#REVIEW: “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING”

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

Nuclear Armageddon is imminent because of “The Entity”, a rogue AI program, and Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team are the only ones who can stop it. That is the mission, if they choose to accept it.

Of course, the devil is in the needlessly complicated and outrageously elaborate details so nothing is easy and every plan must hinge on literal millisecond timing – but after 29 years and seven films, should anyone really expect that MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING would suddenly betray the rest of the franchise and actually make logical sense? If that is what you are looking for, you have been watching the wrong film series.

If what you are looking for is wild spectacle and brain-melting stunts that make you question if Tom Cruise has an actual death wish or somehow made a deal for invincibility, then you are very much in the right place. Once the film hits the ground and puts everything in motion, it does not stop until the iconic theme song kicks in and we smash to credits. Yes, it does take some time to put those pieces in motion yet Co-Writer/Director Christopher McQuarrie – returning for his fourth go-round with Cruise and Company – keeps the proceedings moving. While I could have done without the added emphasis on fragmented flashbacks and overly precise references to the first and third films, I do not think it took away or made the film feel any more narratively dense than any of the previous entries (though I am certain J.J. Abrams will feel vindicated after watching this).

That said, the film is called THE FINAL RECKONING, so McQuarrie has the unfortunate task of needing to wrap the series up in a satisfying enough way or at least give it some form of finality. This idea alone has the inherent risk of creating divisiveness amongst all viewers and has indeed already caused some to compare the film it to other less than stellar franchise finales. To me, that seems like we are giving McQuarrie an unfair shake. The lore has never been the draw of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE and the series has always felt loosely connected at best. It was very much a one man show from the start and really did not start finding its footing with the team mentality until Brad Bird’s Ghost Protocol, the fourth film, back in 2011. They have been making it up along as they go and constantly changing the rules; surely we should not expect things to be so neatly tied up at the end? I do think McQuarrie could have toned down some of the schmaltz and fan service, but the messiness of some of the other elements at play? That’s just par for the course when it comes to a MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE movie.

What I cannot forgive McQuarrie for is downplaying and undercutting Esai Morales, who plays the returning baddie Gabriel. If you were expecting anything other than a one-dimensional glorified henchman, prepare for disappointment. His motivations are still murky at best, his historical significance to Ethan Hunt is not elaborated on any further than what we learned in the now Part One-less Dead Reckoning, and he is barely in the movie. He is basically a moral compass for Cruise, delighting in chastising and toying with Ethan for actually caring about his friends and not much else. While I am glad he does not have another comically bad screaming fit, I was hoping for him to be a bigger deal than he is here. For all intents and purposes, he is even more of a MacGuffin than some of THE FINAL RECKONING’s actual MacGuffins.

Thankfully the rest of the supporting cast more than make up for that point of contention. Hayley Atwell still steals scenes despite being less of a co-lead, Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames are substantially better utilized than they were in Dead Reckoning and Pom Klementieff is still certifiably bad ass. But they are not the ones lighting up the screen. I loved that they brought back the great Angela Bassett, delighted in the return of Rolf Saxon as William Donloe (who long time fans will instantly recognize before the film reminds you of his importance) and nearly squealed with excitement every time top tier character actor Holt McCallany popped up on screen. No matter the amount of screentime, the entirety of the supporting cast brings something unique to the table each time they appear.

And sorry in advance to anyone hoping for the resurrection of Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa Faust. I too was hoping we had not seen the last of her, but alas, we have.

All of this however would be inconsequential and meaningless without Cruise at the helm. The legendary actor puts it all on the line and delivers each and every chance he gets. He runs, he charms, he rolls around in his underwear, he deep sea dives, and he even hangs upside down off a biplane that he just climbed up after it took off. The man can do it all and while THE FINAL RECKONING has plenty of special effects, the real special effect is watching Cruise put in 200% all for the sake of entertaining the hell out of the audience. A character says at one point, “The son of a bitch did it,” and you will be thinking the exact same thing as you witness everything he pulls off.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING is not perfect and is kind of messy in some instances. Fans in some circles will inevitably be disappointed. For me though? I thought it was a solidly entertaining crowd-pleasing effort that will leave you gasping and white knuckling whatever you can get your hands on between scenes. Some of the stunts are genuinely stressful to watch and defy description. They must be seen to be believed. So if you have high blood pressure, perhaps take your meds before strapping in for this chaotic adventure. And if you do not? Then you should get checked-out because you probably will after watching it.

Paramount Pictures Canada release MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING
on Friday, May 23, 2025.