By Matthew Moorcroft

Strong Recommendation

• Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
• Starring Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson
• PG-13

The movie industry is in grave danger. Or at the very least, that’s what Tom Cruise believes, considering he’s spent the 12+ years or so trying to redefine the cinematic experience as we know it. Beyond his stunts that have earned him a reputation as a madman, his big push for theatrical exclusivity and the art form itself have turned him into something of an icon for cinephiles; the last movie star, a bygone era clenching onto it’s last gasps. And with Top Gun: Maverick, an old school, 80s style blockbuster, making big bucks at the box office, it’s clear that Cruise probably has a point about the practicality of the movies he helps make and the overall appeal of the movie star in general.

But while Maverick is his most successful endeavor both creatively and commercially – it’s still a righteously good time made with insane technical precision and one of the best blockbuster scripts in years – it’s likely the Mission: Impossible franchise, one of Hollywood’s longest running and most reliable action juggernaughts, that he will be most remembered for. And it’s latest installment, Dead Reckoning Part One, is almost as long winded as it’s title, being the longest film in the series by a good margin and having lengthy exposition about near sci-fi concepts that wouldn’t feel out of place in a more futuristic take on the spy thriller. But how do you follow up not just Maverick, but Fallout, which remains both the series high point and one of action cinema’s biggest achievements of the past decade?

The answer is that you don’t even try. Dead Reckoning opts instead for almost a back to basics approach, being the most plot heavy entry since Brian De Palma’s original back in 1996. Only this time it’s action maestro Christopher McQuarrie at the helm, so it’s also got the modern series’ philosophy of “let’s make it absolutely insane as well”, with stunts and practical fight work that will leave you breathless and completely enraptured. It’s a delicate balance, and it’s clear McQuarrie is interested in paying off a long gestating run on the character – it’s just a matter of getting there a little bit, as Dead Reckoning also smartly takes it’s time.

Part One this is indeed, as there is a ton of setup for what is otherwise a pretty easy MacGuffin hunt quest. The plot itself is made more complicated, and interesting, by nature of having more then two interested parties time around. Now, Ethan is being chased by old enemies, new enemies, the CIA, and even Grace, a pickpocket who has to reluctantly join up with Hunt and crew in order to get out of a mess of her own making. It’s this web of character relationships and evolving motivations that is actually the bulk of Dead Reckoning‘s runtime, and by this point the multiple films of buildup actually do strong wonders for it. The allegiances are clear, the revolving door of antagonists makes each action setpiece unique and fun, and it’s thematic appropriate as well for a film that is about the evolving motivations of an AI that sees only in algorithms and numbers.

It’s an esoteric villain choice for sure, but it plays into what the Mission: Impossible movies have really been about for the past decade – the true cinema experience. With AI threatening the artform’s very existence right now (it’s even the sticking point of a strike), it’s a timely connection that makes sure to remind you about the dangerous power of this kind of technology. And technology is boosted up everything in general here; Ethan gets a DoorDash mission instead of a standard tape, the facemaker device looks brand new, even the movie itself is the first M:I film shot on digital. It’s a more modern, sleeker M:I, and while it lacks Fallout‘s tactility, Rogue Nation‘s grittiness, or even Ghost Protocol‘s underlying camp, it makes up for it in sheer technical craft. Some of McQuarrie’s best work is here in terms of tension building and setpiece scaling, with the final act of the film set entirely on a moving train that goes from great spoken word thriller to nail biting literal cliffhanger.

In fact, the film runs into so many fun scenarios by the end that despite the fact it does end on a cliffhanger with the plot unresolved – and having a plot point in the middle that might leave a bad taste in some viewers’ mouths – that you still leave satisfied, and that’s the power of McQuarrie and Cruise. There might be nobody like them doing it in the business right now, and with their craft only getting better with each film it’s going to be impossible to not expect Part Two to be a high point for both their careers and the series. You are probably already watching this, which is good, but if you aren’t, do it ASAP.