After 8 films over 30 years, Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible franchise comes to a strong conclusion with Final Reckoning. The second installment of the Reckoning two-parter culminates with fresh, exciting, death-defying stunts and action sequences that make for an eye-popping summer IMAX experience. But more so, it’s a love letter to the legacy and lore of this world, connecting key moments, characters, and narrative threads from past films that pushes the envelope of fan service, but ends up meaningfully contributing to the story. And as someone who did not like Dead Reckoning, I found this final installment to be much more interesting with its storytelling and action.
I will say, the first hour or so I was a bit underwhelmed. There’s a bombardment of heavy exposition in both evolving the articulation The Entity AI threat AND establishing the connective tissue with previous films (the 1996 original most notably). A LOT of explaining what’s going on and with whom (which grace should be given in the spy genre), but from a screenwriting perspective, it felt like they jammed too much in from the get-go.
Then in the second half, the film finds its groove. The (extensive) world-building is established and we’re off to the races with what everyone wants to see from these movies: never-before-seen action insanity captured in-camera. And boy, do Cruise and director/co-writer Christopher McQuarrie deliver. There’s an extensive underwater sequence where Cruise is submerged inthe abyss of the sea and the entire vibe audiovisually feels like a horror movie.
I was literally on the edge of my seat with my jaw dropped for 10-15 straight minutes. I’ve never seen anything like it. Cruise is an absolute madman and I adore him for it. The plane chase sequence comes in at a close second in terms of groundbreaking aerial stunt filmmaking…IN-CAMERA!
Story-wise, a key aspect of this film that improved upon Dead Reckoning was the reason to care about the threat. While one could argue the mechanics of the story result in overly-complex camp, I would argue that Final Reckoning elevates a palpable tangibility to the stakes: unimaginable choices, sincere human relationships, and relevant geopolitics. Humanity is already torn apart by war, disinformation, hatred, and distrust. Is AI the final poison pill? All of the above made me truly invested in the outcomes of each character, and that’s what sets this franchise apart from its peers.
Is Final Reckoning perfect? No, not at all. The plot is bloated and there’s some unintentional camp with the execution. Is it the best of the franchise? No, I’d say it’s in the top 5. But I just had a blast. From the incredible spectacle and deeply-appreciated strategic nostalgia, I walked away moved, as a fan of movies, that Cruise & Co. left it all out on the field.
