Film Review: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Standing outside the Sydney theatre on a red carpet, Tom Cruise was certainly in his element – smiling brightly and waving at an adoring crowd of thousands. He was attending the Australian premiere of his latest blockbuster, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (or M:I7), being the seventh in the Mission: Impossible film franchise he helped establish in 1996. But Cruise fans were gifted with an additional visual treat at this premiere; an explosion of colours, lights and loud bangs in the form of a surprise display of fireworks and shooting flames. There were cheers and excited gasps aplenty.

For many in the crowd, there was no doubt it was worth the wait to see the superstar comfortably lapping up all the adoration. And in turn, projecting his appreciation with the same energy and vigour he drew from those before him. The same sentiments could be said of the reaction of the crowd fortunate enough to be seated inside the theatre. Witnessing Cruise again in his element – performing with all his energy and vigour in a thrilling, suspense-filled action film – a genre he has mastered like few others. There were the same cheers and excited gasps from this audience following many of the explosions, unbelievable display of stunts, and hilarity served up as treat after treat.

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If the audience were polled, they would surely profess it was indeed worth the wait to see their hero in action. And waited they have. When Cruise first announced the shooting of this next instalment in the franchise in 2019, it was scheduled for release in 2021. Thanks to numerous production halts over the ensuing Covid pandemic throughout 2020, the release date has finally arrived some two years later.

Not wishing to lose the ‘movie magic’ created from the previous film in the franchise, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Paramount brought back Christopher McQuarrie to direct (and co-write the screenplay with Erik Jendersen). Also a part of the previous team is returning composer Lorne Balfe (although perhaps given the over-familiarity of the score this time, Balfe may not have read a part of his contract where he ought to have considered something ‘bigger and better’ than what he last delivered).

Set as a sequel to the last film, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his loyal compatriots in Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) have teamed up once more with Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) to locate two parts of a key which unlocks access to a highly sophisticated self-aware artificial intelligence entity. Which has the potential to destroy world powers should it come under the control of any nefarious megalomaniac.

Enter the film’s main antagonist, Gabriel (played very ably by a suitably suave and mysterious looking Esai Morales) who has crossed paths with Ethan in a distant past. Resulting in a desire for vengeance in Ethan so strong it has the potential to scuttle his mission to retrieve the key and endanger the lives of those close to him.

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Gabriel first makes his appearance, albeit fleetingly, during an elaborate scene shot within Abu Dhabi International Airport’s yet to be opened $3 billion Midfield Terminal Complex involving a tense and nail-biting game of cat and mouse. The scene primarily serves as the backdrop for the introduction of the film’s (and indeed the franchise’s) new main character. Hayley Atwell plays Grace, a masterful thief for hire with a troubled past and sole operator who trusts no one. She has been hired by an unknown client to take possession of the same key sought by Ethan from a seller they both are following through the terminal.

The scene brilliantly sets up the dynamic between Ethan and Grace, as they each try to take the key whilst also being pursued by authorities. It’s a constant mission for Ethan to gain Grace’s trust to ensure they both evade those chasing them. A theme that plays out for much of the film resulting in a surprising number of hilarious moments which delight the audience.

It is testament to McQuarrie and Jendersen’s understanding of this genre of film in being able to write scenes which not only thrill and create suspense, but also make audiences laugh consistently. In what might probably be the most outrageous car chase scene in recent memory, Ethan and Grace find themselves in Rome, in a quintessentially Italian Fiat 500 being pursued by authorities and a terrifyingly brilliant assassin in Paris, played to perfection by Pom Klementieff. The highly charged scene sees the duo frantically navigate roads, cobblestone lanes and even grand public stairways, putting their Fiat to the test with swerves, spins, and even reverse driving – eliciting oohs and aahs as well as bouts of laughter from the audience.

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The action sequences in the film are, as always, a step above the last. Cruise has somehow managed to up the ante and create stunts which are unbelievable unless seen. And the beauty of a franchise such as this one permits the unbelievable to be completely acceptable. There’s no room for cynicism in this theatre. You pay for the thrills, and you leave with a lot more than you thought possible in the form of pure joy and entertainment.

It’s not to suggest the film is flawless. The script is sloppy at times, bordering on trite which detracts from the heightened suspense. Then there is a the all too familiar score which, to this writer, is disappointing, given the brilliance and originality of the last. Finally, at 2 hours and 40 minutes, there may be some who may suggest it is unnecessarily stretched at times.

Making up for these shortcomings though is an ensemble of supporting actors who all deliver strong performances. Fans of the franchise will appreciate the nostalgia with the return of Henry Czerny as Eugene Kitteridge. But the highlight by far is Vanessa Kirby reprising her role as Alanna Mitsopolis, the black market arms dealer known colloquially as the White Widow. Personifying the title to perfection, Kirby entices with a seductive air of allure, mystery and power so strong, one cannot help but ignore anything else within the frame. She is a joy to watch.

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But the audience has come for more than just good performances. It’s the action that matters and the film’s exhilarating climax takes place on an out-of-control Orient Express racing through the Austrian Alps. Heroes chasing villains chasing heroes offer plenty of electrifying hand to hand combat sequences, both in and on top of the famed train. Murders indeed abound on the Orient Express culminating in quite literally, explosive destruction.

The sum of all this sensory overload is that Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is a film which deserves to be viewed on the largest screen with the loudest sound possible. It is made to be seen in theatres and given the next instalment has already been filmed (the two parts were filmed back-to-back), it thankfully does not end on a frustrating cliffhanger, but rather sets the scene for the logical next mission in this saga.