Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One - Final Review & M:I Film Rankings
Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Electrifies and is worth a theater visit!
Three weeks since the release of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, the film’s box office status is in as much peril as Tom Cruise is doing insane stunts. Heck Tom may be more successful with his stunts than the box office for this film. The film must rely on having legs at the box office to recoup the financial expenditures of production. Barbie and Oppenheimer exploded at the box office and while Dead Reckoning Part One had quite a box office decline, 65% drop off from the opening week to the second week, that shouldn’t diminish how exciting the film is or that it is absolutely worth your time! If you haven’t seen it, pop in and check it out!
I released a non-spoiler review opening week for the film but wanted to circle back and provide a deeper dive. After two theater viewings, and perhaps another one or two in the near future, I am left in love again with another Mission: Impossible outing. However, with multiple viewings and time on my side, it allows me to realize that as fantastic as Dead Reckoning Part One is, that doesn’t save it from a few drawbacks.
Now we head into spoiler territory for Dead Reckoning Part 1. Also, keep reading for how I rank the movies in the Mission: Impossible franchise.
Official Synopsis:
Ethan Hunt and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: to track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.
Christopher McQuarrie returns from the previous two installments (Rogue Nation & Fallout) to lend his directing and writing talent to navigate the slippery world of spies and impossible missions. Tom Cruise of course returns as Ethan Hunt with Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, and Vanessa Kirby returning from past entries. The film welcomes back Henry Czerny as Eugene Kittridge from Mission: Impossible (1996) and welcomes in newcomers Hayley Atwell as Grace, Pom Klementieff as Paris, and Esai Morales as villainous Gabriel.
Overall, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One continues the franchise’s strong history of thrilling action spy films. Name another franchise that delivers without concern or worry as well as Mission: Impossible, and honestly, I can name one John Wick. Despite being part one of two, this film does a great job of providing a sense of accomplishment all while story threads linger and the overall mission remains prepped for the second installment.
Let’s target the highlights…
Pace -
The kinetic pace flows organically which allows the film to breathe when needed and hold its breath when it is go-time. For a movie slotted at 2 hours and 49 minutes, this is quite the breeze. Only the car chase through Rome trends a tad long. However, the chase is parsed together in a manner to mix thrills, humor, and action to keep the sequence racing forward.
Stunts -
Describing something as “breathtaking” seems overused these days. Though when we are talking Tom Cruise and stunts, the exhilarating spectacles truly are that, breathtaking! From motorcycle to skydiving off of a mountain, Tom Cruise is our generation's Evil Knievel. Even his train departure via a speed dive through the Swiss Alps valley to escape is a stunning feat.
Characters -
Ethan and the Impossible Mission Force team are back in action! Ethan, Luther, Benji, and Ilsa (more on her later) mingle with a thief known as Grace and get roped into the White Widow’s antics. Set to battle against an advanced Artificial Intelligence known as The Entity, it utilizes its human proxy in the mysterious Gabriel to thwart our heroes. Gabriel is a blast from Ethan’s past, however, we have to wait until Part Two to learn more. Fortunately, the mysterious nature leaves just enough to know Gabriel is a formidable foe.
Grace -
Hayley Atwell’s Grace is the biggest addition to the team. The thief hired to capture one part of the key, she soon becomes entangled in Ethan’s mission to stop The Entity. Her character arc from a mere scrappy thief to joining the IMF team to recover the second half of the key is a vital role. As her name describes, the character is given a second chance in life to regain grace and rise up for the greater good. While some would call her a Damsel in Distress, she has her moments, I believe Grace is a character that will see continue to see growth from Part One to Part Two. For now, I’d label her a distressed damsel of defense.
Action -
I had high hopes for the action and set pieces in the film. No doubt, the filmmakers and all involved delivered. I thought John Wick 4 would walk from 2023 being the best action movie… this rivals Wick.
Plot -
The all-mighty Artificial Intelligence is front and center! Sure this isn’t the first time we have seen A.I. as a villain or tool of a villain like in Terminator or Eagle Eye, yet this take is perfectly progressive. The Entity, the A.I. baddie, is a timely take that perfectly progresses the advancement of A.I. without being too robotic while remaining both uncanny and unnerving. A chilling, cautionary tale of the potential of A.I. and how it could mingle and disrupt our daily lives.
