16 Jul Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 Review

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING PART 1
dir. Christopher McQuarrie, starring Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Esai Morales, et. al

Ethan Hunt and the IMF team must track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity if it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious all-powerful enemy named Gabriel, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than the mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.

Starring Tom Cruise in his seventh return as IMF spy Ethan Hunt, one might think that after so many appearances on screen (the same amount as Roger Moore as James Bond and William Shatner as James T. Kirk) that there’s little left for the actor to mine. While in some cases that’s true (Ethan changes or develops very little throughout the course of these films), here in Dead Reckoning we’re finally treated to some bit of backstory of how Ethan came to be in the IMF. While that story isn’t complete (the entire story isn’t complete, this is a part 1 of 2 after all), it’s still refreshing to have a bit of a veil pulled back to give the audience some understanding of who Ethan was before he ran over every cobblestone street in Europe. Cruise is magnificent as well; at 61 years old he’s still able to bring his manic energy to the character that helped kick start the second half of his career. The quieter scenes, especially the ones he has with Hayley Atwell, prove that his on screen chemistry with his coworkers still remains top notch. In short, as Samuel L. Jackson was born to give life to Quentin Tarantino’s lines, Tom Cruise was born to make Mission Impossible films.

Rebecca Ferguson also returns for her third appearance in an MI film. While not having as much screen time as the others, her presence is still as impactful as ever, something of an erstwhile love interest for Ethan after the unfortunate departure of Michelle Monaghan’s character. Ferguson makes the most of her screentime, once again managing to irradiate Ilsa Faust with both a sensual charm and an air of danger about her. Ferguson’s addition to the cast in Rogue Nation was a welcome boost to the series and her continued presence throughout as both friend and foil has made for one of the series’ best dynamics.

Conversely, Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames, staples since the beginning of the franchise (in Rhames’ case), manage to get their moments to shine as well. Pegg’s Benji Dunn still carries the comedic weight of the films as its necessary relief from the mounting tension while Rhames’ Luther Stickell continues to be the heart of the films. With the growing cast, these two have less screen time than previously, with Rhames getting maybe the shortest end of the stick, but the pair are a welcome sight nonetheless. Also returning after a prolonged absence is Henry Czerny’s Kittridge, one of the antagonists of the first Mission Impossible film. Czerny is still as delightfully slimy as his first appearance and the veteran actor continues to show why he was one of the highlights of the 1996 movie that started the franchise.

Newcomers Hayley Atwell and Pom Klementieff add to an already impressive roster, with Atwell’s scenes with Tom Cruise in the their first interaction amongst their best. At times both playful and desperate to achieve her goals, Atwell’s Grace, a skilled burglar, brings a new dynamic to the group, as well as some much needed estrogen to a testosterone-heavy cast. Atwell is wonderful here, with Grace sparring wits with Hunt throughout the story as the two’s cat-and-mouse game weaves in and out of the narrative.

The prize winner for the newcomer award, however, goes to Pom Klementieff as Paris, a French assassin who works for Gabriel. Klementieff’s every scene hits like a wrecking ball, a force of chaotic energy as a killer who delights in killing. With almost no words spoken, Klementieff’s presence is felt whenever she’s on screen, culminating in a brutal claustrophobic alleyway fight that is one of the film’s standout scenes.

Co-writer and director Chris McQuarrie returns for his third Mission Impossible film and seventh overall collaboration with Tom Cruise. Starting with Rogue Nation, McQuarrie and Cruise have refined their technique over the subsequent years and managed to distill it down to pure action at its finest while managing to not skimp on character work. While this isn’t the best mission to date (for this critic’s opinion, that honor still belongs to Fallout), what McQuarrie has managed to do in keeping the audience’s rapt attention is nothing short of miraculous. At 163 minutes, there are clunky parts of exposition that come with the necessary evil of filling the audience in on what the story’s McGuffin is and its potential dangers to the world, but outside of some janky story pacing, the film manages to not only focus on Ethan Hunt but gives other members of the collective some time to shine as well, notably Rebecca Ferguson and Hayley Atwell. Technically, the film looks amazing as cinematographer Fraser Taggart (along with some frenetic editing from Eddie Hamilton) imbues the story with its juice and spirit, balancing both frantic bits of action as well as armchair clenching moments of tension.

Overall, Dead Reckoning Part 1 continues to hold the torch for a franchise that’s dedicated to the craft of practical action cinema. Defying odds and managing to find ways to keep the Mission Impossible brand strong into its seventh entry is a testament to Tom Cruise (both the actor and the producer), director Christopher McQuarrie, and rest of the talented cast and crew. While being a bit overlong, the story is still an entertaining nonstop thrill ride from set piece to set piece that should more than satisfy any hardened fanatic of action and adrenaline. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 is currently in theaters.

Review by Darryl Mansel