“Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning” marks a significant shift for the franchise. While Ethan Hunt and his team have always operated in the shadows—saving the world without recognition—this installment places them in full public view with global stakes that everyone is aware of, which unfortunately leads to some of the film’s shortcomings.
A direct continuation of “Dead Reckoning Part 1,” the film follows Ethan and his team as they race to defeat an AI entity threatening to use the world’s nuclear arsenal to eliminate humanity. The mission brings back familiar faces alongside new ones as the world hangs in the balance.
As a dedicated Mission Impossible fan who rewatched all seven previous films before seeing this eighth installment, I found the nostalgia elements surprisingly ineffective. The film’s nearly three-hour runtime would have benefited from subtler character callbacks rather than explicit explanations. Previous Mission films handled connections brilliantly—like Vanessa Kirby’s character being Max’s daughter or the train sequence in “Dead Reckoning” mirroring the first movie’s finale. These clever threads enhanced the franchise’s storytelling without being overstated. Here, explicit declarations of character relationships felt tiresome and pandering.
The Mission Impossible series has always been intelligent, with plots designed to deceive both villains and audience alike. A trademark of the franchise has been showing footage only to reveal it was fabricated—a cinematic sleight of hand. “The Final Reckoning” abandons this approach, spelling everything out and eliminating the excitement of discovery or surprise.
This problem extends to the set pieces and story beats. While “Fallout” and even “Dead Reckoning” created genuine tension where you couldn’t predict Ethan’s success, here you know the outcome before it happens—not just because it’s in the trailer, but because the film spends excessive time telegraphing solutions without adding meaningful content in between. The film feels more studio-driven than Cruise-led, losing much of its fun in pursuit of heightened stakes.
Gabriel, the film’s villain who works for the AI Entity, had an intriguing connection to Ethan’s past in “Dead Reckoning.” Unfortunately, this potential is largely abandoned as he’s reduced to a one-dimensional villain seeking world domination within the first thirty minutes. We never explore Ethan’s backstory further, instead revisiting ground we’ve already covered. Sean Harris’s Solomon Lane remains the franchise’s most compelling antagonist by comparison.
The score feels like a missed opportunity. The Mission Impossible franchise has featured exceptional music that perfectly accompanies Hunt’s team on their missions, creating intrigue, tension, and excitement. This element felt notably absent here, particularly in moments where the iconic Mission theme could have elevated the excitement.
Despite my criticisms, the film delivers two of the most impressive stunts in cinema history. The submarine sequence is breathtaking—watching Cruise navigate a submerged vessel at the ocean floor will leave you holding your breath. Similarly, the plane sequence rivals the spectacular helicopter scene from “Fallout.” These two sequences alone earn the film two stars, as they deserve to be seen by everyone.
The film also offers some satisfying moments for franchise fans (especially for an “MI:3” enthusiast like myself), and the cast delivers exceptional performances despite sometimes having to deliver overly dramatic “end of the world” dialogue.
Is this truly the final Mission Impossible film? I doubt it, but only Cruise knows for certain. Have we become so accustomed to Cruise’s death-defying feats that they no longer generate the same tension? Perhaps.
As a Mission fan, I’m disappointed. As a general moviegoer, I’m satisfied and don’t feel my time was wasted. The Mission franchise has always been distinguished by being smarter and more exciting than average blockbusters—James Bond may be cool and sophisticated, but Mission Impossible has been smart and emotional.
Somewhere, there exists a version of this film that trusts its audience more, offers grounded storytelling, and isn’t bloated by nostalgia montages. That’s the Mission I wanted. I’ll reluctantly accept this one because it remains impressive cinema and is still superior to “Mission Impossible 2.”
Score: 3/5