Yes, we know Ethan Hunt will save the day. Always.
Now, the franchise knows it, too.
“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” is a possible saga capper and homage all in one. We’re treated to endless clips from past installments and odes to our hero’s unflappable nature.
Ethan, Ethan he’s our man. If he can’t do it, no one can! (Literally)
Sure, Tom Cruise’s iconic character doesn’t follow the rules and ignores his own government. That’s all in the past. Now, even the President of the United States is singing his praises.
That’s fine for an Oscar night clip montage, but it undercuts what makes the spy saga special. If only this were the eighth film’s only serious flaw.
“Final Reckoning,” the second of a two-part story, does a yeomanlike job of getting newbies up to speed in the opening moments. An AI program known as The Entity has spread across the globe, tapping into world governments and threatening to bring World War III along with it.
Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt is literally the only man on earth who can stop that from happening, although the details are fuzzy and not everyone is on the same page.
Yes, Ethan’s teammates are back for more spy games, but Luther (Ving Rhames) and Benji (Simon Pegg) aren’t as much fun as usual. There’s that whole WWIII looming over the story, after all.
Even the presence of Grace (Hayley Atwell, the new thief on the block) can’t spike the punch. It’s clear the “M:I” team is uncomfortable romantically pairing the 43-year-old actress with the 62-year-old Cruise).
And, yes, we get endless shots of Cruise running at full speed that border on parody at this point.
Readers just spotted a man that’s currently like running even on the tl rightnow pic.twitter.com/wJpEfyzMHU
— Agent. Ethan Hunt (MI: The Final Reckoning) (@IMFAgent_Hunt) May 1, 2025
That leaves the lip-smacking villain du jour, Esai Morales’ Gabriel, to chew up the scenery. Even his gung-ho turn isn’t as tasty as it should be. The stakes are too high, and every few minutes the screenplay downloads an enormous slab of exposition to explain what’s about to happen and why it’s impossible to pull off.
Unless your name is Ethan Hunt, of course.
That template stained the previous installment, a new series tic that robs the saga of its spontaneity. It’s even worse this time around.
So is an extended sequence within an abandoned submarine vessel. Yes, director/co-writer Christopher McQuarrie’s technical prowess is on full display here and elsewhere, but the sequence goes on forever and ends on a stupefyingly silly note.
And yet some action sequences crackle as intended. The film’s bloated running time – two hours and 49 minutes – means there’s enough space for fistfights, knife fights and more. Cruise even does battle in his skivvies.
At least he doesn’t end up in outer space like the shark-jumping ninth installment of the “Fast & Furious” saga.
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The sequel save the very best for last. Cruise’s Hunt dangles from an old-school biplane for one epic battle. No, the superstar didn’t do the stunt work thousands of feet in the sky.
Heck, it’s unclear just how they pulled it off. You can plainly see it’s Cruise, though, and the illusion is picture-perfect.
The jaw-dropping sequence temporarily erases every flaw that came before it. It’s why the franchise matters in 2025. It isn’t about snappy dialogue, coherent storylines and intriguing new characters.
“The Final Reckoning” reminds us Cruise is the Last Movie Star, and he’s happy to put his safety on the line to prove it. Except movie stars work better when there’s a great story at their back.
He’d be better served using that star wattage on other films moving forward. Not even Ethan Hunt can save this sequel.
HiT or Miss: “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” delivers the eye-popping stunts we crave, but the sequel’s self-referential approach does the film few favors.