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Dragonlord’s Review of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING
Bottom Line: Despite the nostalgic callbacks, a few thrilling action sequences and Tom Cruise’s death-defying stunts, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning underwhelms due to its convoluted, holey plot and repetitive formula.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning takes place two months after the events of Dead Reckoning with the rogue AI known as the Entity taking over the world’s digital infrastructure and threatening a nuclear holocaust. The film started out well enough with the POTUS addressing Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) for a mission and giving him credit for all the times he saved the day. We are treated of a video montage of clips from all the previous M:I films which was a nice touch, tugging at the sentimentality of the audience.
After Ethan forms his new team and goes to US embassy in London to capture Gabriel (Esai Morales), this is the part of the film where it falls apart. Gabriel turns the table on Ethan and easily captures him. We are then treated to a strained exposition heavy scene revealing a connection to a MacGuffin from the previous M:I film. Gabriel wants Ethan to retrieve the core module, the Podkova, that contains the Entity’s source code from the sunken Russian submarine Sevastopol so that he can control the rogue AI himself. Why doesn’t Gabriel do this himself? Clearly he has the means, resources and the magical power of appearing anywhere around the globe. Plus this scenario where the villains blackmailing Ethan to do some elaborate heist is so played out. Ethan eventually overpowers his captors and the whole setting reminds me of the early captive/tunnel scene in Rogue Nation.
While chasing Gabriel in the tunnels, Ethan stumbles upon a hi-tech coffin-like structure which will allow the user to interface with the Entity. The Entity lays out its entire plan, ordering Ethan to allow it access to a secure data repository called the Doomsday Vault in South Africa, where the Entity will hide while the world burns in a nuclear holocaust it is orchestrating. As I previously said in my Dead Reckoning review, this super smart AI is not immune to plot induced stupidity as it basically spilled its entire diabolical plan to Ethan. Monologuing like a cartoonish classic Bond villain, the Entity revealed to Ethan that the Doomsday Vault was his endgame. All the Entity had to do was kill his two biggest threats (Ethan and Gabriel) by a multitude of means (drone, goons, explosives, nuke, etc.) and recruit any of the thousand competent goons to allow it access to the bunker.
The M:I films are known for showcasing Cruise’s impressive running skills. But the reasoning for the next running scene is just stupid. When Ethan learns that one of his comrades is in danger, he runs several miles towards his friend’s location instead of trying to commandeer a vehicle to arrive there at a much faster time. Equally dumb is Gabriel setting up a nuke in London that looks like it had a 5-minute countdown... while he was still in London!
The first 40 minutes of The Final Reckoning is so bad that it almost ruined the entire movie. Thankfully, the film recovers and steadily finds of its footing after Ethan surrenders to the US government. The movie slowed down after that. I really appreciated that they showed how hard it was for Ethan to get to the Sevastopol location where he had to go to an aircraft carrier and then get picked up by a submarine. It was a more grounded approach something akin to a Tom Clancy spy thriller and a nice refreshing change compared to the franchise’s usual magical logistical undertaking.
There are two big action pieces for the movie. These two action scenes were not that super spectacular compared to the previous M:I films but it’s still executed well and head above water over most Hollywood action films offer. The first is the tense submarine scene with no dialogue, which was my personal favorite in the movie and reminded a little of the gripping, claustrophobic vibe from The Abyss. My only complaint about the submarine scene is the aftermath where they should have used half a minute to show Ethan’s ascent to the surface water which would have been more dramatic instead of him suddenly appearing near the top.
The second big action sequence is the biplane which has been heavily advertised and marketed. Cruise deserves all the praise he gets for this death-defying stunt but it does go on a tad long. It also felt like this action piece would be perfect for an Indiana Jones movie. Just like the underwhelming motorcycle stunt in Dead Reckoning, the biplane scene feels it was envisioned first and then they built a story around it. The whole climax of the film feels like a rehash of the ending of Fallout where Ethan is engaged in an aerial chase while the rest of his IMF team have to dismantle a nuke. The worst part is that the slapdash writing is so glaring that they have to come up with some half-baked excuses for all the supporting characters to do in the ending.
The film is a loving tribute to the Mission: Impossible franchise with all the video montage from the previous M:I films as well as the callbacks to past characters and unanswered plotlines. From the previous films’ MacGuffins to Ethan’s every action having lasting consequences, it’s trying to tie everything up which culminates into what seems like the finale. Though they’re clearly retconning their own history, it’s still a commendable effort trying to link the past M:I films into one big, albeit muddled, storyline. The Jim Phelps Jr. reveal was an intriguing plot point but it was not integrated well and felt like this should have been introduced in Dead Reckoning.
