In his Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning review, Kevin Bourne says it’s “a good but not great potential ending to the M:I franchise that fails to meet the standard set by its predecessors”.
One of the most storied franchises in modern cinema is set to return to the big screen with the latest installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise. Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning sees Tom Cruise reprise his role as the daring field agent, Ethan Hunt, possibly for the final time if rumors are true.
The film is a continuation of Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One, which saw him feud with Gabriel (Esai Morales), the ultimate nemesis and final boss of haters, who murdered his love interest, Marie, 30 years prior. It fills a hole in the Mission: Impossible lore, explaining what led him to the Impossible Mission Force (IMF). This makes the last two films a full circle moment for Hunt (and an ideal place to end the franchise). Not only is Hunt facing Gabriel, who is able to match and even outthink Hunt, but he is forced to face his biggest villain yet—an advanced Artificial Intelligence known as The Entity who is out to destroy mankind. Hunt takes to land, air, and sea to try and save planet Earth. It sounds very dramatic, and it is. Hunt has had to save the world before, but now he’s forced to literally save the world from mass extinction.
After the critical acclaim, award nominations, and box office success of Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One, Final Reckoning had big shoes to fill. Unfortunately, it didn’t exactly do that. While the film did a good job of raising the stakes and having Hunt face his most formidable foe yet, it fell slightly short of its predecessor in its action sequences and in how it introduced new characters.
Now, aspects of the storytelling and performances were actually better than the previous film, including the stakes being higher than ever, as previously mentioned. The film is a cautionary tale about AI and what could happen if we’re not careful.
There’s also the dynamics within Hunt’s team. Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames once again shine and show vulnerability as Benji Dunn and Luther Stickell. Also, the onscreen chemistry between Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell is gold as Hunt has met his match in the slick pickpocket, Grace. Meanwhile, Cruise’s aircraft stunts are well choreographed and executed, as would be expected from a Mission: Impossible film.
Unfortunately, the film may leave viewers feeling slightly underwhelmed. And for a Mission: Impossible film, known for nonstop action, there are moments that feel a bit slow, especially with an almost three hour runtime. Still it does a good job of providing moments which will keep viewers on the edge of their seats, especially with the underwater scenes. The film depicts expansive underwater landscapes that provide some of the most epic, grand, and suspenseful scenes in the film. We’ve seen Hunt take to the air before, but these underwater scenes show him facing life threatening challenges beyond what we’ve seen before.
We’re not sure if this is the end for the Mission: Impossible franchise (though it has all the makings of a conclusion), but if it is, it’s a great place to end. Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning provides viewers with a sense of closure with nothing left to be said.
While it’s far from terrible and is still worth watching, Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning is a good but not great potential ending to the M:I franchise that fails to meet the standard set by its predecessors.
Kevin Bourne is SHIFTER’s Toronto-based editor and Senior Entertainment Reporter focusing on Black music and film & TV. He was named one of 340 international voters for the 81st and 8nd Golden Globe Awards and a Tomatometer-Approved Critic by Rotten Tomatoes.
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