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Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – Film Review

Cast: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Shea Wigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Henry Czerny, Angela Bassett, Hannah Waddingham, Tramell Tillman

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Synopsis: Two months after the events of Dead Reckoning, the IMF continue their mission to prevent the AI known as The Entity from unleashing global chaos…

Review: “Your mission, should you choose to accept it.” Ever since this iconic line was first uttered in the original Mission: Impossible film in 1996, it has been quite an incredible journey over the past three decades. Eight globe-trotting missions, some truly death-defying and insane stunts, and over $4bn at the worldwide box office— all largely due to the extraordinary tenacity and commitment of the man who has been at the heart of it all from the very beginning: the one and only Tom Cruise. He is someone who has always worked his hardest and has never stopped running (literally), in his bid to entertain the audiences. However, there eventually comes a point where the time is right to close the curtain on a franchise. Now, after the events that were set in motion by Dead Reckoning, Ethan Hunt and the Impossible Mission Force take their (supposed) final bow.

It has been two months since the IMF became aware of the existence of the sentient and nefarious AI known as the Entity, which has since made itself known to the world, causing complete and total havoc for governments across the world by taking control of the nuclear arsenals of some of the most powerful nations. With time running out before the AI causes a devastating global catastrophe, the IMF learn of the existence of a software that could neutralise the Entity. With the fate of the world as we know it at stake, as Ethan himself tells the President of the United States, Erika Sloane (Bassett), “I need you to trust me, one last time”. With the stakes somehow higher than ever before, Ethan and his crew embark on a mission to prevent the villainous Gabriel (Morales) from getting his hands on the AI.

There comes a point, even when you have had a great a run as Mission has, that the time will eventually come for the franchise to take its final bow, one last mission to accept if you will. Ever since taking the reins with Rogue Nation, Christopher McQuarrie and the age-defying star that is Tom Cruise have crafted some of the best action cinema, with the latter’s commitment to putting Ethan in perilous predicaments to deliver spectacle on a truly epic scale. Unfortunately, McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen’s script is bogged down by a bloated and extremely slow first act that delivers a mountain of exposition and is on its own mission to recap every film that has led to this mission. It comes across as completely redundant, given that the audience will have more than likely been with Ethan since he first accepted his mission back in 1996, and it puts an unnecessary drag on the film’s nearly three-hour runtime.

Furthermore, in the same vein as its predecessor, it is evident that McQuarrie and Cruise were so laser-focused on the stunts and how they would be accomplished that the script was relegated to the realm of an afterthought, serving merely as a vehicle for some jaw-dropping stunts. In doing so, it gives long-time Mission stalwarts, such as Simon Pegg’s Benji and especially Ving Rhames’ Luther with not a great deal to do beyond their usual supporting roles as long-time friends of Ethan. They frankly deserved far better, given how they have been key members of the team for so long. Furthermore, even the newer members of the team, such as Hayley Atwell’s Grace and Pom Klementieff’s Paris, are also underutilised, all the more disappointing given their memorable introductions in Dead Reckoning. Given the increasing capabilities that humanity has been seeing with the rise of artificial intelligence, there is a point to be made about how this technology may one day bring the world to its knees and cause unprecedented havoc. That being said, if you break it down for even a minute, the plot is so ridiculous that it doesn’t make one iota of sense, and Gabriel does not leave a lasting impression as the antagonist.

What does not disappoint is Tom Cruise, because when does he ever let us down? When you consider the truly staggering stunts he has managed to accomplish over the years, from climbing the world’s tallest building, to hanging off an aeroplane mid-flight and riding a motorcycle and parachuting off a cliff? Surely, he can’t pull off anything more jaw-dropping than that? Well, leave it to him to continue to find new ways to make it his mission to laugh in the face of death with two truly set pieces, with one involving a deep-sea dive that might make people discover a fear of deep water, or thalassophobia. From one end of the spectrum in the deep depths of the ocean to the skies above us, as his other mind-boggling stunt is another stunt involving biplanes, with Hunt literally hanging off them and a terrifying drop back to earth. It will set your heart rate soaring, and your palms will sweat profusely. It truly has to be seen to be believed.

Since the first fuse was lit all those years ago, it has been a wild and exhilarating ride across those nearly three decades. Eight missions, and some truly nail-biting and tense action set-pieces. The impact that Cruise has had on cinema as a whole is immeasurable, and we can be immensely grateful for everything he has put into this series. Time will tell if indeed this is the final mission Ethan Hunt and the IMF will accept, but if it is, it is not the explosive bang it would have hoped for.

