Tag Archives: tom cruise

05.24.25
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Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

One of the most notoriously enormous franchises ever in scale comes to a close with its most ambitious installment yet. Tom Cruise’s practical commitment to the action is again breathtaking, especially the set pieces including planes and submarines. Christopher McQuarrie and Cruise are again dedicating everything to creating something gigantic that warrants the moviegoing experience, with nail-biting stakes, jaw-dropping sets, and stunning direction. It’s got a genuine feeling of danger, that the team’s loss could result in truly destructive consequences. It also pushes Ethan to the brink of his values and abilities, as each last film before it has challenged how impossible of a mission he can actually go up against, as well as personal decisions he is faced with. The ensemble cast surrounding him is great, particularly Simon Pegg, while Hayley Atwell sometimes feel pushed too far into the mix to stand out as much as she did in Dead Reckoning and Esai Morales’ villain this time lacks the presence that was felt from him in that film. The standout from the supporting players is definitely Angela Bassett as President Erika Sloane, whose relationship with Ethan Hunt becomes deeper and more complex with their new dynamic of power and the situation at hand.

In an attempt to tie past installments into this finale, the editing does become bloated, with excessive flashbacks to clips from those past films to clarify details most viewers either already know or didn’t need to be shown. Sometimes a quick dialogue exchange or even context clues can give viewers who don’t remember 7 films worth of lore the background they need, but though at times this method is excessive, it becomes rather disorienting. Not to mention, the script is also at times hard to follow, with the logic that needs to be pieced together to follow the story sometimes happening at light speed and may only be completely taken in on rewatches,. Some plot threads feel under-explained when others are given too much explanation. Despite these story and editing issues that are especially prominent in the first hour, the second half is so incredible to watch and some of the stunts feel like a once-in-a-lifetime moment in their realism and scope, and the story arcs continue to escalate until they finally come to a hard-hitting close. It’s ultimately an exhilarating and satisfying conclusion that may not be the best Mission ever, but it’s certainly the biggest and a must-watch on the most massive screen you can find.

07.12.23
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Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

Ethan Hunt and his IMF (Impossible Missions Force) team must track down a dangerous weapon before it falls into the wrong hands.

Mission: Impossible is a franchise that has my utmost respect for how much it aspires to keep daring and topping what came before. Each of the last four installments have delivered unforgettable action scenes and helped redefine the franchise, so Dead Reckoning does… just that. And seven movies in, it’s still got a phenomenal amount of excitement to go along with the loud, immersive action. Tom Cruise commits to the massive action set pieces in a way that’s audacious, commendable, and likable. With the various locations, vehicles, weapons, and lighting styles, Christopher McQuarrie has proven himself to be a top-tier action director of the 21st century with this and the last two installments. Not to mention it doesn’t just look cool, but also nail-biting as I felt my body in suspense throughout a lot of the film.

Cruise also isn’t the only winning part of the cast — Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames’ lovable IMF members continue to be expanded on and serve the movie’s mood, Rebecca Ferguson proves again that she’s the best of the franchise’s female badasses (though I’d have liked to see her given more to do than she had here), and Hayley Atwell is a charming and fun addition to the cast. Vanessa Kirby, Shea Whigham, and Pom Klementieff are also giving it their all in memorable roles, and Esai Morales is a simply fantastic villain. His layered voice compliments his chilling appearance and dialogue — I only wish his motivations were expanded on a little more.

Similar to Fallout, the visual style feels gritty, like almost anything could happen, though it also effectively embraces the fun and humor even more. But like its predecessor, the writing is so complex it may take rewatches to understand every objective, alliance, motivation, and MacGuffin the script presents. However, it’s rewarding to see this franchise keep aiming for higher while never losing what’s made the last few installments into epic must-watches. I also loved the way the film modernizes the saga in that it explores technology and its dangers in a way that hopefully enough people out there take note of. There’s only a few minor narrative points I would’ve polished, like an emotional moment for Ethan that should have embraced the darkness of what Ethan was feeling more, but it’s not like the movie isn’t already 163 minutes long — but don’t worry, it flies by. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One isn’t just a must-watch in theaters, it made me feel lucky to have caught such a marvelous action movie on the big screen. Tom Cruise continues to show us, well, the impossible, in countless ways, but that and the stunning thrills, fun, scale, cast and directions the story and filmmaking take make it worth every second of its length, and shows the action spy genre at some of its finest ever.

07.31.15
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Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation

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When the IMF is targeted by the Syndicate – a rogue organization committed to destroying the IMF, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) reassembles his team (and is joined by a female assassin) to protect their organization, and their world as they know it.

When Tom Cruise is in an entertaining action film, what can go wrong? The series continues with tons of action, humor, and great cast members, and the franchise keeps getting better, film by film. Director Christopher McQuarrie, despite doing an awful job with Jack Reacher, brings the action and fun to life wonderfully. The action scenes are incredibly entertaining, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Like I said before, Tom Cruise can never mess up an action movie. He does amazing stunts in all of his films, and is in great shape, despite already being 53. Simon Pegg is always great comic relief, and I loved watching him on screen as much as I did in the previous movies. Jeremy Renner also reprises his role from Ghost Protocol and does a very good, as well as Ving Rhames, another returning cast member. Rebecca Ferguson’s character, however, could have been written better, and could have been incorporated better into the script, including her dialogue, but she does know how to kick ass well. The movie’s villain is also done well, more believable than the one from Ghost Protocol, but still doesn’t beat Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s antagonist from Mission: Impossible 3.

The story and narrative in the film are very good, going straight into the action and bringing you right into the fun. There are a few obvious references to the other films (and the TV series they’re based on). Of course, by the end of the movie, I was blown away (I saw the movie on a huge IMAX screen in London, and the immense viewing and sound added to the film’s awesome experience), and hopeful about the potential it has for future films.

Overall, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is a great and possibly the best installment in its beloved series. It is incredibly entertaining, well-acted, and well-directed. It lived up to all my expectations, and I can’t wait to see what happens next with the series.

A graphic promotional film poster