Ethan Hunt (played by Tom Cruise) and his team of Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) are tasked with finding and securing two halves of a key. The key supposedly controls an A.I. known as “The Entity” and uses data to learn and predict human outcomes. Every government in the world wants that kind of power and the IMF team decides they need to destroy it rather than find the key and hand it over to the next power-hungry superior officer. Hunt is forced to work hand-in-hand with a thief named Grace (Hayley Atwell) and the two try to avoid confrontations with Gabriel (Esai Morales), a former IMF Agent now working as the A.I.’s physical liaison, while also working off the grid so the Entity isn’t aware of their actions.
This is the definition of “summer blockbuster.” Holy cow, what a ride.
The first of the two Dead Reckoning installments and the seventh film in the Mission: Impossible franchise is a spectacle to behold. The plot is juicy, the story keeps you guessing, the acting is tremendous, the action sequences are pulse-pounding and the mental gymnastics you do in trying to figure out what’s actually going on – in the best way possible – would make Simone Biles proud.
But the best part just might be something unscripted: the timing. This film, which has been delayed due to the COVID pandemic, is being released at the exact moment in human history when artificial intelligence is making headlines almost daily. The timing is uncanny and strikes that extra nerve.
Cruise is great, Ferguson provides a shocking twist, the addition of Atwell is a grand slam and they accomplished to raise the stakes from the previous films. Run, do not walk, to your nearest big screen to see this movie while it’s still playing on it.
JKG SCORE: 8.0
SPECIAL NOTE: With Oppenheimer quickly approaching, Mission: Impossible is only going to be shown on IMAX and Big D screens for a short while. The movie is fun regardless of where you see it but this kind of film is meant for those large formatted screens. If you want the best experience, make sure you see it before Oppenheimer releases on July 21.
Once you’ve seen it, come hang out with us and let’s talk about Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part 1.
Untitled Film Project 