The best and out-of-nowhere callback is the return of William Donloe, the CIA analyst from the black vault in the first Mission: Impossible movie who is now exiled in an Alaskan polar substation. I guess it was a nice, consoling counterpoint that not all of Ethan’s illegal actions lead to misery lol. The reason why Donloe’s presence works is that the character is fleshed out rather than just a throwaway cameo appearance. Plus Donloe and his Inuit wife are pretty likable characters.
The ensemble cast was mostly good. Simon Pegg as fan-favorite Benji always delivers. With the writers having a difficult time in giving him something to do in the last few M:I films, Ving Rhames returns as Luther for the last time, giving him a moving sendoff. Just like in the last film, Pom Klementieff as Paris is just magnetic with her whole look and personality. They even make her more likable by giving her a tender side later on the film. Hayley Atwell as Grace didn’t have much to do in here but she was still a pleasing presence whenever she was onscreen. Greg Tarzan Davies as Degas was a bland addition to the IMF team and feels like a Luther replacement but at least he provides some much needed muscles for the group.
Angela Bassett as the POTUS was solid. Hannah Waddington (Ted Lasso) who only appeared very briefly as Admiral Neely was nonetheless captivating with her appearance, demeanor and American accent. Waddington has a future in these type of action thrillers in the future. It was also fun watching Severance actor Tramell Tillman as Captain Bledsoe delivering lines with the same Milchik intonation. There are also other prominent actors who are part of the war room like Nick Offerman, Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer and Charles Parnell who don’t really have much to do but they all give the film a sophisticated, first-class atmosphere.
Esai Morales was a bad casting choice for Gabriel as he is the weakest villain of the M:I franchise. He was mid in Dead Reckoning, he is still mid in The Final Reckoning. Even if they’ve given him a more animated personality this time around, he still sucks. Despite being responsible for the deaths of two beloved characters, Gabriel is still a big meh. Even his actions in the film doesn’t make complete sense and his plans have full of holes.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is an entertaining action thriller but due to its convoluted plot, repeated formulas and sometimes incoherent storytelling it wore me down and diminished my overall enjoyment. But if you are a die-hard fan of the M:I movies, you will probably love The Final Reckoning more than I did. I do not believe that this is the final installment for the franchise despite how they’re hard they’re pushing that it is, but this is a good time for Cruise to take a sabbatical from the franchise and focus more on making other interesting, high-concept films. And when they do another Mission: Impossible sequel, let’s hope that they prioritize the story first and then build the stunts around it and not vice versa.
PRELIMINARY RATING: 6.5/10 or 7/10
If you appreciate my reviews, please leave a Like.
Dragonlord’s Review of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING
Bottom Line: Despite the nostalgic callbacks, a few thrilling action sequences and Tom Cruise’s death-defying stunts, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning underwhelms due to its convoluted, holey plot and repetitive formula.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning takes place two months after the events of Dead Reckoning with the rogue AI known as the Entity taking over the world’s digital infrastructure and threatening a nuclear holocaust. The film started out well enough with the POTUS addressing Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) for a mission and giving him credit for all the times he saved the day. We are treated of a video montage of clips from all the previous M:I films which was a nice touch, tugging at the sentimentality of the audience.
After Ethan forms his new team and goes to US embassy in London to capture Gabriel (Esai Morales), this is the part of the film where it falls apart. Gabriel turns the table on Ethan and easily captures him. We are then treated to a strained exposition heavy scene revealing a connection to a MacGuffin from the previous M:I film. Gabriel wants Ethan to retrieve the core module, the Podkova, that contains the Entity’s source code from the sunken Russian submarine Sevastopol so that he can control the rogue AI himself. Why doesn’t Gabriel do this himself? Clearly he has the means, resources and the magical power of appearing anywhere around the globe. Plus this scenario where the villains blackmailing Ethan to do some elaborate heist is so played out. Ethan eventually overpowers his captors and the whole setting reminds me of the early captive/tunnel scene in Rogue Nation.
While chasing Gabriel in the tunnels, Ethan stumbles upon a hi-tech coffin-like structure which will allow the user to interface with the Entity. The Entity lays out its entire plan, ordering Ethan to allow it access to a secure data repository called the Doomsday Vault in South Africa, where the Entity will hide while the world burns in a nuclear holocaust it is orchestrating. As I previously said in my Dead Reckoning review, this super smart AI is not immune to plot induced stupidity as it basically spilled its entire diabolical plan to Ethan. Monologuing like a cartoonish classic Bond villain, the Entity revealed to Ethan that the Doomsday Vault was his endgame. All the Entity had to do was kill his two biggest threats (Ethan and Gabriel) by a multitude of means (drone, goons, explosives, nuke, etc.) and recruit any of the thousand competent goons to allow it access to the bunker.
The M:I films are known for showcasing Cruise’s impressive running skills. But the reasoning for the next running scene is just stupid. When Ethan learns that one of his comrades is in danger, he runs several miles towards his friend’s location instead of trying to commandeer a vehicle to arrive there at a much faster time. Equally dumb is Gabriel setting up a nuke in London that looks like it had a 5-minute countdown... while he was still in London!
