Movie Review: ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning’ is an action masterpiece

By Connor Webber

There have been quite a few franchises that I have had the pleasure to grow up with, having been born in 1999, but none have aged as well as the “Mission: Impossible” franchise.

Through the years, “Mission: Impossible” films have set the standard for what it means to create an action movie, and through those years, there has been one man to push this franchise to push the limits of what’s possible in an action movie; that man is Tom Cruise. Love or hate him, Cruise has reminded us what it means to be a true movie star. As of recent, when you see his name attached to a movie you are about to see, you can sit down knowing you are about to watch an incredibly made film. “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1” Is no exception.

“Ethan Hunt and the IMF team must track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity if it falls into the wrong hands.”

“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1” Is a film Director Christopher McQuarrie thought was “doomed,” coming off the heels of “Mission: Impossible Fallout,” a film I consider to be one of the greatest action movies of all time. But after seeing “Dead Reckoning Part 1.” I am blown away by how Cruise and McQuarrie have found new heights in this 26-year-old franchise. “Dead Reckoning Part 1” is by far the most intense mission to date, making you sweat all the more while Cruise drives a motorcycle off a cliff (shown in the trailer). At the end of the day, that’s why people flock to the theaters to see these ‘Mission: Impossible’ films, the stunts.

Something that the franchise has done a good job of elevating is the emotion behind the film, and since “Mission: Impossible III,” the emotional weight has grown heavier and heavier each film. Now I’m the seventh entry, “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1,” which holds some of the most emotionally intense scenes for our favorite IMF agents, leaving your palms sweaty for most of the film.

I also appreciated that despite being a “Part 1,” by the end of the film, you feel satisfied. It’s obviously an unfinished story, but the film doesn’t leave you on a massive cliffhanger, which I appreciated.

Overall, there’s not a whole lot I can critique about this movie. “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1” is easily one of my favorite films of the year so far. The directing, acting, editing, and stunts are done at such a high level. The only other film I’ve seen this year that I think was handled with the same amount of care was “Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse.”

“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1” Is PG-13 and is in theaters June 12, 2023. There is no post-credit scene. “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 2” is scheduled to release in theaters on June 28, 2024.