If Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning is the last film in the franchise, it has earned its stripes as the most daredevil thrilling of them all. The two breathless stunts tether the film and elevate Final Reckoning above any other action film I’ve seen.
As field agent Ethan Hunt, Tom Cruise is asked to answer the call again, in an espionage twisting plot that has him chasing a rogue AI, “The Entity,” which is unleashing chaos worldwide and could lead to apocalyptic, global nuclear war. It’s a globe-trotting narrative full of implausible mechanics, in many ways. But honestly, I just didn’t care. I didn’t sit in a screening at 8:30 a.m. at the Cannes Film Festival, to watch a documentary on spies. I came here to be thrilled, and that’s exactly what I found. (I’ve never gotten up that early to attend a screening, but it was so worth it in this case.)
The movie does a lot of catch-up, which a few reviewers have complained about. I’m not one of those. I have to confess, it’s been a while since I’ve seen an MI. I even missed the last one, with that spectacular motorcycle cliff jump (Dead Reckoning, which I have now gone back to watch). I get why some feel that the continuous flashbacks dragged down the first hour (it’s a long film at nearly three hours), but I appreciated the catch-up sequences. And I’m guessing there might be others who felt a little in the dark, coming to the franchise. It helps if you’re familiar with Dead Reckoning since Final Reckoning really plays like Part Two of MI7. But like me, you didn’t need to see what proceeded MI8, which easily stands on its own merit.
The hour-long build yields massive dividends once the action gets rolling, with Hunt’s customary penchant for going rogue. Then the adrenaline payoff is massive, with the first jaw-dropping stunt performed by Cruise at 300 feet underwater, according to movie magic, to retrieve a drive from a submarine, of all things. MI director Christopher McQuarrie (“McQ,” Cruise calls him) had to build a one-of-a-kind gimble that basically tossed Cruise around—who played the scene blind, with failing oxygen levels—to pull off this unprecedented stunt. It had me on the edge of my seat, gawking at the screen. The claustrophobic, horror-like scene pushed the 62-year-old actor to the limit, but boy, does it pay off in movie thrilling magic. The kinetic stunt helps elevate the movie above other action films of its caliber.
Cruise goes one step further with brilliant stunt choreography that shows off the actor’s daredevil spirit to full tilt by saving the best for last: a high stakes fight that takes place 30,000 feet above ground, in an airplane. It reminded me of the most insane stunts performed at the outset of moviemaking by Buster Keaton. I’m sure Cruise’s stunt doubles were used for some of the scene, but I’m also not so sure because most of it is him up-close, with the forces of gravity pulling at him and the wind contorting his facial muscles. I just kept shaking my head at the dizzying spectacle of watching a human being put himself through this kind of physicality. It’s the kind of sequence that makes you appreciate how Cruise and McQuarrie continue to push physical boundaries with every film. You couldn’t have asked for a more poetic sendoff for McQ’s and Cruise’s vibrant MI partnership.
McQuarrie deserves immense credit for orchestrating these sequences with clarity and obsessive conviction. While cinematographer Fraser Taggart crafts yet another visually stunning adventure.
For the two major stunts alone, I would have sat through this movie. I also think Cruise is bonkers to do these stunts, but also breathtakingly brave. They’ve become his movie trademark, with the actor topping himself in more outrageous ways with each outing.
The refusal to resort to CGI is practically a stubbornness about these films, but also why I love them. There’s an obstinacy to Ethan Hunt—a refusal to give up, even as the odds stretch into the absurd—that mirrors Cruise himself.
I’ve personally grown wary of the oversaturated CGI and superhero bloat found in our current film industry. In contrast, Final Reckoning feels refreshingly tactile, and I applaud McQuarrie’s and Cruise’s devotion to providing something authentic for audiences, performed and executed the hard way.
In order to enjoy MI:TFR it’s best to leave your implausibility radar at home. The story is a bit preposterous, not in the overall concept as much as a few details here or there. Can you really swim the distance from a drifting submarine that fast while dealing with “the bends?” How on earth did Grace (Hayley Atwell) pull him out of the icy water in the Artic by herself? Then I said to myself, “honestly, just enjoy the movie!”
And I did. Thoroughly. Besides so many other movies are implausible anyway, and MI8 makes the clear case that Ethan Hunt is probably the bravest man on earth, and Cruise matches that bravery in his gusto to give audiences the thrill of a moviemaking lifetime. Plus, the execution of the film—thanks to McQ’s steady hand—smooths over the story in such glossy and earnest fashion, that the overall finished product culminates in a thrilling vision.
The all-star cast helps fulfil this revelation with fully engaged, charming performances by Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Pam Klementieff, Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham (love her!) and Tramell Tillman (the smooth dancing office manager in Severance). Especially affecting are Nick Offerman (General Sidney), trying to protect Angela Basett’s President Sloane. Seeing a fight between Hunt and an assassin from Grace’s eyes was also particularly funny. There’s also a nice nod to original film CIA analyst Rolf Saxon (William Donloe) and a tie-in to the original movie’s villain, linked to Shea Whigham’s Briggs. I enjoyed both of these plotlines, which served as a love letter to fans really.
The version I saw played at the Lumiere Theatre at Cannes. This is not a film you want to wait to see on your TV at home, even if you have a 70 inch. You will want to experience it on the biggest screen in a movie theater, preferable in IMAX so you feel the stunt scenes: the scream of the wind and the trembling of the fuselage.
I didn’t quite make it to the premiere night, which occurred the night before, with a full orchestra playing the MI theme live, when the cast arrived on the famous red carpet at the Palais. I lined up with my press pass for standby tickets, but honestly, others had been there for hours before me so mine was truly a Mission Impossible. However, I did get to take in the insane premiere atmosphere, which was a spectacle in itself (I’ll save that for my recap on the festival, but you can see my reel on my Instagram).
And I was also there when Cruise showed up unannounced to McQuarrie’s talk the afternoon of the premiere.
4.5/5 stars –Cruise and McQuarrie have created an adrenalin masterclass in real-world action that deserves to be experienced on the largest screen you can find. We go to the movies to be entertained, and MI8 epitomizes this better than any film I’ve seen in a while.