It’s been a hell of a good time with a massive franchise, but also, strangely, as time passes it becomes increasingly difficult to tell the Mission: Impossible movies apart.
You remember the one where he climbed the Burj in Dubai, or rode a motorcycle off a cliff, but you can’t quite pinpoint which movie, and why.
So it is, perhaps, the right time for the franchise to end. And end, it apppears it will. After all, the chance to evolve and recast was missed by making it a Tom Cruise vehicle, and his knees can only take so much as he approaches his 63rd birthday.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is nearly here, and the reviews are finally out. It appears, maybe, that the world may be cooling on MI as these reviews are all over the damn place.
To the summary section on Rotten Tomatoes!
“Bigger doesn’t always mean better… the film sometimes buckles under the weight of its ambition, bogged down by excessive callbacks, overstuffed exposition, unnecessary tie-ins, and forced revelations. Despite its flaws, this supposed final mission… serves as a satisfactory conclusion.”
Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
“As someone mid on the last #MissionImpossible sticks the landing. Taut, masterfully edited. The ensemble cast works beautifully. Plenty of callbacks to the original series in service of a fitting conclusion. Had a blast.”
Kristen Lopez, Variety
“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is dull and dysfunctional in a way I didn’t think this franchise was capable of. Set pieces are obviously incredible, but as someone so supportive of Cruise’s crusade to save the movies and whatnot, this was a massive heartbreaker.”
David Ehrlich, Indiewrire
“MissionImpossible: The Final Reckoning – the first hour gets bogged down in exposition, but once it gets out of its own way it soars. Incredible set pieces – Tom Cruise remains the world’s most entertaining madman – and Tramell Tillman is on scene-stealing form. Liked it!”
Amon Warmann, Fade to Black
“Absolutely rocks. It cranks the stakes higher than ever before and masterfully fuses white-knuckle espionage with relentless action sequences. All hail Tom Cruise who is once again a force of nature & the final 45 minutes? My GOD”
Nate Adams, Awards Watch
“A VAST improvement over Dead Reckoning. Stakes are back, tension is back & a certain fave sequel became a WHOLE lot more important. Despite some glossed over story beats & the biggest loose thread in IMF history, it’s a fitting finale.”
Mike Reyes, CinemaBlend
“Ratchets up the stakes higher than they’ve ever been. A rocky start, but once the main mission kicks in, the tension never lets up. So gripping it’ll have you holding your breath. A thrilling end, should they choose to accept it.”
Daniel Howat, Next Best Picture
“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is a lot of movie. Tom Cruise racing the clock to save the world is as intense as ever, though there have been prior installments that are more fun. Overall satisfying, if a middle of the road installment.”
Joey Magidson, Awards Radar
“Oddly the least action-forward entry in the franchise. It’s long, it’s plotty, it’s repetitive, but when those scenes do hit? Holy s—. They’re incredible. So i’m pretty mixed on it overall. High highs, low lows.”
Germain Lussier, io9
“THE FINAL RECKONING is a mess but it means well. Overloaded with plot, oddly paced, and the score is the weakest in the franchise – but the set pieces hit hard. There’s an underwater scene that rivals THE ABYSS. I didn’t like it, but I really loved parts of it.”
Patrick Tomasso, impatrickt
“A maximalist mess; our boys have too many ideas for a movie again, making a somber series tribute with a janky FAIL SAFE-like nuclear arms plot. Oddly light on action. The big set-pieces are extraordinary. I liked it! Hoped to love it”
Brendan Hodges, Metaplex Movies
“While not as bad as Rise of Skywalker, Final Reckoning is undoubtedly cut from the same cloth. Plagued by insecurity, it plays like an egregious franchise greatest hits. Scenes have no beginning or end, it’s scatterbrained nonsense – a constant flow of exposition & flashbacks… can’t believe I now have NEW appreciation for Dead Reckoning.”
Griffin Schiller, The Playlist
“Can sometimes be M:I at its best, massive stunts and dense spycraft included. Sadly, it gets bogged down in so much nostalgia and needless retcons that it reflects the worst of franchise filmmaking. ”
James P. Poole, Discussing Film
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning premieres at Cannes on Wednesday, then breaks worldwide over the next week.
Either way, it is probably a big screen experience so better get booking those tickets.
