★★★★ out of 5 -- Rated: PG-13 -- Run time: 2 hours, 50 minutes
It’s slightly staggering to realize the first “Mission: Impossible” movie (based on the 1960s & 70s TV series) was released in 1996: 29 years ago.
Even more impressive: Every one of the films has starred Tom Cruise, and they’ve all made money.
The now 62-year-old actor is back as hero Ethan Hunt for the eighth time in “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,” which wraps up the out-of-control artificial intelligence storyline begun in 2023’s “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1.” (This new film was originally titled “Part 2” before the creative team decided to bring some finality to the franchise.)
First of all, this movie runs 2 hours and 50 minutes, and Cruise and returning writer/director Christopher McQuarrie have crammed a LOT into that time frame.
They even kick off the picture with a personal message from Cruise, who addresses the audience directly, thanking them for coming to see the film in a theater.
The plot has the A.I. program introduced in the last movie (known as “The Entity”) burrowing into computers and taking over control of nuclear arsenals around the world.
Hunt is in hiding but is convinced to come back by former CIA director —and now-president — Angela Bassett, who sends him a VHS tape with the series’ signature warning: “This message will self-destruct.” (I’m not sure why a VHS tape was necessary or how she was even sure Hunt would have a way to play it… but hey.)
There are plenty of returning cast members, including Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames, as well as Hayley Atwell, who was excellent as “Grace,” the likeable master thief in the last film. There’s also Esai Morales as the villain “Gabriel,” and the wonderful Pom Klementieff (“Mantis” from “Guardians of the Galaxy”) as the formerly bad-girl French assassin who switches sides.
The script was co-written by McQuarrie, whose previous writing credits feature three previous “Mission: Impossible” films, plus “Top Gun: Maverick” and the 1995 classic “The Usual Suspects.”
Co-writer Erik Jendresen’s credits include the previous “Mission: Impossible” plus “Band of Brothers.”
The pair has included a lot of references to the previous films in the franchise, which they help reinforce by including lightning-quick flash-back clips. It does get a little frantic and dizzying at times, and it would certainly help if people had previously seen those movies.
A few of those call-backs are expanded on: In the first film, Rolf Saxon played the CIA computer guy who worked in the top-secret room that was memorably invaded by Hunt in the classic scene where he is lowered by wires from the ceiling.
Saxon is back as the same character in a much-expanded part, which has him living and working on an isolated island in the Bering Sea with the wonderfully expressive Lucy Tulugarjuk as his native wife.
Some other call-backs don’t work as well. There’s a small subplot involving government agent Shea Whigham that’s a big revelation, but really has very little impact in the movie and feels unnecessary.
The budget of “Final Reckoning” has been reported as being between $300 million and $400 million, and that investment is visible on screen.
Shooting locations included England, Malta, South Africa, Norway, and even the USS George H. W. Bush aircraft carrier (whose commander is well-played by “Ted Lasso” star Hannah Waddingham, who does a great American accent).
There are some big action scenes, most notably an underwater sequence on board a sunken Russian submarine, plus the much-hyped biplane scene, which has Cruise hanging in, out, and all over a plane flying mid-air. It’s very impressive.
Director McQuarrie is no stranger to big action and shot the incredible mountain helicopter chase in “Mission: Impossible — Fallout.” He understands that sometimes less is more, and in this film, there’s a very effective scene where Hunt dispatches some bad guys while Atwell’s Grace watches. The camera stays on Atwell’s face the entire time as we hear the fighting but only see her reactions, accompanied by some entertaining sound effects. It plays very well.
Despite its nearly 3-hour running length, “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” does not feel overly long. A few times, the movie is in danger of getting a little too talky, with characters giving complex explanations, but those pass quickly.
The film delivers on the big action scenes that have become a hallmark of the franchise.
My one thought is: How much more can they do? I feel that “Fallout” was the best film in the series, plus it wrapped up a lot of storylines. Is it time to call it a day?
Cruise and company have been sending mixed messages about this being the final “Mission: Impossible” movie.
If it is, they can be proud of delivering one more big action film that’s an entertaining experience. And then maybe look for a new challenge.