Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part One offers three phenomenal action sequences, no hang four, no … well if I’m honest I was far too engrossed in the movie to count, which is enough of a review in itself isn’t it? Basically if you’re after an action movie this is it.
The short synopsis of the movie states that Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team must track down a dangerous weapon before it falls into the wrong hands. This simple explanation is a woefully inadequate explanation what happens over the two hour, 43 minutes of mesmerizing action.
It’s not giving away any spoilers to say that the weapon is one funky jewel encrusted gold key, split in two parts, naturally. Whoever holds the key holds the fate of the world in their hands, obviously.
Cue a lit fuse, a famous dum, dum, dum music refrain, a conga line of baddies from across the globe and some serious running.
Yes, there’s Tom Cruise and he absolutely surpasses any expectations in this latest Mission movie. It’s incomprehensible to consider how many years he’s been putting his body through these extremes. But a nod also has to go to the rest of the cast.
Two favourites return in IT whizz Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and the imposing Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames). However, it’s the women who rock! More on that below.
Sadly, the story is a little complicated as evidenced by the amount of dialogue used to explain a number of situations. This isn’t helped by the fact that this outing is Part One, hopefully all will be resolved in Part Two.
Similarly, the story hasn’t benefited from time. I believe the main preface of the movie was written some time ago. With a focus on AI it’s both fascinating and frightening, that some parts of the “future threat” are already here and playing out in real life! You’ll know it when you see it.
But let’s be honest the main aim of the movie is the action, and the movie definitely delivers what it says on the box … a thrilling, cutting edge action movie. The fact the action is real significantly heightens each and every sequence.
As I came down to earth I pondered:
- As I said the women in this movie rock! Hayley Atwell does a phenomenal job as thief Grace who steals more than she bargained for. She holds her own and then some in scenes with Cruise, which isn’t easy to do. So too Rebecca Ferguson as Hunt’s ex Isla Faust, Vanessa Kirby as the icy White Widow and Pom Klementieff as the snarlingly menacing Paris;
- Maybe I’ve seen too many movies. Are there several homages to other action movies? The Steve McQueen fence jump, the Hitchcock North by Northwest train roof scene, the Mad Max sandstorm or the Batman’s Bane plane hang. Like I said maybe it’s just me;
- It’s funny how even though we’ve seen the jump off the cliff (several times) and we know it worked (well obviously, otherwise there would’ve seen a front-page story or two), it still takes your breath away when you see it. I literally felt my stomach drop as he jumped off the cliff and the camera panned down over the edge. I don’t recall having such a physical reaction in a movie in a long time;
- Ultimately the movie is great escapist action, that leaves you with the notion that the age-defying Tom Cruise is not human. I’d love to know his diet and exercise regimen.
Yes, there’s the incredible motorbike jump off the cliff, the fight on the roof of the train and the nail-biting sequence inside the train, but Tom, you had me at the yellow bambino chase.
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