2020-2029, Film Review

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025)

Posted on May 26, 2025June 10, 2025 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

**© Paramount Pictures, Skydance Media and TC Productions**

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.

2020-2029, Film Review

The Wild Robot (2024)

Posted on October 20, 2024December 31, 2024 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

**© DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures**

The Wild Robot– Film Review

Cast: Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O’Hara, Matt Berry, Ving Rhames

Director: Chris Sanders

Synopsis: After being shipwrecked on a deserted island, a robot must learn to adapt to its new surroundings and is put to the test when it has to care for an orphaned baby chick…

Review: Our world is home to a diverse range of fascinating wildlife and plant life. This may sound like something you’d hear in a nature documentary narrated by Sir David Attenborough (try reading that first sentence in his voice), but as those series demonstrate, the wonders of nature can be discovered anywhere on this magnificent planet. Since the dawn of humanity, we have explored and uncovered the marvels that the natural world has to offer. Now, imagine yourself as an outsider who has never encountered these wondrous sights or experienced nature’s beauty for the first time. You are a robot programmed to assist humanity, only to find yourself surrounded by an assortment of wildlife. The challenge of assimilation and finding your place in the world is beautifully captured in one of the year’s most compelling films.

Set on an unnamed island, the Universal Dynamics ROZZUM Unit 7134 (Nyong’o) washes up on the beach after a storm. Upon booting up, Roz, as she quickly becomes known, attempts to adapt to her new surroundings and offers to assist the island’s inhabitants. Unfortunately, the locals are immediately hostile towards her arrival and reject her help. After Roz comes under attack from a frightening predator, she inadvertently destroys a goose’s nest, resulting in the death of the mother goose and leaving only a single egg remaining. Overcome with guilt, Roz decides to raise the surviving gosling, whom she names Brightbill until he is ready to join the rest of his kind for migration. Although she admits that this task is “not in her programming,” Roz becomes determined to work tirelessly until Brightbill can swim, eat, and fly, and gain the strength to take his place among his own kind.

As the relationship between humanity and machines, specifically artificial intelligence (AI), is increasingly scrutinized, The Wild Robot offers a fascinating perspective on how a robot might interact in a natural environment devoid of human presence. Adapted from the book series by Peter Brown, having beautifully brought to life the journey of one boy who learns how to train his dragon, Chris Sanders’ script delves deeper than just the exploration of nature’s struggle against AI. In this touching and heartfelt story, Roz often finds herself at odds with her programming as she works to protect Brightbill, a gosling vulnerable to other animals in their habitat. This conflict only strengthens Roz’s determination to help Brightbill gain acceptance in his community. Throughout their journey, Roz and Brightbill encounter various unique creatures, including Fink (Pascal), a sly and cunning fox with a peckish who sees Brightbill as his prey. However, Roz’s persistence and determination to raise Brightbill as her own leaves a lasting impression on Fink, and Pinktail (O’Hara) and her legion of adorable little babies.

Even if someone has never had children, anyone and everyone will be acutely aware of the difficulties and challenges that come with parenthood and raising children, because let’s be honest, we’ve all done things when we were young with the sole intention to annoy our parents. Therefore Roz’s battle to become a mother, something she has no prior experience of, will undoubtedly strike a chord with those undertaking the most difficult task any living creature could put themselves through. Though parenthood is an immensely difficult challenge, it has its own rewards and the film chooses to celebrate those as well as a pertinent reminder of the healing power that community and togetherness can bring, because as Roz herself puts it: “Sometimes, to survive, you must become more than you were programmed to be.”

Speaking of Roz, a robot is not usually the most expressive and emotional being, on account of it being a robot. It therefore takes an extremely talented actor to bring such warmth and emotion to a life form designed with one specific purpose in mind. In Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o, you have the perfect actor to bring those qualities and more. Nyong’o radiates warmth and compassion, even though it goes completely against what the nameless corporate bigwigs at Universal Dynamics clearly intended Roz to be. Nyong’o is the unquestioned star of the show, but she is given excellent support in a glittering voice cast from the likes of one the internet’s favourite personalities, Pedro Pascal who is equally charming and delightful as Fink. The bond between a parent and their child can be a loving one, but it is usually not without its fraught moments, and Kit Connor’s voice performance as Brightbill captures this balance of that very complex and loving relationship that develops between himself and his surrogate mother.

