Ethan Hunt is back, and this time he’s bordering on mythic status. After years of cheating death and pulling off daring stunts, the iconic spy in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning seems to have earned near-worship from his allies — even from once-doubtful figures like the U.S. President (Angela Bassett reprising her role as Erika Sloane) and Paris (Pom Klementieff), who has gone from wild assassin to brooding, introspective presence. For a franchise that’s thrived on not taking itself too seriously, this somber tone sometimes comes off as unintentionally absurd — especially in the film’s slower first hour.
But perhaps that’s part of the goal. Ethan is up against an all-powerful artificial intelligence hell-bent on nuclear annihilation — a threat that the film retroactively suggests has loomed since the franchise began. It’s a heavy burden for a character originally built to chase down stolen data or defuse bombs. The effort to connect all seven previous films into a coherent saga shows behind-the-scenes ambition, but may not be what fans actually came for.
Audiences watch Mission: Impossible movies for the spectacular action and Tom Cruise’s commitment to doing his own stunts — not for lore continuity or answers to decade-old questions (like what exactly the “rabbit’s foot” was in the third movie). And Cruise still delivers on that front: he’s outrunning danger through Paris, skidding through Rome in a tiny Fiat, and dangling from everything from helicopters to skyscrapers.
What’s always set Mission: Impossible apart from other action franchises — like the increasingly over-the-top Fast & Furious — is its blend of realism, danger, and humor. Cruise doesn’t just do wild stunts — he reacts to them with believable panic and awe, reminding us that Ethan Hunt is human.
Director Christopher McQuarrie, now four films into the series, stages two unforgettable action set pieces: one inside a submerged, decaying submarine, and another featuring biplanes soaring at breakneck speed over South Africa. These moments are pure movie magic, and they justify the price of admission — but they’re buried under dense exposition, rushed flashbacks, and montages that feel like award show retrospectives.
McQuarrie, co-writing with Erik Jendresen, may have leaned too hard into franchise-style storytelling. The film attempts to retroactively tie together long-lost characters and motivations, but instead of raising the stakes, it clutters the plot and drags down the pacing.
The cast is large, perhaps overly so. Some performances, like Hannah Waddingham’s U.S. Navy officer, are solid but distracting. Others, like Esai Morales’s villain Gabriel, lack the weight needed to stand against Ethan. Still, there are bright spots: Severance star Tramell Tillman shines as a submarine captain, and long-time fans will recognize a return appearance by Rolf Saxon, last seen in the Langley vault in the original film.
Simon Pegg remains a delight as Benji, the nervous tech genius. Ving Rhames brings unexpected emotional depth. Angela Bassett sells a chilling turn with her city-destroying conviction. However, the script’s stiff, mechanical dialogue makes many of their interactions feel awkward — especially during scenes in a constantly sweaty Situation Room where characters awkwardly finish each other’s sentences.
In this outing, Cruise continues to carry the film, supported by Hayley Atwell as Grace, a nimble thief turned loyal partner. But the absence of Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa is deeply felt.
Even at its most flawed, Mission: Impossible remains one of the most entertaining action franchises around — a cinematic playground powered by Cruise’s boundless energy. If this movie feels like a bit of a victory lap, maybe it’s earned. Still, in trying to tie every thread together, the series may have tangled itself up.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning opens Friday in theaters from Paramount Pictures. It’s rated PG-13 for “bloody images, action, brief language, and sequences of strong violence,” with a runtime of 179 minutes.
Rating: ★★½ out of 4
