Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
So here we are, eight films in and we might be looking at the end of the road for Ethan Hunt and gang, as well as the end of the world.
I’ve very much enjoyed these films over the years and while I had my reservations1 about ‘part one’ of this final two-parter (they dropped the name ‘part two’ for some reason), it’s been nothing but good times ever since the late 90s (ok maybe not MI:2). So it’s a bit of a surprise that they dropped the ball so badly with this one.
Very little happens in the first hour or so, and it kills the film before it has a chance to get off the ground. It’s even quiet in the cold-open bit before the credits.
It’s all just endless exposition and scene setting for a story that was already set up in the last film. People were leaving the cinema to get a drink, coming back a few minutes later and they hadn’t missed anything at all. This is a baffling choice for a franchise known for conjuring magic out of very flimsy plot lines.
Just shut up and get on with it. The intricacies of the evil AI computer system you are fighting do not matter. There are a couple of scenes where the exposition is done really well, but they just make you wonder why the rest of the film couldn’t have been like this.
There are two standout action sequences. Both are incredible achievements, particularly an extended underwater scene in a sunken submarine. It’s the kind of mind-bending stuff you go to the cinema for and even though I’ve come to expect it from these films, it was still a thrill to see it unfold. It happened in silence so perhaps it was just nice for everyone to stop explaining the story for a little bit.
The final sequence involves wing-walking on a bi-plane and it’s again very impressive, although by that time the film has lost so much steam and the villain is so toothless that it robs it of a lot of its potential. It’s a wonderful way to end the film but nothing could rescue what came before.
I’ve got so many questions. What happened to the freewheeling, breathless tone of these films, where’s the sense of fun in the face of danger? Why do they keep talking about the ‘team’ when the team hardly do anything together? What happened to the vivid locations, the cities, the people? Why is it all so bleak?
There’s a great performance from Tramell Tillman as the submarine captain who helps Ethan Hunt out, he never quite does what you think he’s going to do. He’s perhaps the only person who captures the essence of what makes these films such a joy - nobody else seems to be enjoying themselves any more.
It’s a muted end to an otherwise excellent run of films.