Movie Review – Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

And here comes one of the big titles that everyone is hoping will turn the tide of poor box office results. Personally I think it’s a bit like the whole working from home ethos that became so popular during the various lockdowns. People liked being able to roll out of bed and start working while they’re still in their pyjamas. Unfortunately, the people who keep the money decided that they need to keep an eye on the people who make the money so they started insisting that everybody comes back into the office. 

Similarly with the cinema. During lockdown films were released for download a lot sooner than they used to be. People got used to the speed, convenience, and being able to start watching while they’re still in their pyjamas. I remember when a film was anything up to three years old before you got to see it at home. Then home videos started taking off and the wait time dropped to about a year. Cable and satellite services brought it down to a few months. The lockdown brought it down to weeks, even days. Some films even got streaming premieres.

So people are becoming more used to watching films at home and on their TVs rather than on the huge screen with the massive, floor shaking speakers. And this is where films like Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One come in to the picture. You need the big screen. Ideally you should see it in IMAX and you need the sound. You have to feel the explosions and have as much of your field of vision as possible taken up. A big budget action film needs that sort of setting. At least once.

Your Mission

Let’s face it Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is being pushed by the stunts. That’s all down to Tom Cruise. Nowadays you assume that when you see a face on a body in a dangerous situation it’s been put there by computer jiggery pokery. But I’ve seen quite a few behind the scenes clips which show Mr Cruise practicing mad jumps, rolls, and fights. When you know he has been rehearsing jumping a bike off the side of a cliff then you know it would be pretty daft for him not to actually shoot the scene!

And it is riveting. You are used to seeing him running, jumping, fighting, and suchlike. You also know that a lot of other performers would have stunt doubles for a lot of even relatively straightforward; Roger Moore thought he looked awkward running so any time you see his 007 running, it is a body double. But in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One you see him, literally, flying through the air and looking straight into the camera. You do have to wonder how long he can keep going…he’s five years younger than me and I need a body double to get upstairs.

Should You Choose To Accept It

Apparently, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two will be his last outing as Ethan Hunt. Will his Hunt be going the same way as Daniel Craig’s Bond? It’s a possibility but we have to wait twelve months to find out. If it does mark the end of the franchise then I suppose it’ll mean the end for the supporting cast. We’ve had Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell since the first outing, Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn since Mission: Impossible III, and Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa Faust from Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. I wonder how many will survive to the end of part two? One didn’t make it to the end of part one but I’m not saying who!

There was a brand new face with Hayley Atwell playing Grace. She wasn’t the only person to jump over from the MCU; Pom Klementieff is an excellent bad guy’s assistant as Paris. Other returners include Venessa Kirby as the White Widow and Henry Czerny back as Eugene Kittridge for the first time since the original Mission: Impossible. The big bad guy was Gabriel played by Esai Morales. He stepped in for Nicholas Hoult who had a scheduling conflict with The Great. I suppose the ultimate bad guy is the Entity; a series of blue flickering lights which represents an advanced form of AI. Shockingly appropriate! 

There is also a physical MacGuffin, a key which has something to do with controlling the Entity. I shall say no more. That’s usually down to spoilers but, in this case, it is down to not all the story being revealed. Let’s face it, they have another two to three hours to fill! I think the next one will be even bigger. It’s the last one for Tom Cruise and there are rumours of him filming in space. As if to go in the opposite direction, the opening scenes of MIDR, which introduce the key and the Entity, are set on a submarine! This one was great and I can’t wait for the next one!

Grade: A

About The Peetimes: I was able to find 4 decent Peetimes in this action/plot-heavy movie. It wasn’t easy. I would recommend the 3rd Peetime. It’s an action/chase scene, but not too serious—more for fun. The 1st Peetime is also pretty good because the first minute of it is credits. Note from Dan: I’m going to see the opening show in the US on Thursday afternoon. I’ll update/edit the Peetimes afterward.

There are no extra scenes during, or after, the end credits of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.

Rated:	(N/A) Intense Sequences of Violence | Action | Some Language | Suggestive Material
Genres:	Action, Adventure, Thriller
Starring:	Rebecca Ferguson, Tom Cruise, Pom Klementieff
Director:	Christopher McQuarrie
Writer(s):	Bruce Geller, Erik Jendresen, Christopher McQuarrie
Language:	English
Country:	United States

Plot
Ethan Hunt and his IMF team must track down a dangerous weapon before it falls into the wrong hands.

[category ][status draft] [tags movie review,Action, Adventure, Thriller]