Mission Impossible : Dead Reckoning Part One Review
Written by Hans (Kru’22)
In 1996, the first Mission Impossible film was made, starring Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, whom he would continue on to play this role. Spy films have been a staple of the film industry for many generations. With the release of Dead Reckoning Part 1, I believe that the reason for the franchise’s continued tenure is its goal to represent the spy films genre. In the same way that the “James Bond” franchise has for decades. Usually, that kind of statement is reserved for the Star Wars or Star Trek of films, in how they manage to define themselves as the household names of their respective genre. Now, with the continuation of Mission Impossible in its current form, the franchise deserves to be included in that conversation.
The film thrusts us into a mission given to Ethan Hunt in finding a powerful Artificial Intelligence threatening the entire world. Many characters from previous Mission Impossible films make an appearance in this film as it has become a race between many factions in obtaining the key to this AI. The main threat of the film mirrors the current emergence of AI in our world as it holds a lot of power and has the potential to reshape the world as we know it.
The film goes to incredible locations and shows amazing sequences that kept me on the edge of my seat for every second of it. Pair that with a plot that continues to deepen as more things are. revealed to the audience, then you have the recipe for one of the most gripping and heart-pounding films this year. Do remember that Tom Cruise is now 61 years old, and yet he still does all of his own stunts. That is not insane, that’s just IMPOSSIBLE! The only way he could have performed at the level he did in this film is because he is either still in his twenties stuck in a 60 year old body, or he is just secretly immortal. I believe that both arguments have some truth to them.
Jokes aside, the performance given by Tom Cruise and all of the cast in this film is great all around. One of the most outstanding performances comes from the newest cast member, Grace, who is played by Hayley Atwell. She brings a fun and lovable personality when she is on screen, putting her on the spotlight in many instances throughout the film. The scenes that were shot in tight environments with well-choreographed action sequences were especially excellent to watch.
The film has its faults, of course. There were some scenes that could have been better shot, and there was one instance in which there was a shot in a scene of the film that cut to the next shot and the position of the people in the shot was different and broke the scene’s continuity. Some scenes also had jarring dialogue that didn’t need to be put in. For example, there was a really tense action sequence and one of the characters made a quippy dialogue and nobody in the theater was laughing because of how out of place it was and how it didn’t fit the moment. But my complaints are minor compared to how great the entire film is.
When the film ended, I was reminded that this is only part one of a two-part story and I have yet to see the conclusion of it. Even though I could not wait for part two, I am still very much satisfied with where the film ended as part 1 still felt like a complete film overall. It is truly a worthwhile experience and a film that is not to be missed on the big screen. Depending on how the film will conclude in the second and final part of Dead Reckoning, just like in the beginning, I believe that Mission Impossible could become a genre and culture defining film for generations to come.
