Review: Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One

Let’s get the easy analysis out of the way first. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One is a great action movie. It’s beautifully shot, with action that hits hard while still flows in such a way that we actually understand what is happening on the screen. Tom Cruise’s insistence on practical effects elevates every one of the many set pieces. But what really sets this seventh film apart from previous entries in the franchise is the new layers it adds. Like any good artistic creation, M:I 7 is a product of the times in which it was made. In this case, Dead Reckoning joins the the very small club of movies that opted to shoot at the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic. While it still has plenty of humor and the trademark Ethan Hunt smirk, it also has a sense of gravitas that stems from a time in our history when stakes were high and the consequences of our actions (both personally and as a people) directly impacted the lives of those around us. It’s this theme that gives M:I 7 emotional weight that separates it from other action movies that simply ask you to turn off your brain and watch things explode.

For the first time Ethan is faced with a foe that may be more than he can handle, in the form of an all powerful, all knowing AI that has no emotional weaknesses and no shortage of capabilities. Its only true shortcomings are the human agents it enlists to do its bidding, and even those show a lack of emotion that reinforce how dangerous blind allegiance can be. Ethan and his team spend much of the movie struggling to gain the upper hand, only to discover the “Entity” outsmarting them at every turn, sometimes with devastating results. And that’s where Dead Reckoning truly shines. We get to see the normally cocky, confident Agent Hunt thrust into unwindable scenarios where he scrambles to just keep everyone alive. It’s a common theme in these movies that the missions go sideways, but never before has Ethan fought so desperately. And what he fights for so desperately isn’t so much the mission, but those on it with him.

Ethan’s dedication to his team has always been a dependable theme of Mission: Impossible, but here it’s truly the core. We hear him say, in no uncertain terms, that his most important mission is ensuring his friends come out the other side safely. Like any great plot device, it of course is also his greatest weakness, one which the Entity will gladly exploit. And more so, it’s a mission Hunt painfully acknowledges he may not be able to successfully complete.

All this said, Dead Reckoning doesn’t forget it’s a summer action flick. The emotional weight does not drag down the film, nor does it make it a dreary affair. Instead it gives purpose to every punch Hunt throws and every motorcycle he drives off a cliff. Speaking of crazy stunts, if you’re worried about this movie diverging too far from the Mission: Impossible formula, fear not. All the best M:I tropes are alive and well.

• Tom Cruise runs. Gloriously. It doesn’t quite reach peak Hunt sprinting like the harbor front marathon at the end of M:I III, but it still brought a smile to my face.
• There are plenty of masks, and even better, the movie has some choice jokes at the franchise’s continued reliance on them. Also, like many M:I movies, the mask machine breaks down at a crucial moment. Seriously, who manufactures these things?! Their quality control is clearly crap.
• Luther hacks multiple satellites in a matter of seconds. Seriously, look back through the movies. Luther. Is. Always. Hacking. Satellites.
• Benjie gets all worked up and goes into a hilarious tizzy. This is especially true at a perfect moment late in the film when Ethan pushes him just a litttttle too far.
• Ilsa is a badass, and of course gets to do her signature move where she jumps on a dude’s head, locks her legs around his neck, and spins him to the ground in an epic takedown.
• There is a McGuffin that is the literal key to absolute power and that everyone wants to get. The prop department spent a lot of time making this thing look good because it gets more screen time than some of the supporting characters.
• We get fun new characters! Hayley Atwell particularly shines as a slippery thief who is a constant frenemy of Ethan. Pom Klementieff also brings some delightful badass energy to her henchwoman.

So, if you have any doubts about the M:I franchise fading as it continues adding new entries, rest assured you can go to this film without reservations. It is not just a great action move, it’s a great movie, period. Plus, unlike some multi part films, it truly feels like it has a satisfying conclusion. It of course sets up Part Two, but still ends with a partial victory that Ethan and team can cling to. They don’t emerge entirely unscathed, but that’s also what makes it more meaningful.

Accept this mission. It’s worth it.