Writer/Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
‘Spectacular Sequel’
Few celebrities have achieved impossible missions of overcoming injuries like Tom Cruise. In 2017, the star faced a fallout when he broke his ankle on set of “Mission: Impossible – Fallout”. Advised by doctors he wouldn’t run again, ankle sprain impacted Cruise’s abilities hanging off airplanes to entertain. It signaled time for an actor climbing Dubai skyscrapers to hang up his suit and tie. Nevertheless, no injury caused by rock-climbing could prevent an actor from filmmaking. Healing quickly, six weeks later the actor returned to finish filming. Cruise’s dedication to risking his life on speeding trains has made him an icon that’s inspiring. On a personal level, I find the star relatable. A year ago, my life hit a low when I got leg injuries at edge of tomorrow. An inevitable injury, it resulted from risky business of running. I began running at an early age to overcome weight gain with collateral damage. My parents criticized me for running 3 hours outside. I had a habit of pushing my body to the limit hoping it would make me fit. However, my goals were shattered when I got injured. Filing a minority report, doctors offered little support. I was in shock being warned by doctors I couldn’t take a walk. It was hard to accept the impossible mission that I couldn’t run. Unable to handle the truth, I found my injury painful. At first, all I could do was cry with no time to die. As I lost hope, Tom Cruise gave me strength to cope. At the top gun of his game, he became my hero. Seeing his movies ensured my speedy recovery. An inspiring role model, he set a positive example.
Now, Cruise returns and your mission should you choose to accept it is watching his film “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1”. Action-packed, heartwarming and suspenseful, it celebrates a committed movie-star. Christopher McQuarrie commemorates a celebrity. Boasting awe-inspiring action, soul-stirring storytelling and powerful performances, it’s spectacular entertainment. Although “Dead Reckoning Part 1” is entertaining, it’s problematic. It’s an overlong mission testing viewers’ patience. Nevertheless, it offers exhilarating entertainment for Cruise’s fanbase.
“Dead Reckoning Part 1” follows the hunted agent experiencing life-threatening missions. Tom Cruise embodies Ethan Hunt, an agent experiencing retirement evading government. Following fallout repercussions, Hunt questions allegiances towards espionage organizations. However, Hunt’s expectations are shattered when he embarks on catastrophic missions demonstrating artificial intelligence destruction. Experiencing anguish, Hunt discovers certain missions are impossible to accomplish.
Christopher McQuarrie is fascinated with hunted agents. A collaborator, McQuarrie has constructed blockbusters putting movie-stars in danger. With “Dead Reckoning Part 1”, however, he crafts finale. It’s McQuarrie’s attempts bringing franchise to satisfying conclusions, but he succeeds. Visually, the film is a feast for eyes as stunning as skyscrapers in the Middle East. Using captivating cinematography, McQuarrie captures agents’ journey. Evoking “Mission: Impossible – Fallout”, McQuarrie captures a movie-star running through cross-cutting. Recalling Ethan’s run across London, he now runs across airports. It reminded me about exercise making me motivated before legs got affected. Cross-cutting is complicated. As Michael Mann’s “Collateral” demonstrated, cross-cutting elevates thrillers. Barry Levinson’s “Rain Man” suggested cross-cutting elevates disability dramas. Nevertheless, it succeeds. Alongside cinematographer Fraser Taggart, McQuarrie celebrates Cruise’s passion for running. McQuarrie commemorates the movie-star, manufacturing theatrical viewing.
If impossible missions don’t attract attentions, however, there’s several reasons to see “Dead Reckoning Part 1”. One area where the film significantly surpasses predecessors is stunts. Alongside stunt-coordinator Wade Eastwood, McQuarrie manufactures stunts showcasing Cruise’s dedication. McQuarrie capitalizes on Cruise’s commitment putting life on the line to create stunts that shine. Stunts are so beautifully conceived they must be seen to be believed. For instance, stunts elevate the motorcycle scene. A jaw-dropping scene, it finds Cruise jumping off cliffs with motorcycles risking dying. One appreciates stunt-work recalling the Burj Khalifa climb in “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”. It reminded me why I appreciate an actor that’s awe-inspiring. Stunts are complicated. As Doug Liman’s “Edge of Tomorrow” suggested, stunts elevate science-fiction. However, stunts succeed. Moreover, music is magnificent. Evoking Paul Brickman’s “Risky Business”, it constructs momentum. Through awe-inspiring action, McQuarrie commemorates spies.
