Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is technically Part Two of Dead Reckoning, though it seems like the studio would prefer that we forget that. The movie opens with enough exposition to qualify as a documentary on Ethan Hunt’s midlife crisis — a 30-minute montage of past stunts, speeches, and villain monologues. The pacing here stumbles early, but don’t worry — it’s all setup for the action to come.
Because once the stunts start? It rips.
Tom Cruise goes full maniac with two standout sequences: one where he dives into the pitch-black ocean (trigger warning for the claustrophobic) and another where he fistfights mid-air on a literal prop plane. These scenes are what movie theaters were built for, no CGI sludge, no shaky cam, just crisp, clean insanity of Cruise performing his own stunts.
But here’s the thing: the film walks a fine line between spy thriller and self-parody. Characters joke about Ethan never following orders and still being IMF’s most trusted guy. It’s a little too meta at times, like it’s about to wink at the camera — but doesn’t.
The villain? Eh. Gabriel returns from Dead Reckoning but brings the menace of a barely inneffective substitute teacher. The real antagonist is the AI, aka “The Entity”. A digitized villain visualized like a rejected Windows NT screensaver. It’s kinda like a less self-aware Skynet or The Matrix with less menace and more buffering time.
Still, Cruise gives it his all. At 62, he proves he’s the greatest action star alive, by leaping off buildings, flying planes, and consistently convincing his team into trusting him mid-chase, mid-panic, mid-apocalypse, proving to be his greatest strength. It’s weirdly charming.
My only moderate gripe with the film is that it’s a bit too long. At a runtime of three hours, it’s a bit of a stretch, especially when the plot is mostly an excuse to launch Ethan Hunt from various altitudes. But if you’re showing up for adrenaline, popcorn, and a guy sprinting like cardio’s a religion — this delivers.
Final Verdict
(4/5 Buckets Of Popcorn)
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning might not stick the landing with the same level of emotional strength as some of its predecessors, but the action and stunts are unmatched, the vibe is fun, and Tom Cruise still reigns as the ultimate action movie star on the planet. And when you’re at Alamo Drafthouse with a mouth full of truffle-parm bacon mac and a cold cocktail in your hand from their special menu, you probably won’t mind the runtime.
This isn’t just dinner and a movie, this is a full-on cinematic mission. See it big, eat big, and remember: sneak in your candy after you crush the mac. Ethan would want it that way.