Ethan Hunt is back. Its the seventh in the franchise, and this time he’s up again something even more real than we like to admit. A.I: artificial intelligence. I mean, it makes so much sense. The very first mission impossible, back in the 90s, dealt with something called the NOC list, which threatened the identities of every spy in Langley’s payroll. M:I-2 was about biochemical warfare and slo-mo doves. M:I-3 was about a rabbits foot and there was nothing lucky about it. Ghost Protocol was about the disavowment of IMF and had a huge sandstorm in Dubai. Rogue Nation saw Hunt and Co. up against a group of rogue agents called the Syndicate, and Fallout had Henry Cavill with a moustache and shotgun-loading arms.
Going in, i knew the following about Dead Reckoning. 1) its part one of a two parter and will therefore probably end on a cliffhanger, probably involving Ethan’s survival after a plane crash / train crash / particularly difficult fight with the bad guy. 2) Hayley Atwell is in it, and i love her dearly. 3) there is a record breaking bike stunt in it that involves our man Cruise leaping off a cliff 1746ft up (i guessed the number, so don’t penalise me for that).
And thats about it.
So lets drill down into the narrative. The aforementioned AI, known as the Entity for enigmatic purposes, requires two halves of a cruciform key to unlock its hard drive and shut it down. Obviously then every major power (and a few minor ones) want this powerhouse weapon for their own, to become the ultimate superpower in the world. But where are the keys? Unfortunately, Hunt’s friend / colleague / girlfriend Isla Faust (Rebecca Ferguson, third film in a row) has one of the keys so is the target of a group of bounty hunters. Kittridge (Henry Czerny, from the very first film) calls in his rogue for hire Ethan Hunt to track her down before the mercenaries do.
Thats obviously just the beginning. The rest of the plot is a meandering trip full of twists, betrayals, violence, espionage, face swapping and ludicrous stunts. All glued together with gratuitious shots of Tom Cruise running like an olympic athlete.
Returning players Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg (who once again manages to take the sheen off every action scene with some ‘comedy’) provide backup for Ethan Hunts derring-do, and we have a new head of CIA in the shape of Cary Elwes – possibly the first time i’ve seen him since Saw. The franchise has had a habit of attracting excellent supporting actors: Jeremy Renner, Henry Cavill (obvs), Sean Harris, Alec Baldwin, Billy Crudup, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Dougray Scott, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Thandie Newton. Heck, even big guns like Anthony Hopkins and Jon Voight, so its excellent to see even more added to the roster. And a shout out to Vanessa Kirby, who possesses possibly the most intoxicating eyes in Hollywood. Oh and i should mention Pom Klementieff; putting aside her fame as the slightly simple Mantis in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies to play a stone cold lunatic.
I read somewhere that Tom Cruise has saved the Hollywood blockbuster, and its not difficult to see why it might be said. Top Gun: Maverick brought audiences back to the cinema after a very dark time for the entertainment industry, and with so many flops of late – The Flash, Indiana Jones – the faith in the big blockbusters is faltering. Sure we’ve got Oppenheimer coming very soon – but thats not the same category. Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part 1 will not win the Oscar for best film.
It is vastly enjoyable. The claustrophic airport scenes contrast vividly with the insane stunts and the emotional scenes hit hard. A load of actors having an absolute blast, with a story that, despite involving a Fiat being chased through Rome by an APC driven by french samurai, is absolutely believable in this era of digital dependence.
Now. The wait till next summer for the conclusion is going to be difficult. But this isn’t Mission: Difficult, its Mission: Impossible. So wait, i will.
the FANGG of HORROR ROCK 