One additional point, this movie is Part One of Two. While crafted to be two movies, Dead Reckoning Part One does a fantastic job to tie the movie up to allow for a complete film instead of completely leaving on a cliffhanger.
A multitude of story strands are woven together in a cohesive manner that adds depth while keeping the story straightforward and not feeling convoluted.
The one issue with the overall story, we are now waiting for Dead Reckoning Part Two to flesh out the backstory between Ethan’s past and who Gabriel is as he is a meddling messenger of the A.I. helping to enact the plan and coerce the mission forward. Part Two is expected to amp up the backstory and really delve into Ethan’s love connection with Maria, whom Gabriel killed many years ago.
Theme -
Most movies in the action/adventure/espionage realm rely on good versus evil. No issue with that as the moral remains an effective theme to utilize. Dead Reckoning elevates the typical Hero vs Villain, Good vs Evil adage. The film showcases the good or hero in Ethan and the team, while the evil/villain angle is Gabriel and The Entity. However, this theme evolves into a fight for agency, protecting the world from an all-seeing, all-powerful artificial intelligence that puts everyone at risk of invasion, manipulation, and control.
In addition to our agency vs control theme, we have Grace who is challenged at the core of right versus wrong, good versus evil, and provided with the choice. Not just any choice, but a choice to do right and to think of the greater good. The film provides Hayley Atwell’s Grace with the choice for… well, grace.
The downer…
One of the best characters in the entire franchise feels relegated to taking a backseat and finding an early grave. Not only the best female character in all of the franchise, if not one of the overall best characters, the film plunges a knife into her. Yes, we are talking about Ilsa Faust. Gabriel and The Entity force Ethan to sacrifice either Ilsa or Grace. Gabriel essentially makes the decision for Ethan and kills Ilsa in a vicious battle.
While Ilsa played a pivotal role in obtaining one piece of the key to kick off the adventure, her role became unimportant at the halfway point. Relegated to a sacrificial lamb to provide an emotional element and a motivator for Ethan and the team, the film underutilized Ilsa. While using character deaths as motivators isn’t a negative concept, Ilsa is an incredible character that not only provided a feminine action character, but a connection to Ethan and his future hope beyond the IMF. At least her death didn’t fall into the cliche realm with her sacrifice at the end of the film and instead helps propel the characters forward to the end of this film.
Overall, Mission: Impossible may have missed the mark with Ilsa Faust, but the film is an exhilarating joy to watch. From the organic character additions to the story to the spectacle of Tom Cruise risking his life, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One is absolutely worth seeing on the big screen!
Rating: 8.5/10
Now let’s see where Dead Reckoning Part One ranks against the rest of the Mission: Impossible films.
KB’s Rankings:
7. Mission: Impossible 2
The first sequel is the epitome of a late 90s or early 2000s action movie. Shifting from a grounded spy franchise to over-the-top action, Mission: Impossible 2 sucker punches and revs its engine for a ruckus good time. Even Hans Summer’s score turned the electric guitar up to 11, but tones down for a fantastic theme in ‘Injection’. It still has the M:I flare, one of the best mask reveals in the series.
One thing to note… had we not allowed M:I franchise this sequel, it may have never found its ground. Perhaps the stumbles teach us the most and how to course correct. This franchise definitely learned from this journey and it isn’t to say all is lost on this sequel. Despite the over-the-top zaniness at times… oh yeah that motorcycle fight… M:I2 is the weakest entry in the franchise. Fortunately, there is still plenty of fun and excitement to help enjoy the popcorn!
6. Mission: Impossible 3
This is where we get nitpicky. M:I3 is not a bad film or even in the same category as M:I2. In fact, the third outing is a solid adventure with a truly menacing villain in Owen Davian. Where it suffers, is the directing. Stepping up for duty is J.J. Abrams. The manner in which certain scenes are shot and even the lighting felt inconsistent. A gritty atmosphere at times, others more light and airy, you can see the growing pains as Abrams takes the leap from television to film. That is not to say the look is awful but simply inconsistent.
