Posted by It is not often that the latest iteration of a long running film series is any good, but the law of diminishing returns be damned as after 27 years Mission Impossible is getting better with age. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is the seventh iteration of the blockbuster action franchise and is Christopher McQuarrie‘s third time in the directors chair.
Dead Reckoning follows on from the dramatic, world saving fare of Fallout, but instead of double agents, shadowy groups and nuclear bombs it’s AI. The powerful AI in question is called The Entity, which has the capability to change the world as we know it and can be controlled by a key. Cue a mad scramble by every man and his dog to find said key, change the world and reap the rewards/wreak havoc.
The story is dull and rather clichéd, and gets increasingly melodramatic as the flick progresses. The McGuffin plot line is not the reason you are here and is there to justify the stupendous action and incredible set pieces. These more than make up for it, and look spectacular on the big screen. From a frenetic car chase in Rome, a foot race in Abu Dhabi airport, punishing fights in Venice to a show stopping climax on the orient express – including that motorbike scene from the trailer. All interspersed with plenty of Tom Cruise‘s favourite past time, running.
It is an exhilarating spectacle that deserves to be seen on the big screen, the 2 hours and 40 minutes simply fly by. Tom Cruise is his usual duracell bunny self, an unstoppable force out to save the world, Simon Pegg (Benji) is the panicked everyman and Ving Rhames (Luther) the cool head. Vanessa Kirby plays the dubious White Widow with an icy yet slick demeanour. It is not without its faults, as the grand scale melodrama gets a bit tiresome and the main villain, Gabriel (Esai Morales), is overwhelmingly bland. He is like an evil George Clooney from the Nespresso ads.
Minor quibbles aside, Dead Reckoning is a breathtaking action film that is tailor made for the big screen. Cruise and McQuarrie have done it again.
8/10
Lofty Music and Film 