The film’s first few minutes are densely packed with exposition, a fact which had me worried for a while. As far as I’m concerned, the film starts once the opening titles kick in with the great new interpretation of the famous Mission: Impossibletheme.
At this point, let me reassure you that once the film starts, it never stops. I really mean that. Throughout the entirety of the film, I was in a constant state of suspense and excitement. There was never a dull moment — despite the film being almost three hours long.
Although it was obvious to me that I was watching a Mission: Impossible film — which was brilliantly directed by Christopher McQuarrie — Christopher Nolan popped into my head a few times. I’ll explain what I mean. The plot of the film revolves around a super-intelligent AI entity which has the ability to control anything digital, distorting reality and making it impossible for the characters to be sure whether what they are experiencing is “real”. I believe the reason Nolan came to mind, is a thematic one. The subject of “reality” and how we experience it, is prevalent in Nolan’s films. In any case, let me move on.
An aspect of the film which I really liked was that it had a really strong emotional core — which is something that grounds the film in reality and makes it relatable. I really cared about Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and I really cared about his friends. Of course, the fact that the casting is amazing helped in that as well. In keeping with the theme of casting, the addition of Grace (Hayley Atwell) to the franchise is a welcomed one in my book.
And of course, I can’t go any further without mentioning the unbelievable motorcycle stunt that had me sitting on the edge of my seat. Even though I know that Tom Cruise is alive and well, I couldn’t help but worry for his safety. I can only imagine what his colleagues felt during the filming of that stunt — which, by the way, they shot six times.
I’ll make a small digression here. If you are expecting to see Tom Cruise running, you will not be disappointed.
The film ends with a spectacular action sequence set on a train which, after a series of unfortunate events, falls to its “death”. I could not stop myself from making a comparison between this train sequence, and the final train sequence in the 1926 film The General, directed by Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman, and starring Buster Keaton — an amazing stuntman in his own right. For anyone who cares about film history, I think this is a wonderful moment to reflect on how far the craft of moviemaking has come, and yet how certain things remain unchanged.
Overall, the film was what I expected it to be and more. I left the theatre extremely satisfied and excited for Part Two, which comes out next summer. A major virtue of the film is that it does not feel as long as it is. I think I can say that Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, ranks amongst the best action films — if not films, full stop — I have ever seen. It’s been a while since I’ve had such a good time going to the movies. Tom Cruise has yet again risked his life for our entertainment, and it has not gone unnoticed, at least on my part. To sum up, I’ll leave you with the following remark: Tom and McQ never disappoint.