Spoiler alerts ahead!
The Mission Impossible series is famous for making viewers doubt whether main character Ethan Hunt’s (Tom Cruise) stunts are real or just CGI. The newest addition to the saga is no exception. Filled with mind blowing tricks, from a fight atop a train to a jump off of a cliff on a motorcycle, this movie did not skimp on the action.
One aspect of the film that makes it stand out from others in the series is the unique villain. Instead of a thrilling chase, or a manhunt, or a search for treasure, the implications of this villain’s power are directly stated in the film, yet show a realistic fear in the future. The villain of this film is artificial intelligence, taking form in a powerful program called the Entity. The concept of having AI as a villain was difficult to portray, as the sheer power of something like this cannot be underestimated. This is outlined in the movie, showing the consequences of technology. It is mentioned that the Entity has access to every country’s intelligence departments and knows everything from classified communications to nuclear launch codes. The only way to get access to this Entity is through 2 identical keys; every country in the world is willing to do anything to get their hands on them.
There are, unfortunately, some plot holes that make no sense because they don’t align with the Entity’s power. For example, in the scene at the White Widow’s party, the group’s communications were compromised, leading to Ilsa’s death. The Entity was shown as being “all-powerful” in that scene. This wasn’t the case later at the train scene. as all technology used by the group worked perfectly and the Entity’s technological power was not used at all. If the villain was going to have such immense power, it should have been applied at all times and not be so inconsistent.
Some also say the film is cliche and unrealistic, and uses story lines already present in the action movie universe. Comparing the film to a previous Cruise film, Top Gun: Maverick, I think Dead Reckoning was too focused on the action scenes. While they were great, a good movie should have a balance between action and plot, and this balance was missing. Though this was only implied, it was obvious that Ethan and Grace were positioned as love interests. This was unrealistic, especially so soon after Ilsa’s death. Actually, the inclusion of Grace in the plot was also unrealistic, as she was portrayed as a shrewd thief but was unable to realize the depth of the situation she had gotten into.
Now that I’ve called out the cons of the film, I would like to highlight the positives. The quality of production was top-notch, and I was very impressed with the train motorcycle stunt. Tom Cruise really pushed himself to the limits to make every scene as real and exciting as possible. The action scenes were not all action and no dialogue, which I value greatly. The cinematography was incredible, with amazing shots of each location. Though I disapprove of the villain being technology, I’m glad that they found a way to personify the villain through Gabriel and Paris (I also loved Paris’s redemption). Overall, there were pluses and minuses of this film, but I still can’t wait to see the sequel next year.
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