Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – Review

There’s few franchises that can boast being this strong seven or eight entries in, but that is precisely what Mission: Impossible can do. Since 2011’s Ghost Protocol, the Mission: Impossible movie series found its steady consistency. Finding a narrative that can continue through future instalments but forever increasing the stakes and stunts. Even if Dead Reckoning Part One fails to reach the heights of Mission: Impossible Fallout (2018), these two things are still prevalent to its process.

Billed as the first of a two-parter, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One opens with a stunning deep sea submarine sequence as it introduces the movie’s McGuffin. A key that will grant control of a rogue A.I system dubbed ‘the Entity’. Keeping true to its nature, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team have a new mission that is indeed impossible. Require both parts of the key and stop it from getting into the hands of the wrong people. A game of cat and mouse ensues with multiple parties involved, either wanting the power of the future in their hands, or wanting to destroy it.

What I admire about the M:I franchise is how it still has legs twenty something years after its journey begun and Cruise’s sheer stamina keeps it alive. The franchise isn’t known for its surprises or subtlety, but its stunt work is something of pure brilliance. We’ve all seen the clip of Cruise run a motorcycle off a cliff edge, all in the name of his mission – to save Hollywood – but it’s one of a few jaw dropping moments that will look to stun in spite of the movie’s shortcomings.

This latest entry into the saga uses Mission: Impossible’s rotating roster to reunite Cruise’s Hunt with franchise favourites Benji (Simon Pegg) and Luther (Ving Rhames), with the long departed return of Henry Czerny’s Eugene Kittridge, who makes his first appearance since the series starter in 1996. Other reprising roles include Vanessa Kirby as the ‘White Widow’ and Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust.

As is to be expected from a franchise which includes plenty of death and double crossing, new characters were to be introduced, with Hayley Atwell’s precious pickpocketer Grace and Pom Klementieff’s mysterious Paris appearing as the most valuable. Both of which sharing the screen in the highlight of the movie featuring a breathless and extended car chase sequence through the streets of Rome.

Where Fallout refused to put its foot on the breaks, Dead Reckoning Part One spends too much time with its foot firmly on it. Its middle act comes with an awful lot of narrative plodding. There’s no real reason the story we were given couldn’t have been wrapped up in one seating, in the same way that Fallout feels like a close continuation of Rogue Nation (2015), but are viewed as separate entries. With some stellar sequences like the aforementioned car chase, or its daring and distinguishable final act taking place on a moving train, Dead Reckoning Part One still follows the action algorithm and serves up more success in espionage entertainment.

Dead Reckoning Part One may not have a true ending, but what’s to come next will no doubt leave audience members wanting to turn their clocks forward in anticipation. Cruise and retuning writer/director Christopher McQuarrie keep the consistency running, and whilst their latest entry may not entertain through every second of its 163 minute runtime – now the longest in the franchise by some margin – their ability to keep you on the edge of your seats during key phases is what matters most.