Tom Cruise once again impresses with death-defying stunts in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
After enduring significant delays due to Covid, the long-awaited seventh installment of the Mission Impossible franchise, titled Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, has finally arrived. And if you thought that 2018’s Mission: Impossible – Fallout was the best yet, hold onto your seats because this latest film delivers an even more thrilling experience.
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, who has successfully helmed the last three movies, the film reunites the stellar quartet of lead characters, including the indomitable Ethan Hunt portrayed by Tom Cruise, alongside Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), and the always uproarious Benji Dunn portrayed by Simon Pegg.
In this chapter, Hunt embarks on a new mission to save the world (again), involving a mysterious two-piece key and an enigmatic artificial intelligence entity called The Entity. With thrilling chase scenes and mind-boggling stunts, director McQuarrie delivers an even more exhilarating experience than the previous film.
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The action-packed sequences include Cruise driving a motorcycle off a cliff, a heart-stopping fight on a speeding train, and an adrenaline-pumping car chase through the streets of Rome. Cruise’s dedication to the role is evident as he performs daring stunts handcuffed to co-star Hayley Atwell in a car chase involving a modest yellow Fiat 500. Although confusing at times, the thrilling chase scenes will keep you on the edge of your seat as Hunt and his team travel across the globe in a series of high-speed cat-and-mouse adventures.
The blend of high-tech gadgets and deceit has always been integral to the Mission: Impossible series, starting with the original TV show in the mid-1960s. In Dead Reckoning Part One, the plot thickens as those who deceive are also being deceived, with the introduction of AI blurring the lines between reality and falsehood.
The film also delves into Hunt’s emotional journey, forcing him to make difficult choices and confront his past. The return of former IMF Director Eugene Kittridge, played by Canada’s own Henry Czerny and last seen in the inaugural Mission: Impossible movie in 1996, and the connection to Hunt’s history add layers of intrigue and potentially set the stage for future storylines. As the film progresses, we see a deeper emotional side of Hunt’s character, evident when it appears that one of his team may not survive the mission and he may have to make a difficult choice.
Although Dead Reckoning – Part One ends on a cliffhanger, leaving audiences eagerly anticipating the sequel in 2024, the film’s lengthy runtime of 163 minutes (Fun Fact: Each subsequent Mission: Impossible film is longer than the previous one) kept me glued to my seat, eagerly anticipating what would happen next.
As we marvel at Cruise’s impressive physicality, we can’t help but wonder, at 61 years of age, how much longer he will continue his death-defying stunts. Will the franchise evolve with a younger protagonist or explore prequel storylines? Only time will tell.
“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” opened in theatres on Wednesday, July 12th. Make sure to see it on the big screen for the ultimate experience.
Troy Media columnist Greg Gazin, also known as the Gadget Guy and Gadget Greg, is a syndicated veteran tech columnist, communication, leadership and technology speaker, facilitator, blogger, podcaster and author.
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