By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
Can you believe it? After seven wild, action-packed movies, the "Mission: Impossible" series has reached its grand finale with an eighth installment:
"Mission: Impossible--The Final Reckoning."
It feels like Ethan Hunt-- aka
Tom Cruise-- has been defying death, dodging bullets, and scaling impossible heights forever. And now, if this is truly "the end," director Christopher McQuarrie and screenwriter
Erik Jendresen, "Mission: Impossible-Dead Reckoning" have given audiences one epic send-off that is as bold, intense, and unforgettable as the franchise itself.
Despite its hefty 170-minutes runtime, "Mission: Impossible –The Final Reckoning" is truly a fantastic finish. The film, which Cruise also co-produced, picks up seamlessly from 2023's "Mission: Impossible-Dead Reckoning" and thoughtfully includes flashbacks to help viewers recall key moments--not just from the previous installment, but from across the series. While flashbacks can sometimes bog down a narrative, here they are used effectively, and set the stage for this high-stakes thriller.
Ethan Hunt (Cruise) teams up once again with Grace (Hayley Atwell, TV’s "What If...?"), the former thief turned IMF agent--now his trusted ally and budding love interest--as they pursue Gabriel (Esai Morales, "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning"), a ruthless assassin with deep ties to Ethan's past. Gabriel is working with The Entity, a powerful artificial intelligence that has hijacked the internet and flooded it with misinformation.
President Sloane (a commanding Angela Bassett, TV's "9-1-1") authorizes Ethan to locate the source code--the core module--of The Entity, which is believed to be aboard the sunken Russian submarine Sevastopol, lost somewhere in the Bering Sea. But not everyone is in favor of this high-risk mission. CIA Director Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny, "Bunny"), General Sidney, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, (Nick Offerman, "The Life of Chuck"), and Secretary of Defense, Serling Bernstein (an excellent Holt McCallany, "The Amateur") all voice serious doubts.
Chief among their concerns: Ethan has just four days to succeed. Despite their objections, President Sloane makes the call, Ethan is going in.
Besides, who in their right mind would bet against Ethan Hunt when the fate of the world is on the line? Of course, he's not facing this mission alone.
Backing him are his brilliant and trusted teammates: IMF computer whiz Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames, TV's "Dope Thief"), sharp-witted technical field agent Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg, TV's "The Boys"), the formidable French assassin Paris (Pom Klementieff, "The Killers Game"), and Theo Degas (Greg Tarzan Davis, "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Mission: Impossible--Dead Reckoning"). Together, this elite crew works in sync, pulling off the near-impossible to recover the core and stop The Entity.
With a film packed full of twists, turns, and espionage, writing a spoiler-free review of "Mission: Impossible--The Final Reckoning" is no easy task. But trust me, everything about this movie is nothing short of spectacular. While the first hour may feel slow to some, it's deliberately paced, laying the groundwork for a narrative that ties together threads from across the entire series. It is a thoughtful setup that rewards longtime fans and builds anticipation.
And then there is the action. As with every entry in the franchise, "The Final Reckoning" delivers breathtaking set pieces, but this time, it raises the bar even higher. The sequence aboard the sunken submarine is a heart-pounding highlight. And yes, seeing Tom Cruise perform his own jaw-dropping stunt work--like clinging to a biplane mid-flight--is an experience that is absolutely electrifying, especially when viewed on the IMAX screen.
When Lalo Schifrin's iconic theme blares through the speakers, you know you are in for something special. "Mission: Impossible--The Final Reckoning" doesn’t just conclude a franchise, it brings it home with style, spectacle, and a nostalgic jolt that reminds you why you fell in love with Ethan Hunt’s world in the first place.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays now at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
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"MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE--THE FINAL RECKONING"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
