalypse unless he takes it to a secure bunker. With only four days until armageddon strikes, Ethan convinces Sloane to allow him and his team to locate the Sevastopol. Unfortunately, Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) sacrifices himself to save Ethan, but not before developing a special malware device. Ethan recruits Grace (Hayley Atwell) and Benji (Simon Pegg), alongside assassin Paris (Pom Klementieff) and Agent Theo (Greg Tarzan Davis). Unfortunately, Gabriel (Elias Morales) is in pursuit, and The Entity has a following of doomsday cultists trying to stop him. Will Ethan save the world, or will The Entity succeed in destroying humanity?
Review
In my review of the last installment, I mentioned how the series continues to improve with each new entry. That being said, while I wouldn’t say it’s terrible, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is a slight dip in quality. Plot-wise, this film might have one of the most convoluted, densely packed, and unnecessarily complicated storylines I’ve ever seen. Sure, the other movies had intricate plots with tons of twists and turns, but they were easier to follow. They also include some nods to the earlier films, which is great for longtime fans, but newcomers will be lost. One welcome nod is the return of Rolf Saxon as CIA agent William Donloe from the original. Rather than being a cheap cameo for nostalgia’s sake, they further develop his character in a meaningful way. The filmmakers took care to honor what came before, even if the callbacks sometimes bog down the movie.
Say what you will about him, but Tom Cruise once again shows why he’s been a leading man for years. He adds a layer of humanity to the character, and he deserves credit for his willingness to perform dangerous stunts. Despite the noticeable age gap, Hayley Atwell works as Cruise’s love interest, and she again delivers a strong performance. Ving Rhames shines in his final moments, and Simon Pegg gets more screentime as he becomes a de facto leader. The other supporting actors work just as well, and Rolf Saxon gets to shine as we see where he’s been. Unfortunately, Elias Morales remains the weakest link, playing a bland villain who isn’t fully fleshed out. By contrast, Pom Klementieff still shines as the assassin of few words, now working with the heroes. Also, while his performance is far from terrible, it’s still weird seeing Nick Offerman without a mustache.
Of course, a Mission: Impossible movie wouldn’t be complete without big action sequences, and this one delivers. Whether it’s narrowly escaping a downed submarine or hanging off a bi-plane, this film keeps the tension going throughout. Plus, every Mission: Impossible movie must include the required Tom Cruise running sequences, and this one is no exception. Still, for a film that’s supposed to be the series finale, I can’t help but feel somewhat underwhelmed by it. To reiterate, this isn’t a bad movie, but by the end, it feels like they’re setting up for another one. It also doesn’t help that, at two hours and 50 minutes, this is the longest one, and you feel it. That being said, despite falling short of the last few entries, this is still a solid action movie worth watching. Overall, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is an exciting, if underwhelming, action spectacle.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is in theaters.
