Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie
Written by: Christopher McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen, based on the television series Mission: Impossible by Bruce Geller
Starring:
Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt
Hayley Atwell as Grace
Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell
Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn
Esai Morales as Gabriel
Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence and action, bloody images, and brief language
Runtime: 169 minutes
Once again, we get a spectacular display of stunts and thrills in the never-disappointing Mission: Impossible franchise. However, this time it was a little too much to handle. I enjoyed the film, but the 2-hour and 49-minute runtime was a little too much. A 20-to-30-minute reduction would’ve helped.
I still give kudos to Tom Cruise for going to great lengths to entertain an audience. He risks his life to make sure that the stunts and action sequences in these films have as little CGI as possible. They work and continue to take my breath away.
In this chapter, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) goes into hiding for a couple of months after the events of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023). He obtained the key to the vault that contains the source code of The Entity – a deadly artificial intelligence capable of wiping out humanity. However, that vault is inside the Sevastopol – a Russian submarine that perished somewhere at the bottom of the Bering Sea.
Hunt with his allies, Grace (Hayley Atwell), Luther (Ving Rhames), and Benji (Simon Pegg) to destroy the Entity once and for all. However, Hunt’s longtime adversary, Gabriel (Esai Morales), already has a plan for himself to take control of the Entity.
This film’s unfolding took a little too long, as mentioned earlier, due to its long runtime. The first act suffered from too many flashbacks. I suppose the reason is to remind viewers of the significance of past events that are relevant to this chapter. However, as a fan of the franchise, I already knew what the characters were talking about without having to be reminded again after they had mentioned an event.
These flashbacks could also be a tribute to the most memorable scenes of the franchise, as a sort of tribute in case this film is the last one. I can see that as fan service, but I felt that the exposition part of the plot suffered from it. There was also a telling of the backstory of a certain character that I didn’t feel was necessary. Although I was glad that this film finally answered a question that a past installment did not.
I also felt that while the film had a great plot, it got a little murky. The goal is set, and how to fulfill it has been laid out, but too many things got in the way. It should not be an impossible mission to want a more efficient telling of the story.
That’s all the complaints I will make in this review, and now onto the positives. The stunt sequences are without a doubt some of the best I’ve seen on film. One of which is Hunt jumping out of an operating submarine and getting inside the Sevastopol. This film’s composers, Max Aruj and Alfie Godfrey, also made that scene one of the most memorable with their score.
Another break-taking sequence is where Hunt climbs onto a biplane and hangs onto it for dear life. The sequence takes place through narrow canyons before going high into the air. This was truly a visually satisfying experience.
All in all, this film was a good chapter and will satisfy audiences. You will get a little too much for your ticket.
★★★☆
