Certificate – 12
Directed By – Christopher McQuarrie
Starring – Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson. Esai Morales, Vanessa Kirby, Pom Klementieff, Henry Czerny, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis
Running Time – 163 Minutes (2 Hours 43 Minutes)
Mission Impossible has been on a sharp uptake since the third Ethan Hunt adventure and with the inclusion of McQuarrie from Rogue Nation onwards has grown the series popularity. To the point, these have been better James Bond films than actual Bond movies.
In his next challenge to save the world, Hunt (Cruise) and his IMF team track down a dangerous weapon before it falls into the wrong hands.
The theme of Bond runs deep throughout Dead Reckoning – Part 1 more so than any other previous instalments. It seems that McQuarrie was a big fan of John Glen’s run of 007, taking some of those famous moments and finding ways to make them more exciting.
The Rome car chase with a yellow Flat 500 is showing homage to Roger Moore in the yellow Citroen 2CV, but whilst being as humourous as the scene in For Your Eyes Only, it was more exciting and action-packed.
The same goes for the train scene in the climax of the film, as it’s incredible to see Cruise not only take on these stunts but even conceive of the idea. I think a lot of it comes from the 61-year-old being dyslexic.
As for his performance, Cruise is, as always, on top form. However, I don’t know if it was a choice, but in some way, in the mince of all the incredible action and stunts, this is the first time I saw Cruise’s age getting up to him.
Elsewhere, other performances equally shine. Rhames is great as Luther and being the Hunt’s right-hand man. As is Pegg’s Benji and it’s great to see this character grow more and more throughout the series.
Meanwhile, Atwell is a wonderful addition and is a big reason why the Rome chase works so well. With The White Widow, we got to see Kirby’s more villainous side.
I wish we got a more compelling villain in Morales’ Gabriel. I’m sure this was more down to a quick rewrite following the actor replacing Nicolas Hoult. Additionally, whilst loving the character, I wish we got more of Klementieff’s Paris involved in the movie.
The one thing I can’t wrap my head around is the major ball drop of Ferguson as Ilsa because her character arc in this film was a massive disappointment.
Does it have any Bonus Features?
Yes and thank god the Blu-ray is jam packed! Many behind-the-scenes from the locations and look into the stunts. As a fan of bonus features, I loved every minute.
Verdict
A solid entry into the series, but it doesn’t hit the heights of Rogue Nation. The cast is excellent, with Atwell a welcome addition to the franchise. I can’t wait to see how Part 2 wraps up the story.
The Bear Cave 