Ethan Hunt and the IMF team race against time to find the Entity, a rogue artificial intelligence that can destroy mankind.
(C) Paramount Pictures
Mission: Impossible is not exactly known for building lore or having a deep mythology throughout its franchise. You walk into the cinema and hang around with Ethan’s team. You embrace the absurdity, get shocked by the twists and turns, and stand in awe of the action set pieces. They finally found the perfect balance in Ghost Protocol and delivered several great entries after that.
Final Reckoning attempts to tie everything together, but it feels rushed and unearned. Perhaps it was intended to make the villain more interesting, but it doesn’t help. The stakes are also higher, but it essentially turns into a straightforward save-the-world story. Missing are compelling characters like Ilsa Faust or smaller-scale set pieces that are smartly put together.
The first hour is also a challenge for audiences to follow. It's almost incomprehensible. It makes you wonder if they truly want to end this popular franchise this way. How many times must it be stressed that the fate of the world rests on Ethan Hunt?
At the same time, the film tries to ensure that newcomers can watch this entry without seeing the previous ones. It’s a noble attempt, but it unfortunately adds to the information overload. The film also randomly opts for a throwback aesthetic at the start, but it ends up looking more like a rough draft than a deliberate stylistic choice. You just want to get to the promised action sequences.
Then, finally, we arrive at the action and thank God, it’s spectacular. Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie truly shine here. The submarine scenes are quiet yet thrilling and anxiety-inducing. The final sequences are arguably some of the best in the franchise. Both are filmed in IMAX and immediately justify the price of admission. They almost make you forget the issues from the first hour.
In a way, Final Reckoning is Mission: Impossible at its most Mission: Impossible. The set pieces will leave your mouth open, and the final moments might bring tears to longtime fans. There are still great moments here. It’s just unfortunate that, unlike Ethan Hunt, the film can’t quite escape the weight of its troubled past. 2.5/5 ⭐
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning opens in PH cinemas and IMAX May 17.
