Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to endure 2 hours and 40 minutes of non-stop car chasing, thrill riding, sky diving, and explosive summer fun. The latest release from the Mission Impossible franchise hits all the tones of a summer blockbuster hit. The plot is a familiar one, whether it is a bad guy seeking world domination or wanting to destroy the world, Ethan Hunt and his crew must find a way to overcome impossible odds to save the world. The formula for MI: Dark Reckoning Part One may seem redundant, but summer movies are more about big action than compelling plots and the film delivers in that department.
Once again, Tom Cruise does a spectacular job showcasing his own stunt work in death defying feats that other actors would need to resort to CGI to help pull off. Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames return to their familiar sidekick roles and play them admirably. The film also introduces Hayley Atwell of Agent Carter fame to the lineup. However, it seemed the film could never really decide if the audience should like her or be annoyed by her character, but she is entertaining to watch, nonetheless. Esai Morales plays the latest villain of the IMF but his character lacked the intellectual intensity provided by Sean Harris’ Solomon Lane from the previous MI films. This is more than made up for by Pom Klementieff (Guardian of the Galaxy’s Mantis), who plays her role as an evil thug amazingly well. One disappointment I took away from the film was the underutilization of Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust, who had been such a great on-screen presence in MI:5 and MI:6.
Despite the long running time, the film will keep fans on the edge of their seats and keep their blood pumping with every tick of a timer countdown. The film sets up the story line for the upcoming Part Two finale quite nicely and MI diehards will assuredly be eager to see the next offering from Cruise. Part One may not be the best movie in the lineup so far (Fallout for me), but it is one of the most entertaining. 7 out of 10.
Lead image courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