With the likes of Sony’s Spider-Verse films, and last year’s Puss In Boots: The Last Wish, the bar for high-quality animation has been considerably raised in recent years by breaking new ground in what audiences thought possible, as well as combining 2D and 3D styles. Sanders and the animation wizards at DreamWorks have outdone themselves here, with utterly breathtaking visuals that feel so lifelike and realistic, if you didn’t know any better, also feel like they could easily have been pulled straight from one of those nature documentaries. In an increasingly hostile and chaotic world, if an outsider like Roz can against all odds, go against her programming and find her place in the world and work with the community around her, a lesson for all of us to take heed to.

Beautifully animated, with a powerfully resonant and emotional message at its core, Roz and her array of furry friends will charm their way into your hearts and never let go.

2020-2029, Film Review

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning (2023)

Posted on July 6, 2023May 26, 2025 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

**© Paramount Pictures, Skydance and TC Productions**

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning – Film Review

Cast: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Henry Czerny, Pom Klementieff, Esai Morales

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Synopsis: Ethan Hunt and the IMF find themselves in a race against time to prevent a new weapon from being utilised by a powerful enemy…

Review: Ever since making his first screen appearance as secret agent Ethan Hunt in 1996, the unparalleled commitment of Thomas Cruise Mapother IV to pull some truly insane and incredible stunts has made him practically unrivalled in terms of an out-and-out movie star. Here’s a man who has across nearly three decades of this franchise, among other things, climbed the tallest building in the world, hung off a plane in mid-air, performed a HALO jump and flown a helicopter for a pulsating tense chase sequence, all in the name of entertaining the audience. The success of last year’s Top Gun: Maverick, which was filled with some of the best aerial combat sequences ever captured on film, reinforced Cruise’s status as a box office draw. Now after a long and arduous journey to get to the big screen thanks to the Covid pandemic, Cruise once again suits up as Ethan Hunt for another nail-biting mission.

As the trailers kept the plot shrouded in secrecy, it would be impolite to go into massive amounts of detail about the plot. Suffice it to say, given the extraordinary amount of conversations which have been generated by the subject in question, it is extremely timely, packs what you’d normally expect from an MI adventure, and ensures the stakes for this seventh instalment somehow feel even bigger than its previous entries. When Ethan Hunt and the IMF learn of the existence of a new threat which would unleash global chaos if it fell into the wrong hands, Hunt along with trusted associates Benji (Pegg) and Luther (Rhames) and Ilsa (Ferguson) must set off another global mission to retrieve an artefact which could lead to this mysterious new weapon, while being pursued by an array of other forces who have also taken an interest in this weapon, which includes Vanessa Kirby’s Alanna Mitsopolis AKA the White Widow.

Given the remarkable longevity with which he has played this character, it will not come as a shock to learn that Cruise is once again terrific and there is genuinely no one else in the world who could possibly take on this role at this point. He continues to prove that age is just a number as despite now being into his sixties, he remains as committed as ever to throwing everything he has at the stunts this franchise has become so well known whether that be a crazy car chase, an exhilarating chase sequence or actually driving a motorbike off a cliff. While none of his IMF colleagues are involved with such extraordinary stunts, as is the case with Cruise, they have embodied these characters for so long now, they’re on reliably good form. As for new characters, the most noteworthy is Hayley Atwell’s Grace, a mysterious character who gets entangled with the IMF’s hunt for this mysterious weapon. With Sean Harris’s Solomon Lane now out of the picture, the latest villain to pose problems for the IMF comes in the form of Esai Morales’s Gabriel. While he is not the most well-developed villain in the franchise, he nevertheless proves to be a methodical antagonist who poses a substantial threat to give Ethan and the IMF a substantial headache, along with Paris (no, not the city), but instead, a sword-wielding assassin played with evil glee by Pom Klementieff.

