Film Review: Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning

Welcome back to the blog readers. If there is one film franchise I have loved ever since I saw the first installment, it would have to be the Mission: Impossible (1996-2025) series. Ever since I saw Tom Cruise climbing the Burj Khalifa (for real), I knew I was invested hard into this franchise. Each film has been getting better than the last, so what would this final crescendo have in store for us? Would we end on a high note or would this be one of my biggest disappointments of all time? Stick around to find out.

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning was directed by Christopher McQuarrie from a screenplay he wrote with Erik Jendresen, based on Mission: Impossible by Bruce Geller. The film stars Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Henry Czerny, and Angela Bassett. In the film, set two months after the events of Dead Reckoning (2023), Ethan Hunt and the rest of the IMF continue to race against the clock to prevent Gabriel from accessing the dangerous artificial intelligence known as the Entity and stop it from unleashing global destruction.

I do have to say that I am of the sound belief that every film (that I have seen) in this franchise has gotten better and better. Everything I have seen since Ghost Protocol (2011) has been leveled up and for the better. The stunts, the action, the talent, everything has leveled up. But the filmmakers can only go so far and that is what we have here. But I believe McQ and Cruse have saved the best for last with this film. The action is more thrilling than ever, the stunts are as batshit crazy as you can expect, and a truly emotional ending to the long-running franchise is ever so present.

Nobody truly gives an Oscar-worthy performance in this film, and I do not expect that in these popcorn stuffers. But I want to take a minute to acknowledge and thank Tom Cruise for everything he has done for not only Hollywood but for the fans as well. Cruise has always been a proponent of the theatrical experience, striving to always give the audience a true experience every time they enter the theater. This is a big reason why he was able to convince Paramount to keep Top Gun: Maverick (2022) in theaters rather than dumping it on Paramount+ (bagging them nearly $1.5 billion in box office) And I think that is why he constantly levels up on the stunts for these films. From climbing the Burj Khalifa to hanging on the side of a plane as it takes off to doing a HALO jump to that motorcycle stunt in Dead Reckoning, Cruise is consistent in providing thrills. I will talk about what he did in this film separately, but Tom Cruise will always have a special place in my heart for everything he has done.

Next up, I need to talk about the action/stunts that are present in this film. I obviously will not be using spoilers in this review, but the stunts that happen left me with my hands in my face and a giant knot in my stomach. The whole sequence in the submarine kind of made me a bit bathophobic. I quite literally told myself there is no amount of money you could pay me to ever get in that submarine. All of those underwater sequences were breathtaking, brilliant, and insane all the way. But the crowning achievement of not only this film but I think the entire franchise hands down has to be the airplane scene. The airplane scene might be in the top 5 of the most exhilarating experiences I have had in a movie theater. EVER. Cruise knew he was about to feed families with that stunt, and my heart was in my hands the entire time. If I knew it had been done with green screen or stunt doubles or CGI, I would not have had that same visceral reaction.

I know I went into the whole debate regarding the dangers of artificial intelligence in my review of the last film, but I wanted to take a minute to talk about the theme of sacrifice that is present throughout the film. In this film, Ethan Hunt has to make a lot of sacrifices to be able to save the world from nuclear annihilation and those sacrifices involve people he cares about deeply. It is a deeply personal story that allows for reflection (due to the multiple references to past films), and emotion for all of the characters and journeys we see throughout the film.

In conclusion, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning tells a personable story while not flinching on the incredible action and heart-pounding stunts to culminate in a high final crescendo for the franchise. Thank you all for reading, and I will see you for the next post.