Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning Review
A flawed but fitting sendoff for Ethan Hunt
Mission Impossible is one of the greatest action movie franchises of all time (no disrespect intended to the Fast and Furious conglomerate). The films fluctuate in quality, but Tom Cruise’s unparalleled dedication to his craft elevates the movies beyond standard action fare. You know what you’re getting into when you throw on any of the MI movies: crazy stunts, Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt running towards and/or away from something, and eventually saving the world from nuclear fallout. The worst films in the franchise deliver this content as a Soylent paste. At its best, MI pairs excellent set pieces with just enough emotional stakes to make you invested in the characters and their survival.
The eighth and final (until they make more) film in the franchise, Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning sets out to wrap up the previous seven films in a neat little bow. In some ways, this dooms the movie from the start; the runtime is nearly three hours long. But it also provides ample opportunity to bring back old characters and tie up loose threads from previous entries. It doesn’t always work - I liked the character, but did we really need to revisit the Black Vault keeper from the first movie? At no point, though, did it feel like the movie was prioritizing fan service over delivering a quality film. The pacing is a little wonky, but the movie absolutely delivers on the spectacle you’d expect from the final MI entry.
Spoilers from here on out!
Let’s get the bad out of the way first. I didn’t care for the villain of Gabriel in this movie. He was set up more as a plot device in Dead Reckoning than anything else, so I was hoping The Final Reckoning would deliver a satisfying payoff for his character. Instead, he’s barely in the movie until he shows up for the finale, laughs maniacally, and dies. His plan to control the Entity makes no sense when the movie is constantly hammering home the point that the Entity cannot be controlled. I mentioned the pacing earlier - it takes the movie forever to set the plot in motion. Given the previous film spent more than enough time setting the stakes, there’s too much fluff in the first act. Luther’s death felt like exposition instead of a pivotal moment, to the point where it made me wonder if Ving Rhames had some scheduling conflict preventing him from being anything more than early cannon fodder. Even after killing off Luther, there are too many characters in this movie. I felt bad for all of the actors whose only time in the limelight was to deliver exposition. Ethan’s little chat with the Entity felt like a ton of setup with absolutely no payoff. I kept waiting for the “Grace, don’t step on the ice!” moment that never came. Finally, I know suspension of disbelief comes with the territory for these films, but still: how did Ethan survive even 10% of the plot? The movie took its sweet time establishing that if he deviated from the plan during his deep-sea scuba dive, he would die an agonizing death. He proceeded to TAKE THE SUIT OFF, and survived anyways. Plot armor!
Now onto the good stuff: once we get past all the filler, the second half of the movie absolutely delivers. Starting from the submarine sequence until the credits roll, I had a white-knuckle grip on the armrests. Ethan’s dive into the wrecked Sevastopol was brilliantly executed and easily stands as the defining moment of the film. Similarly, the final dogfight between Ethan and Gabriel was a great climax in the same mold as the Ethan vs. John Lark helicopter duel in Fallout. I loved Benji’s character in this movie; I was worried they’d kill him off to raise the stakes for the rest of the team. Instead, he serves as the de-facto leader while Ethan is off completing side quests. I can definitely see a continuation of the series in the future with Benji as the wise Jedi Master Yoda mentoring IMF’s new recruits.
Overall, I came into The Final Reckoning expecting quality action, and the movie delivered. The effort Tom Cruise poured into the franchise over the years is more apparent than ever. The man simply refuses to phone it in, ensuring the character of Ethan Hunt receives a worthy sendoff. In an era of reboots, I doubt this is the last we’ll see of the Mission: Impossible franchise. But assuming this is the last we see of Cruise as an action hero, The Final Reckoning is a satisfying farewell.
The verdict: 3 1/2 MacGuffins out of 5