While the stunts in this latest instalment continue to push the boundaries for what action cinema is capable of, it does come at a cost. In this entry of the franchise, more than any other which has been helmed by McQuarrie, it is noticeable that while the filmmakers go all out in terms of the action and the mind-bogglingly impressive level of stuntwork which must go into bringing them to life, McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen’s script stutters as a result. In this instalment, more so than any other film helmed by McQuarrie, it is apparent the screenplay is worked around the stunts and the unintended consequence of that is the events in the first act are a little convoluted and messy in its first act as it establishes the groundwork for what this mysterious weapon is and why it is so heavily sought after.

Once these wrinkles have been ironed out, the film kicks firmly into gear and its 163-minute run time flies by as quickly as its lead star can run. While it might not scale the heights of its predecessors (it will seriously be hard to beat that Burj Khalifa climb, the HALO jump or the jaw-dropping helicopter sequences), the intensity of the third act will have you in its grip for the entirety and will not let go until the credits have begun to roll. Time will tell just how long this franchise will have legs for, but so long as its star is willing to keep on running and pulling off more insane stunts, and its director remains committed to making them, it’s unlikely to run out of road or missions any time soon.

Following the pulsating highs of Fallout was always going to be a mission not even the IMF could accomplish. Nevertheless, the unwavering star power of Cruise and his commitment to delivering adrenaline-fuelled entertainment ensure that coming back for Part Two will be a mission audiences will be more than willing to accept.

2010-2019, Film Review

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

Posted on July 28, 2018April 6, 2025 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

**Image is property of Paramount, Bad Robot Productions and Skydance Media**

Mission: Impossible – Fallout – Film Review

Cast: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Alec Baldwin, Ving Rhames, Vanessa Kirby Michelle Monaghan, Henry Cavill, Sean Harris, Angela Bassett

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Synopsis: When the IMF learns of an organisation in possession of some deadly nuclear weapons, they face a race against time in order to prevent global catastrophe…

Review: Though the word Impossible is in the title, the Mission Impossible franchise continues to prove that nothing is impossible when it comes to creating mind boggling stunts, and combining that with very well crafted and compelling stories. The remarkable stunts however are in no small part down to the incredible work of Tom Cruise who goes all out in terms of giving the audience the perfect, adrenaline fuelled thrill ride. And with each new entry into this franchise, it continues to offer that, and in jaw-dropping and spectacular fashion.

With this being the sixth entry into the franchise, this can be the point where things start to run out of steam, but this can definitely not be said for Mr Cruise who is showing no signs of slowing down even well into his fifties, and long may that continue. In the wake of the events of Rogue Nation, after a mission goes awry, a sinister group threatens to unleash global nuclear catastrophe. Consequently, the IMF once again finds itself in a desperate mission to save the world once more. However, it wouldn’t be a MI film if there weren’t some solid characters, a bunch of agendas flying around, people being double-crossed, and some people with some sinister motivations.

Cruise, as he has been across all 6 films, is once again terrific as Ethan Hunt, likewise for his IMF companions in Luther (Rhames) and the tech wizard Benji (Pegg). Though the absence of Jeremy Renner’s Brandt is never really explained. Also making her return is Ilsa (Ferguson), mysterious as ever, and out on her own mission that threatens to get in the way of Hunt’s. This in turn drags Sean Harris’s nefarious Solomon Lane back into the picture, which isn’t really good news for anyone. As for the newbies, Henry Cavill, and his well publicised moustache, certainly gives Hunt another headache that he could really do without. Fresh from her work on The Crown, Vanessa Kirby’s mysterious role was an interesting one, but sadly she is somewhat underused as is Angela Bassett as the new director of the CIA.

For each new entry into the franchise, a new director accepted the mission to helm the project. However, this time McQuarrie is once again writing and directing. Given the slick style of action that he brought to the table, it is a welcome one to see him return. This film has almost every action set piece you can think of, and it’s just absolutely glorious to watch. There are some necessary breathers, which is helpful because by the time we reach the final action set piece, it really goes up a notch. The word tense REALLY just doesn’t do it justice, especially if you are afraid of heights. Sometimes you do wonder how on earth they accomplished what they did, this is action film-making at its absolute best.

