The summer of 2023 was dominated by Barbie and Oppenheimer, meaning that Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning went under the radar for many.
That includes this writer who decided pass on Mission: Impossible 7 at the theaters to save his money to experience ‘Barbenheimer’ the following week. However, I’ve now had the chance to see the movie at home and was blown away by how much I enjoyed it.
What is Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning about?
Originally dubbed ‘Part One’ (which has since been dropped), Dead Reckoning sees Tom Cruise return as Ethan Hunt as he and the rest of the IMF team spring into action after a next-generation Russian stealth submarine vanishes after a deadly accident.
The sub housed a highly advanced artificial intelligence called ‘The Entity’ and following the submarine’s disappearance, every world power and shadowy organization on the planet sets their sites on recovering it.
As Ethan begins his hunt for the rogue AI, he encounters faces both old and new and is left questioning who he can really trust.
It’s perhaps harsh to call a movie that made over $560 million at the box office ‘forgotten’ but if Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning (released on July 12) didn’t have Oppenheimer and Barbie (released on July 19) to compete with, then the movie would almost certainly have enjoyed greater success at the box office.
Why we recommend it
There’s a reason why Tom Cruise has remained one of Hollywood’s biggest action stars for the last four decades. He’s almost always great and puts everything into his roles and that’s certainly the case here, too.
Beyond Cruise, the returning supporting characters are all given moments to shine, notably Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa Foust and Simon Pegg’s Benji Dunn.
However, new arrival Hayley Atwell is a superb addition to the franchise, bringing both a devious wit and endearing vulnerability to her mysterious character, Grace.
In terms of its looming threat, a rogue AI may seem a little on the nose at first, given the real-world surge in AI usage in recent years, but Mission: Impossible’s handling of the Entity serves up a fresh and invigorating take to the table.
And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Mission: Impossible movie without some rip-roaring action set pieces and while Dead Reckoning can’t quite match the plane take-off scene from Rogue Nation, there are still some breathtaking scenes to marvel at.
Some, like a car chase through Rome and a perilous train ride, had me regretting not seeing Dead Reckoning in theaters.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning is available to stream now from Paramount+ in the US.
