Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part I

Good day movie goers.  The highly anticipated film this week, Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part I, has hit the big screen.  For the seventh time in the last 27 years, Tom Cruise as   Ethan Hunt once again leads his IMF team around the globe in an effort to save the world.  

Re-teaming for the third time in a row with writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, Cruise and company set out to deliver the biggest adrenaline rush of the film franchise to date.  And boy did they deliver.  From the opening underwater sequences to the final parachute landing, Dead Reckoning Part I, grabs you by the throat, pulls you in close, and never lets up. 

Clocking in at 2-hours 43-minutes, Dead Reckoning Part I, uses every cent of its 292-million-dollar budget to thrill, entertain, and enthrall the audience with gorgeous cinematography, spectacular never before seen practical stunts, a timely and relevant storyline, wonderful soundtrack, and amazing cast.  

In addition to Cruise, series favorites Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg (personal fave), and Rebecca Ferguson revise their respective rolls, each getting their moments to delight and shine.  Newbies to the franchise Hayley Atwell, Esai Morales slide in effortlessly and are more than up to the impossible mission challenge. Among the new popping up this time around are actors Cruise has previously worked with as recently as Top Gun Maverick adding to the fun.  It’s also pure joy seeing the likes of Vanessa Kirby, Cary Elwes, Pom Klementieff, and Henry Czerny.

Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part I not only has all the thrills and actions expected, but there are also nice touches of humor and character moments.  It’s also a bit of a reset in terms of delving in how Hunt specifically and other IMF agents came to be and what makes them tick.  So yes, there’s plenty of action, but also more expansive, smart dialogue and character development, making it one of the most serious, less action-packed films in the franchise. The pacing, however, is good and the balance between all the moving parts is handled well so you never tire of or feel bogged down with the exposition and have time to catch your breath with the action.

Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part I is a solid setup for the second half of the movie scheduled to be released June 28, 2024. I do feel that because the film is being cut in two, this first half overall feels flatter than previous films because of the need to hold off for resolution.  The stakes are high but don’t feel as if you’re ever at a true tipping point. And while the stunts/action are amazing there’s a bit of a letdown from all the behind-the-scenes videos and marketing leaving no surprises.  

If you decide to accept this mission, hurry to your local theater and see this epic on the biggest screen you can. 

This review will not self-destruct in 5 seconds.

Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part I gets an 8.5 from me.

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