Mission: Impossible 3 does capitalize on showcasing the late and great Phillip Seymour Hoffman as the chilling Owen Davian. Arguably one of the best villains, Hoffman delivers the perfect blend of poise with a dash of unhinged that feels as if Ethan and the team are operating against a real and believable villain. Add in the character tension of Ethan’s wife, played by the wonderful Michelle Monaghan, and Billy Crudup as the devious Musgrave, M:I3 definitely packs a punch!
5. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Yes, I can sense the gasp! Ghost Protocol is fifth on KB’s list?! Yes… yes, it is fifth on the list, but that is the movie’s fault. Many slot this thrilling adventure in the top three if not on top of the list for others. Ghost Protocol finally found the organic flow for the recent films. While maintaining everything we know and love about the franchise, the fourth film became the catalyst for a thrilling spy caper without pushing into the absurd realm.
From scaling the Burj Khalifa to a prison break, splashes of the right amount of humor, Ghost Protocol laid the groundwork for its predecessors. The only issue with this movie comes down to the ending. While a thrilling finish, it seems there is a missing oomph or exclamation point on the villain and his end goal that didn’t quite hit the end notes as well as in the following films.
4. Mission: Impossible
The movie that started the franchise nailed it off the bat. While the ambiance trended more towards a paranoid spy thriller, due in part to Ethan Hunt being disavowed and pegged as the traitor in a mole hunt, there were plenty of thrills. Brian De Palma helped craft the tension, amping up the anxiety, while still providing a fun thriller!
Mission: Impossible provided an iconic scene that has been spoofed or even played out as kids pretending to be spies. Yes, talking about the CIA heist sequence where we see Ethan hanging from the ceiling. Sweat, rat, and a pacing man with an upset stomach, the moment continues to be one of the best in the series! Also don’t forget… Red light! Green light! The thrilling end keeps you on the edge of your seat!
3. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1
To say the least, Dead Reckoning delivers in every aspect possible. Action, character dilemma, the score by Lorne Balfe, Cruise’s willingness to provide the old school charm of stunts and the writing and directing of Christopher McQuarrie, the film nails the landing. Believe the hype!
2. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
Personally, I feel bad having to slot Rogue Nation at second because it truly is that darn great! Rogue Nation provides an eerie villain in Soloman Lane, the leader of the Syndicate, which is a shadow organization made up of intelligence operatives turned rogue. Then add in the introduction of Ilsa Faust, a character who appears to be just the femme fatale yet quickly evolves into a deeper character that rocks femininity while kicking butt and holding her own against henchmen like the Bone Doctor and outwitting Soloman Lane.
The psychological chess match between Ethan Hunt and Soloman Lane is incredible. It was nice not to just see the hero and villain go fisticuffs to end the film. Instead, we are provided with most of the gunplay and hand-to-hand combat with the heroes and henchmen before Ethan and the team outsmart Lane. The level of paranoia and cloak-and-dagger espionage rival the first Mission: Impossible. Add in a bass flute gun and you have the second best film in the franchise!
1. Mission: Impossible - Fallout
While Dead Reckoning Part One continues the peak performance that was started in Ghost Protocol and continued into Rogue Nation, Fallout remains the pinnacle of the entire franchise. Christopher McQuarrie is at the top of his game as is everyone else involved. Fallout ups the ante and provides us with a menacing villain in Henry Cavill’s John Lark. He is in top spy form as we first are introduced to Cavill as August Walker, the CIA assassin who is forced to keep tabs on Ethan and aid in the hunt for the devious John Lark. Soon the pair are entangled in a plan to break out Soloman Lane and the reveal of Walker being Lark is revealed. The shift is brilliant and Cavill electrifies in keeping Ethan and the team on their toes as the stakes
Fallout brings Ilsa Faust back while adding in Vanessa Kirby’s White Widow, the H.A.L.O. jump sequence, and Lorne Balfe’s riveting score… I could keep going on and on about all of the bits that make Fallout the best Mission: Impossible film, but I will refrain. Mission: Impossible - Fallout is not only the best MI film but one of the best action films of all time!