Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One: A Spoiler-Free Review

This film was fun. That much cannot be denied. From the very first scene to the last, there were loads of tension, action and, perhaps surprisingly, a lot more laughs than I’m used to from the typical Mission Impossible experience.

There were some well-executed action sequences, and they made a big deal of that cliff jump with the motorcycle in promo material but I wouldn’t say it was better than some of the other big stunts we’ve seen in previous installments. That being said, Tom Cruise actually did multiple takes of that jump and I sprained my ankle getting out of bed, so who am I to judge. Also, Tom Cruise runs a lot, of course. He really does run with every fibre of his being, doesn’t he? The man is over 60 years of age. He must be stopped.

Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell were great together on screen. Although I imagine she could have incredible chemistry with a chair. Atwell is wonderfully charming in this film, as is the supporting cast that we’ve come to know and love, including Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames. I must also say I really enjoyed Pom Klementieff’s unhinged performance throughout most of the film.

There was a point where I honestly had no idea who was aligned with whom and how everyone seemed to be connected. I assume we’ll find out more in Part two, especially with regards to elements of Ethan’s mysterious past showing up. This film definitely had some “because the script said so” moments which left me a little annoyed at times, but that’s movies and I’ve seen worse from The Fast and the Furious films so maybe I should cut this one some slack.

It might not be the best Mission Impossible film but it offers a lot of what we’ve come to know and love. Overall it was packaged quite well and I’m excited to see what they do with the next installment.

6.5 / 10