In Hollywood, there are various "levels" of celebrity status. Scraping the bottom of the barrel are D listers, C listers, B, B+, A, and all the way up to A+ celebrities. And then...there is Tom Cruise. He transcends Hollywood levels and stands on a perch almost completely alone, looking down on the rest of the film industry and the common people who typically treat him almost like a God. His films make millions at the box office, simply because he is in them and because he insists on the highest quality of production values. Last summer he dominated the box office with Top Gun: Maverick and this summer will probably be no different as he brings Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One to theaters.
The seventh offering in the movie franchise, Dead Reckoning Part One once again has Ethan Hunt (Cruise) on a quest to locate fellow operative, Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson; Doctor Sleep) and obtain one-half of a valuable key that she stole. Ethan takes the key intending to rendezvous with the potential buyer at an airport in Dubai but that plan is foiled when a woman intentionally pickpockets the buyer and steals the other half of the key, setting off a series of events that finds Hunt working with said pickpocket - Grace (Hailey Atwell; Captain America: The First Avenger).
As the two constantly evade death while they travel through Europe, they, along with Ethan's team - Benji (Simon Pegg; Star Trek) and Luther (Ving Rhames; Pulp Fiction) - soon discover that their biggest threat is an AI program called "The Entity" and its Agent, Gabriel (Esai Morales; NYPD Blue), who ironically is someone from Ethan's past. As time moves on new players become involved and numerous individuals are murdered (of course). Ethan and Grace need to get both halves of the key, evade Gabriel and the Entity, and try to discover not only what the key unlocks but where it is located.
Let's face it, Tom Cruise is a daredevil who loves action and, because he most likely is an adrenaline junkie, insists on performing his own stunts, including the motorcycle jump off a mountain that almost everyone has heard about and many have seen footage of. It is an impressive moment in the movie, and director/writer Christopher McQuarrie's (Jack Reacher) decision to present it without an underlying soundtrack or ambient noise, makes it all the more impactful. The results are amazing with the star and director working collaboratively on this project.
Almost three hours fly by in what seems like 90-100 minutes and as the credits roll, the audience leaves the theater wanting more (luckily, part two will be released next summer). The script is full of drama, action, comedy, and intrigue that keeps the viewer glued to their seat the entire running time. The European backdrops are stunning making one long for a vacation to that part of the world. The plot, which might have seemed somewhat far-fetched even 5 years ago, has special relevance this year as ChatGPT invades our lives, tapping the tip of the iceberg as to what machines/computers are possibly capable of in the future.
Cruise rarely disappoints and this latest installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise exceeds expectations. With heart-pounding action and a story expertly executed by a terrific cast, Dead Reckoning Part One offers an escape from reality that is well worth the price of admission. Just like last year, he will again dominate the box office this summer as people head to the theater to see this film more than once before it makes its way to steaming and home entertainment release.
If you are asking yourself, "Is there anything Tom Cruise can't do theatrically?", you only need to see Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One to have your answer. (Hint: the answer is no, there isn't)
Grade: A