Another extraordinary “Dead Reckoning Part 1” aspect is the screenplay. McQuarrie’s screenwriting strength is demonstrating obsessions experienced by agents on impossible missions through MacGuffins. Most franchise movies rarely address obsessions deterring hunted agents from achieving impossible missions with success. As a case-in-point: John Woo’s “Mission: Impossible 2” depicted Ethan Hunt being an invincible person accomplishing impossible missions without repercussions. Fortunately, however, “Dead Reckoning Part 1” avoids pitfalls. Evoking “Mission: Impossible: Rogue Nation”, McQuarrie employs MacGuffins capturing obsessions of agents on missions. Like top-secret USBs Ethan searches for, this time he hunts for keys. Throughout the movie, keys symbolize an all-important necessity without which Hunt can’t imagine living efficiently. It reignited memories of obsessive physical activity I found impossible to abandon easily. MacGuffins are complicated. As J.J. Abrams’ “Mission: Impossible 3” demonstrated, MacGuffins as humongous as rabbit’s foot aren’t successful. Nevertheless, it succeeds. Through soul-stirring storytelling, McQuarrie commemorates a movie-star.
One appreciates astonishing performances.
Tom Cruise delivers his greatest turn as Ethan Hunt. Cruise achieved appreciation playing spies in Brian De Palma’s “Mission Impossible”. With “Dead Reckoning Part 1”, however, he embodies the agent’s transformation. If previous movies portrayed Ethan Hunt as invincible, Cruise captures the character’s vulnerability. Evoking Daniel Craig in Cary Joji Fukunaga’s “No Time to Die”, Cruise embodies a spy with no time to die. With riveting expressions, he captures an agent’s angst, desperation and resentments. Despite retirement age, Cruise performs death-defying stunts with courage. It’s a career-defining performance.
The supporting cast is sensational, crafting strong chemistry. Hayley Atwell’s amazing, demonstrating the disillusionments of a female agent dedicated to achieve impossible missions without emotional attachment. Esai Morales is marvelous, bringing menace to an adversary on hunt for a precious key. Lastly, Simon Pegg merits acknowledgements. As Benji, he’s hilarious.
Finally, “Dead Reckoning Part 1” deserves appreciation celebrating an icon in top gun profession. Evoking Joseph Kosinski’s “Top Gun: Maverick”, it celebrates an entertainment icon. It discusses universal themes including family, identity and trauma. If previous films represented entertainment, this installment delivers meaningful messages. Audiences aren’t required to be franchise fans to appreciate it. Consequently, “Dead Reckoning Part 1” creates relatable missions.
Despite its merits, however, “Dead Reckoning Part 1” can’t accomplish impossible missions. At two and a half hours, it’s overlong. McQuarrie’s decisions incorporating exposition about A.I. is commendable but disintegrates pacing. Sequences about the ‘entity’ are less entertaining than Ethan’s journey. As Steven Spielberg’s “Minority Report” demonstrated, A.I. subplots elevate science-fiction. Rob Reiner’s “A Few Good Men” suggested exposition elevates legal dramas. Consequently, the sequel falters.
Nevertheless, Tom Cruise fans will certainly enjoy “Dead Reckoning Part 1” and so will audiences seeking sensationalizing entertainment. A spectacular sequel, it celebrates an unstoppable movie-star for whom no mission in the world is impossible. A dazzling celebration of a movie-star performing death-defying stunts riding motorbikes courageously off mountains, it’s an enthusiastic reminder about an actor’s dedication toward his profession demonstrating injury recovery is a possible mission.
A sensational tribute to a star climbing sky-high skyscrapers, it’s a rousing reminder of how injuries didn’t terrify an actor seeking to climb landmarks in Dubai with a high likelihood to die.
Like the airplane Ethan Hunt hangs on under strain, it’s a stirring reminder of an actor seeking to entertain holding breath underwater even when doctors warned he wouldn’t run again after ankle sprain.
Nearly six years after Tom Cruise faced fallout leg injuries, hopefully watching the actor back in action running in rooftops will inspire wounded individuals to embark on paths towards speedy recovery.
As cherished as keys Ethan Hunt hunts for on trains destined to be demolished, I’ll forever treasure a distinguished actor that caused my aching injury to be vanished making me believe no mission in the world is impossible to be accomplished.
4.5/5 stars
The Film Buff 