Writer/director Christopher McQuarrie’s mission, when he chose to accept it, was to deliver a satisfying conclusion to one of the most beloved and consistently thrilling franchises in modern cinema. Mission: Impossible has long been a dependable source of excitement for audiences and has given Tom Cruise the ultimate second act of his career. What began as a tongue in cheek adaptation of a 1960s television classic has evolved into a showcase for Cruise and his stunt team to redefine the limits of stunt work. In doing so, the series has not only influenced countless action franchises that followed but has also helped to bring more recognition to the artistry of stunt work.
But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. While the past few installments have consistently raised the bar for what an action movie should be, it was only a matter of time before the franchise started to lose momentum. Unfortunately, that time was now, as the franchise reaches its grand finale. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning picks up right where the previous installment left off. Ethan Hunt (Cruise) faces his most formidable adversary yet: an advanced AI known as the Entity, which could threaten the fate of the world. Complicating matters further, his longtime adversary, Gabriel (Esai Morales), is determined to seize control of the Entity and create his own reality (think Thanos without any real motives behind his actions). As the Entity falling into human hands would lead to catastrophic consequences, Ethan makes it his mission to destroy it at all costs and in turn, making himself an enemy of both Gabriel and the U.S. Government, who also wants to seize control of it.
The Mission: Impossible films have, since their inception, delivered high-octane thrills and showcased Cruise’s signature magnetism, but starting with Ghost Protocol, the franchise truly hit its stride, with each subsequent entry raising the stakes and finding fresh ways to reinvent the formula. Sadly, that momentum falters with the latest and supposedly final chapter, The Final Reckoning, a film which fails to match the energy of its predecessors.
Now most Mission: Impossible films come swinging out of the gate with a palpable electric energy, often opening with a breathtaking display of expert stunt choreography that sets the tone for the adrenaline-fueled ride ahead. The Final Reckoning, however, stumbles from the start. A direct continuation of Dead Reckoning, the film aims to wrap up the franchise and reward those who embarked on the journey from the start. Opening with a clumsy rehash of key moments from earlier films spliced into the narrative, this nostalgic montage feels poorly executed, choppy, amateurish, and devoid of the emotional impact the film is clearly going for. The first act continues this uneven momentum, plagued by erratic editing and a fragmented narrative that makes it difficult to engage with its story or characters.
In Dead Reckoning, some audiences found the premise of an AI villain a bit cheesy and on the nose. Not an issue personally, the film struck a fun, consistent tone and kept the momentum going. In The Final Reckoning, the film, instead, leans far too heavily into self-serious commentary about the dangers of AI. It aims to be timely and profound to a degree, but ends up feeling unintentionally silly. Meanwhile, the film is at its weakest when it slows down for character-driven moments, since the new additions to the cast are underwritten and largely unengaging. However, where the film is at its most successful is within its action set pieces. While fewer than fans may expect, the sequences present here are nothing short of exhilarating. A tense underwater submarine sequence crackles with the energy of a horror film, and a climactic plane chase ranks among the franchise’s best. These two examples are executed with such a level of precision that it is hard to understand how they were even filmed.
In the end, for fans of the Mission: Impossible franchise, this final installment delivers the kind of thrills they have come to expect, with Tom Cruise once again pushing the limits both as a performer and stuntman. However, as the long-promised grand conclusion to a beloved series that has captivated audiences for over two decades, it ultimately falls short. Rather than offering a satisfying send-off, the film feels underwhelming unfocused, requiring even more of a suspension of disbelief. That being said, it is worth seeing in IMAX, if only for a few unbelievable sequences, but it’s easily one of the weakest links in an otherwise fantastic franchise.
Score: 59/100
still courtesy of Paramount Pictures
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