Mission: Impossible-The Final Reckoning

The Mission: Impossible franchise is a franchise that I hold dear to my heart. I fell in love with the franchise a couple of years ago, and ever since then, it's been a tradition to experience these films in cinemas. Well, 2025 came, and with it came the end of this beloved franchise. Well, was this entry a worthy ending? "Mission: The Final Reckoning" follows Ethan Hunt and the IMF team race against time to find the Entity, a rogue artificial intelligence that can destroy mankind.

First off, I must address my major issue with this film, which is the story. The story in what's supposed to be THE final entry in the franchise wasn't as epic or even as great as Dead Reckoning Part 1. Instead, the film treats the viewer as a newcomer to the franchise, featuring heavy exposition that gets you back on track with the franchise for the first hour of the film or so. What's supposed to be a continuation of Dead Reckoning Part 1 feels more like a rehash of things we already know. In addition to the heavy exposition is the overuse of flashback sequences. There are a lot of flashbacks here, and I mean A LOT! I hate when a film treats you dumb, and this film did exactly that. Furthermore, Gabriel, in my opinion, is by far the weakest villain in the franchise. Maybe a little more screentime and some more menacing scenes would have made him slightly better. Despite those issues and some weird and questionable story choices, I still enjoyed the other 2 acts and felt satisfied by the end of the journey. 

On the bright side of things, let's talk about what makes those films so freaking good and enjoyable to watch, which are the stunts. At 62, this madman is still doing some insane stunts, and when they take place, they are the most marvelous thing you can ever experience in cinema. On that thought, and as Tom Cruise says, to truly experience and grasp the immensity of this movie, I recommend watching it in IMAX. It is the format for this film. Trust me, there's nothing better than seeing Tom freaking Cruise hanging on to his dear life and jumping between Biplanes on the largest screen possible. It's honestly mind-blowing what Cruise is still doing at that age, and it's time for him to earn that Oscar! Speaking of stunts, I have to praise both the biplane and the submarine sequences. Both of them were phenomenal and had me on the edge of my seat. 

Last but not least, I have to praise the performances here. First and foremost, praise should go to Tom Cruise. Cruise is not only a lunatic when it comes to performing stunts and action sequences, but he's also a great actor, and his performance in this final installment was nothing short but amazing. Praise should also go towards Simon Pegg and Pom Klementieff, who stole the show this time around. They had more screen time and had more time to truly shine in their characters.  Lastly, and this might be a bit disappointing to some, the absence of Lorne Balfe, who was the composer of Dead Reckoning, is hugely felt throughout the film, but nonetheless, Alfie Godfrey and Max Aruj still did a solid enough job. Now, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to stop reading my review and rush to your nearest theater to watch this film. This message will self-destruct in 5 seconds. Good luck, dear reader.