The Mission: Impossible franchise was never known for its compelling plot details or ability to stand up to scrutiny. Even so, the latest entry makes very little sense. Thankfully, that doesn’t matter. The final 40 minutes features an extended action sequence among the best I’ve ever seen. Part of me is desperate to see the behind-the-scenes footage. Part of me wants to never know how it was made and let ignorance remain bliss.
The movie kicks off much where Dead Reckoning left off. Ethan Hunt has a cruciform key, which grants access to a hard drive on board a sunken submarine at the bottom of the ocean.
For some reason, four months have passed since the last movie, but suddenly there are 3 days until the Entity, an AI program that became too powerful, takes control of all the world’s nuclear weapons. It’s unclear how the military have figured out the timeline so precisely, but it’s best not to ask too many questions. A big ticking clock on the wall looks exciting, especially when paired with a Defcon meter. This is a movie that is unashamedly more interested in style over substance.
Ethan and team travel to the ends of the earth to find the submarine. Unfortunately this means we don’t get as many beautiful city locations. The arctic tundra and the ocean depths are beautiful in their own way, but they lack some of the visual vibrancy of Prague, Venice, or Paris.
For a movie where plot is unimportant, there are a lot of references to previous franchise entries. Director Christopher McQuarrie seems desperate to make it seem like everything led up to this moment. The film tries to tug at your heartstrings, but it mostly unsuccessful. Regrettably we live in a world where Cinematic Universes are the accepted norm, and this felt like it might have been pushed in by the studio.
Final Reckoning takes a long time to get going. The first hour is mostly exposition and recap, in case we didn’t see the previous film. But if you hadn’t seen Dead Reckoning, this would be a terrible point to jump in. All of the flashbacks and references would leave you confounded.
The film centres around two big action sequences, both of which were glimpsed in the trailer. The trip to the submarine - and the inevitable death-defying escape to the surface when the plan goes awry - is better than I expected, but would not feature high up my list of the best stunts in the franchise. The plane sequence, though, is truly remarkable. We’ve seen Tom Cruise jump out of planes and cling to the side of planes so often that you would think it’s just not that impressive any more. But it is.
Does a 30 minute set piece make up for 2 hours of dull setup? Perhaps not. But the final act is the best action you will see all year. See this on the biggest screen you can. Don’t ask too many questions. Just be amazed when it happens.