Mission Impossible: The Underwhelming Final Reckoning

Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning is crippled by its bloated writing and flashback laden editing but saved by its performances and a few action sequences.

I enjoy the Mission Impossible movies even if I’ve only been aware of them since the lead up to Dead Reckoning. I think Tom Cruise is deranged, and I find him very entertaining in a blockbuster setting. These movies bring me much joy as I’ve become an action film enthusiast. It pains me to say I left The Final Reckoning underwhelmed. In craft, it satisfactorily ups the ante in scale as each progressive entry has. It’s about Ethan Hunt continuing from Dead Reckoning to destroy the malevolent AI known as the Entity. Unfortunately, the writing has a nagging need to linger in more spoken exposition and flashbacks to settle into the new mission, even with this being a part two. The cast is expanded but superficially developed. The stunts and set pieces are occasionally thrilling, but for the most part, I never felt tense or worried watching the film. Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning is crippled by its bloated writing and flashback laden editing. It’s saved by its performances and a few action sequences.

I’m not against the idea of a long movie. Some of my favorite films are three hours or longer. I believe that with good pacing and a decent enough script, specific projects deserve long lengths. I don’t think The Final Reckoning had to be two hours and 51 minutes long. I only say this because so much of this film was exposition, plainly stated to the audience about where Ethan was and what was happening to him. When it wasn’t this, it was the past films recapped onscreen. I’m used to a few exposition dumps within these films, and I’m usually fine with glossing over them. But Final Reckoning takes this pet peeve to another level. I also have an issue with how the characters are written.

I’m not new to ensemble casts, and I understand that giving each character their moment is hard. This film provides certain characters with complete arcs while others are ignored. Some people seem to be here as simple statues or dolls that can speak. Some people are given fuller spotlights here than in previous films, only to act against their specialties. The Final Reckoning is a strategy-based film outside the Ethan-centric action moments. So often, characters stand and talk to wait for Ethan or work through a task. There are things we know characters are good at doing, and they aren’t even utilized for their specialties here. They’re just shuffled into the multi-location, high-risk, low-character-interaction-filled mission. For a franchise once as kinetic and thrillingly violent as Fallout was, this somehow makes it all feel tame. Another one of my issues was the editing.

I’m not a fan of movie flashbacks in general. I find it lazy when old footage is incorporated into something without a good reason. Even then, the way they’re used in The Final Reckoning is diabolical. The film is highly referential to the past, often using several flashbacks to overexplain a plot choice or reveal. This would be one thing, but later the film chooses to flash back to a sequence within the film itself. It felt like a waste of time, and a bit too much dead air. It feels like there’s not a lot of trust given to the audience when this happens, and it’s very disappointing.

The performances are the saving grace of the film. Tom Cruise is good as always with Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Simon Pegg, Angela Bassett, and Ving Rhames all doing great work. They make the copious amounts of dialogue somehow work better. I wish some of them had more use of their physicality, as they’re often there to react to what’s happening in the moment. I understand Tom Cruise is the star, but it feels less like a team effort when he’s the only one doing anything extraordinary. It’s a result of the film going for a grander yet, as a result, a more sparse feel compared to the rest of the series. It makes the film grab me less because of it. Cruise is excellent at what he does, but so is everyone else.

Another thing that saves the film is the action sequences. They’ve been getting better and better as the movie progresses. I was always very excited when one would begin onscreen. Unfortunately, there aren’t many of them within the film, especially not anything remotely close to Fallout or even Dead Reckoning. I would’ve enjoyed it more if the exposition dumps and languid pacing outside set pieces gave way to crazier fight sequences. It all feels too somber for a finale to such a grand franchise. Twenty years of insanity giving way to heavy sentimentality could’ve worked for me, but it all felt sudden and abrupt. Ending with a whimper instead of a bang.

Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning is crippled by its bloated writing and flashback laden editing. Its performances and a few action sequences save it. There’s too much exposition and too many characters. The editing relies too much on flashbacks to tell its story. The performances are impressive, and I wanted more from nearly everyone onscreen. The action sequences are great, and I wanted more of them. I’m sad that The Final Reckoning underwhelmed me, but I hope it’s not the end. If they really tried, they could turn it around with another one.

I'm seeing it again soon so maybe my thoughts will change but I doubt it. I rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars. I still think you should go watch when you can. It’s a thrill ride I had very high expectations for. I hope you enjoyed this review and the movie when you see it. Thanks for the reading!