Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning (dir. Christopher McQuarrie)
By: Adam Freed
The lights have grown dim on the age of the movie star. Once standing as handsome and mysterious ambassadors to a world of endless glamour, silver screen stars have been systematically replaced by the fleeting talents of expendable social media influencers and content creators. Yet, if ever there were a man capable of reminding the world, and the film industry, of the type of sacrifice and dedication that is required for true stardom, it is the evergreen Tom Cruise. Almost 30 years after the release of Mission Impossible (1996) the monument of a man returns as IMF agent Ethan Hunt in what is presumably the final installment in the laudable franchise, Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning. Also returning as both writer and director is Christopher McQuarrie, arguably Cruise’s closest industry confidant. The Final Reckoning marks the fourth collaboration between the duo and the first time that a slow leak of disappointment infiltrates the impenetrable fortress that has been their Mission Impossible partnership.
While McQuarrie and Cruise have clearly lost nothing on their fastball, the spinning plates of balancing a propulsive story bolstered by legendary set pieces, all while engineering character dynamism and emotional depth, seems to wobble for the first time. The first sign of vulnerability for The Final Reckoning presents itself in an opening act that meanders towards self reverence and summary, working noticeably hard to welcome new audiences. The result is a twenty minute slog in which franchise die-hards will feel devoid of new information, save for that which is alluded to in rather obvious and burdensome exposition. In this way, The Final Reckoning spends far too much time explaining to audiences the meaning and importance of a sizable parade of macguffins through dialogue, and far less time, visually progressing in the direction of conflict resolution. On the topic of conflict, it is once again provided by a faceless sentient AI program known as “The Entity” which was introduced in Dead Reckoning: Part 1. Faceless antagonists only go so far in film, which is why Entity henchman Gabriel, sinisterly played by Esai Morales (Ozark), is crucial to the narrative success of The Final Reckoning. Once Ethan Hunt’s mismatched team, consisting of an embarrassment of riches in supporting talent including: Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell, Shea Whigham and Pom Klementieff, is allowed the benefit of forward-facing story momentum, needed life is breathed into the franchise finale.
Thankfully, The Final Reckoning is never stingy when it comes to delivering a concussive blast of inspired stunt choreography. In fact, the final stanza of the franchise provides multiple moments worthy of a standing ovation. These apex endeavors are representative of the best that Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie have to offer. Gargantuan scenes from two giants of the industry come to epitomize the very best that the world of action filmmaking has ever been able to muster, and attempt to play savior to an otherwise creaky narrative. Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning is not the best that the franchise has had to offer, but at its best, it is elite. At 62, Tom Cruise’s globally recognizable face is showing subtle signs of age, but his muscled physique and endless supply of energy are irrefutable pieces of evidence that the man may in fact be timeless. In the rapidly darkening sky of movie stardom, Cruise’s painstaking dedication to his craft is a shimmering reminder of what once was, and of what one day may never be again. Yet those are worries for another day, because today Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning is permission to once again bask in the glow of one of Hollywood’s brightest ambassadors…one…last…time.
Target Score: 7/10 - Long on nostalgic montage and self reverence, Christopher McQuarrie’s Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning is an underwhelming, yet memorable finale to Tom Cruise's decades-long franchise.