Movie Review: Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning - Part One

It's been at least eight years since I've been in a movie theater, and it's becoming increasingly difficult for me to find a movie that has entertained me as much as this new installment of Mission: Impossible. Yes, it has a few extra minutes, and it isn't too original, but still, it is an inch ahead of any of the films that have been released this year, except, perhaps, for the fourth (and final?) installment of another very good saga, that of John Wick. All of this said within the action movie genre; I'm not comparing Dead Reckoning to, say, Oppenheimer. Now that the MCU is no longer an option, one appreciates these oddities within the general mediocrity. Speaking of the MCU, this movie has two familiar faces: Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter) and Pom Klementieff (Mantis), both very good in their respective roles, which will surely remind us of a thousand other similar ones in this type of movies but nevertheless here They are well interpreted, so much so that they do not get in the way but rather collaborate with the rest of the gears of this well-oiled clock. Atwell is the "Hunt girl" of this installment, while Klementieff is the antagonist's right-hand man, at least for a while. And there's Simon Pegg, always so enjoyable, and there's Ving Rhames, and again Rebecca Ferguson, who's been killing it since Rogue Nation. (Spoiler: one of the three I just mentioned does not make it to the last minutes of the film alive.)

Souurce: filmaffinity.com/us/filmimages.php?movie_id=945258

The mission this time is more than impossible and takes place in two parts: the first, recover a key, and the second, decipher which door it opens. (I say the latter metaphorically, since things are a bit more complicated but I don't want to ruin the movie for anyone.) The interesting thing is that this time the IMF faces an AI, something like a quieter Ultron but very efficient. Or even a Skynet, although only potentially.

I haave to mention that the female roles in this film are well written and better directed, and that, for example, Hayley Atwell gives Cain a pass on poor Tom Cruise and at times is one or two plays ahead of him, but it is all so natural and without forced feminism that one really enjoys those "anti-patriarchal" and comedy moments at the protagonist's expense. The scriptwriters seem to have taken Austin Kleon's little book (Steal Like an Artist) to heart, and here they steal from (or, if you prefer, pay homage to) so many other films, not just those of James Bond from the Moore era, or those of Jason Bourne, or those of John Wick, but even the installments that precede it. However, the final mix does not imitate any one in particular too much and is not only watchable but very entertaining, which is still a merit given that the film lasts almost three hours. According to what they say, Dead Reckoning ended at a loss, with 50 million in the red, which is a shame, given that it is a good movie. Let's hope that the second part, to be released in June 2024, does better.

And then there is lots of action and risk scenes. There are car chases, a fight to the death on a bridge and another (simultaneous, or almost) in a dimly lit alley, a motorcycle jump from a mountain, and so on. And of course the protagonist's frustrated face is repeated several times when some machine fails or things simply take a different direction than expected, and we have more masks than in the Rio carnival. And we also have Tom Cruise running around, which is a credit to his 60-something years. And the ending (for now) is fine: it doesn't depress, it doesn't irritate, it doesn't outrage. We'll have to see how good the second part is, but as for this one, it turned out too well.

Title: Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning pt. 1
Year: 2023
Duration: 163 min.
Country: United States
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Henry Czerny, Shea Whigham.

Dear Hiver, if you like action movies, you might be interested in watching some of these movies.

Nobody: An ordinary man becomes the target of a dangerous Russian gangster after defending a woman on a bus. Starring Bob Odenkirk, known for his role as Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.
The Matrix Resurrections: The fourth installment of the iconic science fiction saga, which reunites Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss as Neo and Trinity. Directed by Lana Wachowski, one of the original creators of the franchise.
No Time to Die: Daniel Craig's last film as James Bond, which pits him against a mysterious villain armed with dangerous technology. With the participation of Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux and Ana de Armas.
Have you seen any of these movies? What did you think? Do you have any other recommendations you would like to share with me? I'd love to know your opinion. 😊

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