Review: 'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1' has Tom Cruise fly, jump & go crazy - better than ever

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1

How it is that Tom Cruise is still able to deliver adrenaline-rushing, breath-taking, jaw-dropping ways to save the world even after six Mission Impossible (MI) films. The answer to that is an impossible one. Just as the seventh instalment of probably the biggest action franchise ever - Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One is set to the hit the theatres in the next three days in India, I had the privilege to see the film beforehand. Here's me telling you if it's worth it or not-

MI goes AI with Tom Cruise Madness

If the ten minute video of Cruise performing the 'impossible' stunt before the film's release wasn't enough to question everything, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One has moments like those to ponder upon in abundance. Cruise continues to do things that is beyond the comprehension of human abilities at his age and doing them in a way that makes it look a cakewalk. 

It is his sheer dedication and quite honestly, madness that continues to have your jaws drop every freaking time. With elaborate action pieces that keep the signature MI flavour to its maximum with aplomb, the new threat in hand is yet another that keeps up with time. The enemy this time is AI dubbed as 'The Entity' and the key to absolute power and absolute destruction is literally - a key. And of course, it is none other than Ethan Hunt on the hunt to obtain that.

Keeping Up & Returning Characters

We still don't know if this is the swansong of MI films but it seemed like it with the fact that this film is divided into two parts. But nevertheless, one of the bigger wins for Dead Reckoning is having a bunch of returning characters that add to the nostalgia and thicken the plot even better. There have been recurring appearances earlier as these films have always followed a chronology but Dead Reckoning is where it pretty much entirely becomes a franchise that needs your viewing of the previous ones to enjoy it better. And that's a good thing. If you have been invested, you love, hate, adore, mourn and miss these characters and it only adds to the experience. 

The most fascinating part about this film though is how humor is infused very cleverly in several action pieces to keep your engagement constant. It helps especially in several long sequences, for instance like the Rome car chase which is incredibly long and breaks with laughs is just what was needed.

The Runtime & Gaps

I was hoping the long runtime of almost 2 hours 45 minutes won't hurt the film and it doesn't in the long second half. But it definitely does become a factor in the first half where a few scenes are a tad too long and lose your interest. For instance, the scene where the National Intelligence is talking with Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny) about what's actually wrong - the scene goes on for too long and gets too technical till an intended laugh drops in. 

The plotholes are obvious and giant as we approach the second half and not much is clear on how is Grace (Hayley Atwell) going to benefit from a said action, having a lot less of Benji (Simon Pegg) and Luther (Ving Rhames) and an underwhelming performance from Esai Morales as Gabriel - but that's just about it.

The Action, Cinematography & Working with Tom Cruise

Cruise and Atwell walk so much in multiple scenes, Cruise and Pom Klementieff fight their guts out in a narrow alley scene, Cruise and Rebecca Ferguson have genuine moments of emotion - working with Tom Cruise is a tall order and the off-screen stories about his perfection and strictness would probably add to that conversation. However, every actor in the film compliment him in the best way possible, especially Atwell, who has the maximum screentime with him.

And then of course, you have the impossible action sequences that literally has your heart skip beats on more occasions than one. The novelty, innovation and choreography of every action scene is as top notch as it can get. It is difficult when it's expected and director Christopher McQuarrie and Cruise work again (for the third consecutive MI film) to carve out a sensation like no other. The cinematography may be taken for granted but it shouldn't. The aforementioned narrow alley scene might have been a sheer task to film and it's done to perfection. The wide angle shots, drone shots and Tom Cruise running shots are the treat you expect it to be.

The Verdict

The loopholes in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One are just like a riddle that was asked in the film - 'the more you dig, the bigger it gets' but that doesn't take away from the movie being yet another knockout in this 'getting-better-with-every-film' franchise. I am greedy but the way that the brilliant cliff-hanger sets you up for a Part Two so well, and I want it asap! There can never be enough Tom Cruise ever!

Rating - **** (4/5)