A confoundingly dull first act of flashbacks threatens to derail the mission before it really gets going. However, once the film moves past this point, it hits top running speed and never looks back.

Top Gun: Maverick – Film Review

Cast: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris, Val Kilmer, Monica Barbaro, Charles Parnell, Jay Ellis, Danny Ramirez, Greg Tarzan Davis

Directors: Joseph Kosinski

Synopsis: After decades of service in the US Navy, Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell is called back to train some new recruits for a dangerous new mission…

Review: What more is there to be said about Tom Cruise? For over four decades, here’s an actor who has poured his heart and soul into his projects, pulling off death-defying stunts, all to provide the audience with thrilling entertainment, which has cemented his reputation as one of the best action movie stars of his generation. While his most jaw-dropping stunt work has come in the Mission: Impossible franchise, arguably the first of the many iconic roles that he’s provided audiences with over the years was the cocky US Navy Pilot in Top Gun. Now, somewhat much later than planned due to numerous delayed release dates, Cruise is taking audiences back to the skies once more, for an utterly enthralling sequel that will please long-time fans of the original and new fans alike.

After more than three decades of service in the US Navy, Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell is right where he wants to be, serving as one of the most skilled pilots whilst continuously avoiding the calling of a higher rank that would prevent him from taking flight ever again. However, upon the request of Tom “Iceman” Kazinsky (Kilmer), he’s called back to Top Gun to lead the training of a batch of new recruits, billed as the best that the Navy has to offer, for a highly perilous mission that will test their skills as pilots to the limit. However, whilst training these new recruits, Maverick must contend with the fact that one of the new recruits is Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Teller), the son of his late best friend Goose, who died whilst flying with Maverick.

To reprise a role after over 30 years can be a risk, as it can so often be one of two things. It can either tell a story that is worth telling, or it could (especially given Hollywood’s love for using nostalgia) be used as a mere excuse to print money at the box office. While this sequel does walk the line between being nothing more than a nostalgia trip for fans of the original, it does earn its place as a more than worthy sequel. However, while the script by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie certainly weaves some of that nostalgia into the story by immediately blasting Kenny Loggins’s opening song in the opening credits, it is also a story that packs plenty of emotional weight, especially where Maverick, and where he is at this moment in his life, is concerned.

Cruise, as he so often is, is effortlessly watchable. He exudes the swagger, charisma and cockiness that made him such made Maverick such an instantaneous icon of 80s action cinema. However, through all that charisma and extraordinary skill to fly a fighter plane, there’s an overriding sense of guilt that despite being cleared of any blame for the death of Goose, Maverick still feels responsible for what happened. It is a responsibility that he is forced to confront when Goose’s son Rooster becomes one of his pupils. While Maverick has to balance his desire to be the father figure for Rooster that he never had and his teacher, Rooster continues to harbour resentment for Maverick’s part in his father’s death. The dynamic between the two creates an emotional arc that drives the story forward, whilst allowing Teller to remind us of what a talented actor he is with an extremely impactful performance.

For the majority of the new recruits, while they are all charismatic presences, any attempt at a backstory or character development for any of them, apart from Rooster, is minimal at best. This also goes for much of the rest of the new cast. There is an extremely emotional moment between Maverick and Val Kilmer’s Iceman. Jon Hamm shines with what little screen time he has as a Vice Admiral who would love nothing more than to ground Maverick for good. For Maverick’s love interest, there’s no mention of Kelly McGillis’s Charlotte. Instead, she is replaced by Jennifer Connolly’s Penny, a past flame of Maverick’s whose only purpose is to give him the motivation to ensure he makes it back home.

Re-teaming with Joseph Kosinski, who helmed Tron Legacy and Oblivion with Cruise, it’s not overstating it to say that these aerial action scenes are some of the most exhilarating action scenes that have ever been put to film. It is estimated that a whopping 800 hours worth of footage inside real-life planes was shot, enough time to watch the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy approximately 70 times over! It is an extraordinary herculean endeavour from all of the crew, from Kosinski’s immaculate direction to the terrific sound work, it puts the audience in the cockpit of these planes like they are in the cockpit with these incredibly skilled pilots as they train for the toughest mission of their naval careers. When it comes time for the mission during the all-important third act, the tension is dialled to the maximum and never lets up for the rest of the film. After all those delays due to the pandemic, Top Gun: Maverick earns its wings by becoming a rare sequel that surpasses its predecessor in just about every single way.

A spectacular combination of pulsating spectacle, combined with a grounded and emotional story that pulls on the heartstrings, ensures that this is a sequel that passes with flying colours and will truly take your breath away.