The franchise has certainly seen absolutely batshit stunts like the thrilling Burj Khalifa scene in Ghost Protocol, but here Cruise might have just outdone himself with some of the stunts that are on show here, particularly in that enthralling final action scene. With each entry, this franchise just continues to just be a source of spectacular and electrifying entertainment, and arguably getting better with each instalment. The fallout of the film-making brilliance that you see on screen here means that should anyone choose to accept the mission to direct any future instalments, that itself is going to be its very own impossible mission. Good luck to whomever decides to take that challenge on.

A very well crafted and engaging story, fused with excellent action set pieces and some absolutely jaw-dropping stunts once more. Please fasten your seat-belts, you’re in for a pulsating ride.

2010-2019, Film Review

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015)

Posted on August 17, 2015July 5, 2023 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

mission-impossible-5.35209 — **© Bad Robot Productions, Skydance Productions and Paramount Pictures**

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation – Film Review

Cast: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Synopsis: When the IMF learn of the existence of the Syndicate, a group committed to destroying them by causing global panic, Ethan Hunt and his team have to go rogue and take them down

Review: Is there an actor working today more insane and more gutsy than Tom Cruise? Here’s an actor who absolutely commits to his roles, including taking on some ludicrously dangerous, death defying stunts all in the name of some awesome entertainment. Climbing the tallest building in the world? Check. Fighting on top of a high speed train? check? Clinging on for dear life as a jet takes off with him on the outside? Check. On the basis of this evidence, the answer is yes, Tom Cruise is certainly one of the most barking mad actors in the business, but all the better for it, because it provides us cinema goers with some awesome high pulse action sequences and a thrilling movie that reminds us why we pay money to go watch these movies on the big screen. In what is his fifth outing as Ethan Hunt, Tom Cruise shows no signs of slowing down, He’s choosing to accept these missions, and we the audience are very grateful that he is.

The MI franchise has had a few stutters on its way to its fifth outing. Yet the last picture, Ghost Protocol was a storming critical and commercial success, so Rogue Nation had much to live up to. However in the hands of Christopher McQuarrie, taking over directing duties from Brad Bird, the ship is well and truly afloat once more. This time, the team has the task of tracking the Syndicate, an organisation which ruthlessly carries out tasks with the intention of causing mass panic on a global scale, and much like in Ghost Protocol, they have to go it alone after they are disbanded by the CIA. Right out of the gate, the action on show is fantastic, from the enthralling opening sequence of the plane, as we saw in the trailer and on the poster, to a spectacular battle right in the middle of an opera show.

There are more than enough action scenes to get the heart truly pounding, but through all of these impossibly plausible action scenes (clue is in the name) there is emotion that resonates throughout the story, similar to that of Ghost Protocol. Yes there is a lot of crazy and borderline ridiculous action going on, but the story packs heart in there. The audience cares about these characters, and feel on edge when they seem to be in extreme peril.

Cruise, as usual, brings his A game to this movie and shines brightly. Yet a key theme of these movies has been the team element. Cruise is awesome, yes but the team play an important role in the mission as well. Simon Pegg, returning as Benji Dunn, effortlessly provides the comic relief once more, whilst also maintaining a very serious tone as the gravity of the situation they are in is fully realised. Taking over the role of femme fatale from Paula Patton is Rebecca Ferguson, who provides great charm and sexiness, whilst also being a very dangerous badass in a dress! Ving Rhames and Jeremy Renner are both back to complete the team line up, and together they all make a powerful ensemble.

Previous MI villains haven’t always been the greatest, and it is certainly the franchise’s Achilles Heel. No one has really topped Phil Seymour Hoffman’s turn in MI 3. However, we are here presented with a much strong villain, with some more clear motives. Yet the series has really lacked that strong, powerful villain that is so often present in for instance the James Bond franchise. But take nothing away from Rogue Nation, it packs a lot of fun into its 130 minute running time, and with talk of a sixth film in the franchise in the works, Tom Cruise shows no signs of slowing down just yet.