Movies
Ranking The Mission: Impossible Films: #7 – Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning (2023)
There is a lot happening in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning. One could argue that there is too much going on.
“Ethan Hunt and his IMF team must track down a dangerous weapon before it falls into the wrong hands.”
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Writers: Christopher McQuarrie, Bruce Geller
Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Cary Elwes, Shea Wigham, Indira Varma, Mark Gatiss, Esai Morales, Ving Rhames, Henry Czerny
Release Date: July 14, 2023
IMDB
There is a lot happening in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning. One could argue that there is too much going on. The most recent of the Tom Cruise stunt escapades brings everyone back and adds the talented Hayley Atwell to the hero’s cast, as well as Esai Morales as the face of the evil, Gabriel.
Dead Reckoning does away with the Syndicate and instead makes artificial intelligence the story’s focal point. Ethan Hunt and his band of IMF misfits must match their wits with a being called “The Entity,” which is an all-knowing technology that every major global superpower wants its hands on. There is a third party involved, and that’s Gabriel, who acts as the human conduit for the AI’s tangible desires. Everyone has their hands in the cookie jar.
The best sequence in Dead Reckoning is the chase sequence in Rome. Christopher McQuarrie’s ability to weave in comedy and action is in full effect, and Atwell shines with her facial acting next to Cruise. Some may say the Fiat 500 bit is a bit too comedically on the nose, but the small-ass car works well going up against the juggernaut vehicles chasing it.
Can I say that the motorcycle jump off the mountain…was a bit underwhelming? Is that blasphemy? It might be.
While I am at it, part of what really irks me about Dead Reckoning is that Hunt ends up with the key at the end. This movie was built for a sequel, and it feels as if the good guys already have an extreme advantage over Gabriel and others. Sometimes, it’s okay for Hunt not to come out on top!
Credit to Dead Reckoning for bringing back the sleight-of-hand magic that appears in the original Mission: Impossible. Fans of the 1996 original remember the scene with Hunt and Krieger in the safe house with the NOC List. The relationship between Grace and Hunt in Dead Reckoning puts trickery at the forefront but never overplays it regarding the plot.
Dead Reckoning was nominated for two Academy Awards at the 2024 Oscars: Best Sound and Best Visual Effects.
STANKO RATING: B-
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Ranking The Mission: Impossible Films: #8 – Mission: Impossible II (2000)
Much maligned as the worst of the Mission: Impossible franchise, Mission: Impossible II doesn’t do itself any favors upon rewatch.
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