‘Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning’ is the last chapter in the death-defying spy saga that’s spanned three decades.
Espionage has always had audience appeal. The clandestine operations, fantastic gadgets, perilous romances and inevitable confrontations truly offer something for everyone. It’s one of the many reasons the James Bond and Jason Bourne franchises continue to thrive, taking viewers on high-risk adventures in which the world is repeatedly saved from imminent disaster. In 1966, the Impossible Mission Force (IMF) was introduced in a hit television series that lasted seven seasons to fan and critical acclaim. Thirty years later, the secret agency would make the jump to the big screen and carry on for almost another 30 years, now culminating in the eighth and final movie, Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.
Beginning a short time after the last film’s end, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has been shielding the gold cruciform key from everyone, not trusting that any government or agency would destroy the supreme AI known as The Entity rather than try to harness its overwhelming power. Now, with the development of a potential poison pill, it’s time to get the team (Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Hayley Atwell and Pom Klementieff) back together so they can retrieve the source code from the bottom of the sea and stop The Entity before it destroys the world with its newly acquired nuclear arsenal. Of course, The Entity has foreseen their plans and has its own counter strategy in place, while Ethan’s old nemesis, Gabriel (Esai Morales), proves he is still a formidable player in this contest for control.
It was obvious Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One was setting up an epic conclusion in which the fate of the world would once again be decided by its tried-and-true protagonist and his ragtag team of skilled rejects. This film opens with a trip down memory lane, recounting the journey so far via flashbacks that span the major events of the franchise’s three decades, essentially forming a highlight reel of Ethan’s wins and losses. Bringing the team back together is a bit like an overdue family reunion, but with more blood and violence since there’s always unwelcome party crashers. There’s also an awkward meeting with the American president (Angela Bassett), who has some unenvious decisions to make in the coming hours.
Ethan built his IMF career on defying death time and again, never giving up until he’s completed his assignment. Similarly, Cruise has boasted about performing his own stunts no matter how dangerous, frequently pushing the limits in this particular franchise. These hazardous manoeuvres became a Mission: Impossible staple, bidding audiences to come watch the actor’s latest feat of bravery or insanity. But this final installment may have finally gone a step too far in its display of ability vs. probability. Viewers will find it difficult not to laugh at the absurdity of at least one of Ethan’s impossible stunts (especially if you’ve recently seen either the dramatized or documentary versions of Last Breath), while the other spectacular act is equally ludicrous but more convincingly impressive.
If this really is Ethan Hunt/Tom Cruise’s last mission, it is a fitting conclusion to the saga. It connects storylines going back to the first film, while tying up all the loose ends left by the last couple of operations. The many ticking clocks keep everyone on edge for most of the picture with some unavoidable heartbreak, and a lot of breath-holding as decisions and actions come down to the wire. It’s bittersweet since viewers have likely developed an attachment to the top-secret team of underdogs, but it’s also a fond farewell… or maybe a “see you again” since nothing in Hollywood is ever really over.
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell and Simon Pegg