The first 40 minutes of The Final Reckoning is so bad that it almost ruined the entire movie. Thankfully, the film recovers and steadily finds of its footing after Ethan surrenders to the US government. The movie slowed down after that. I really appreciated that they showed how hard it was for Ethan to get to the Sevastopol location where he had to go to an aircraft carrier and then get picked up by a submarine. It was a more grounded approach something akin to a Tom Clancy spy thriller and a nice refreshing change compared to the franchise’s usual magical logistical undertaking.
There are two big action pieces for the movie. These two action scenes were not that super spectacular compared to the previous M:I films but it’s still executed well and head above water over most Hollywood action films offer. The first is the tense submarine scene with no dialogue, which was my personal favorite in the movie and reminded a little of the gripping, claustrophobic vibe from The Abyss. My only complaint about the submarine scene is the aftermath where they should have used half a minute to show Ethan’s ascent to the surface water which would have been more dramatic instead of him suddenly appearing near the top.
The second big action sequence is the biplane which has been heavily advertised and marketed. Cruise deserves all the praise he gets for this death-defying stunt but it does go on a tad long. It also felt like this action piece would be perfect for an Indiana Jones movie. Just like the underwhelming motorcycle stunt in Dead Reckoning, the biplane scene feels it was envisioned first and then they built a story around it. The whole climax of the film feels like a rehash of the ending of Fallout where Ethan is engaged in an aerial chase while the rest of his IMF team have to dismantle a nuke. The worst part is that the slapdash writing is so glaring that they have to come up with some half-baked excuses for all the supporting characters to do in the ending.
The film is a loving tribute to the Mission: Impossible franchise with all the video montage from the previous M:I films as well as the callbacks to past characters and unanswered plotlines. From the previous films’ MacGuffins to Ethan’s every action having lasting consequences, it’s trying to tie everything up which culminates into what seems like the finale. Though they’re clearly retconning their own history, it’s still a commendable effort trying to link the past M:I films into one big, albeit muddled, storyline. The Jim Phelps Jr. reveal was an intriguing plot point but it was not integrated well and felt like this should have been introduced in Dead Reckoning.
The best and out-of-nowhere callback is the return of William Donloe, the CIA analyst from the black vault in the first Mission: Impossible movie who is now exiled in an Alaskan polar substation. I guess it was a nice, consoling counterpoint that not all of Ethan’s illegal actions lead to misery lol. The reason why Donloe’s presence works is that the character is fleshed out rather than just a throwaway cameo appearance. Plus Donloe and his Inuit wife are pretty likable characters.
The ensemble cast was mostly good. Simon Pegg as fan-favorite Benji always delivers. With the writers having a difficult time in giving him something to do in the last few M:I films, Ving Rhames returns as Luther for the last time, giving him a moving sendoff. Just like in the last film, Pom Klementieff as Paris is just magnetic with her whole look and personality. They even make her more likable by giving her a tender side later on the film. Hayley Atwell as Grace didn’t have much to do in here but she was still a pleasing presence whenever she was onscreen. Greg Tarzan Davies as Degas was a bland addition to the IMF team and feels like a Luther replacement but at least he provides some much needed muscles for the group.
Angela Bassett as the POTUS was solid. Hannah Waddington (Ted Lasso) who only appeared very briefly as Admiral Neely was nonetheless captivating with her appearance, demeanor and American accent. Waddington has a future in these type of action thrillers in the future. It was also fun watching Severance actor Tramell Tillman as Captain Bledsoe delivering lines with the same Milchik intonation. There are also other prominent actors who are part of the war room like Nick Offerman, Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer and Charles Parnell who don’t really have much to do but they all give the film a sophisticated, first-class atmosphere.
Esai Morales was a bad casting choice for Gabriel as he is the weakest villain of the M:I franchise. He was mid in Dead Reckoning, he is still mid in The Final Reckoning. Even if they’ve given him a more animated personality this time around, he still sucks. Despite being responsible for the deaths of two beloved characters, Gabriel is still a big meh. Even his actions in the film doesn’t make complete sense and his plans have full of holes.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is an entertaining action thriller but due to its convoluted plot, repeated formulas and sometimes incoherent storytelling it wore me down and diminished my overall enjoyment. But if you are a die-hard fan of the M:I movies, you will probably love The Final Reckoning more than I did. I do not believe that this is the final installment for the franchise despite how they’re hard they’re pushing that it is, but this is a good time for Cruise to take a sabbatical from the franchise and focus more on making other interesting, high-concept films. And when they do another Mission: Impossible sequel, let’s hope that they prioritize the story first and then build the stunts around it and not vice versa.
PRELIMINARY RATING: 6.5/10 or 7/10
If you appreciate my reviews, please leave a Like.
