Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning–A flawed yet fabulous homage to Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt

There is an opening montage in 'The Final Reckoning' as a voice over (by Ving Rhames' Luther) tells us about Ethan Hunt's various sacrifices. It is meant to take the viewer on a journey through the secret agent's exploits. But the sequence seems as much a homage to Hunt as it is to the man playing him— Tom Cruise. The film is no different. 

The eighth instalment of 'Mission: Impossible' is director Christopher McQuarrie's unabashed tribute to his friend and arguably the greatest action star there ever was. To Cruise's credit, he shoulders that responsibility quite wonderfully. In a day and age of CGI-laden, convoluted thrillers. 

The Final Reckoning is a throwback to the "good old days", where simplicity and action triumphed. And Tom Cruise is at the centre of it all, in what is his most emotionally charged performance in years. In every frame, he reminds you why he is who he is, and that the great ones can elevate even an average film to a work of art.

The plot

In direct continuity to 'Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning', the eighth part sees Ethan Hunt on the hunt for the drowned Russian submarine, Sevastopol, which contains the source code for the malicious AI program known as the Entity. 

If Hunt and his team do not get the source code and infect it with a poison pill, the Entity threatens global nuclear war and the extinction of mankind. Complicating matters is Gabriel (Esai Morales), a former acolyte of the Entity who wants the source code to control the program. Sadly for Hunt, his own government wants the same. So, as always, he is out there alone, with just his trusted team, saving the world yet again.

Where The Final Reckoning lacks

The predictable nature, however, does not allow us to connect with some of the newer members of the team. The character of Degas, for one, seems underdeveloped even though he is meant to be a core member of Ethan Hunt's team now. And only Pom Klementieff's brilliant comic timing saves Paris from ending up in the same league. While the MI films have never been ensembles and always had a Hunt-centric plot, this time, the script does rob some of the supporting players of a chance to shine.

The Final Reckoning is one of the simplest Mission Impossible films in terms of plot. But sadly, that makes it a little predictable, too. Having seen the franchise for three decades and countless other Hollywood action thrillers, it is not hard to see how director McQuarrie has fit which trope where. But then again, the Mission Impossible films were never about the plot, anyway. They are about Hunt using swanky gadgets and doing impossible things. On that parameter, this film scores well.

The Tom Cruise show

There are two great stunts in the film. And while the shot of Tom Cruise hanging out of the biplane has been talked about so much, the underwater sequence was what took my breath away. 

The near-20-minute completely dialogue-less sequence focussing just on Ethan Hunt is peak Mission Impossible. Through the impressively shot sequence, McQuarrie and cinematographer Fraser Taggart give us another iconic Ethan Hunt Houdini act. And Tom Cruise complements their vision with a rather vulnerabe, human performance.

But the homage theme of the film stays throughout. There are lots of callbacks to previous films, with the CIA Black Vault break-in from the first film (1996) and the Rabbit's Foot weapon from MI3 (2005) both pivotal to the plot. The film neatly ties these elements of the franchise and Hunt's past to what is happening today, and quite beautifully raises the stakes too. 

There is that one cameo from the first Mission Impossible, which again, redeems Hunt in a rather strange way. The film does retcon a few of the happenings in the series earlier (just like it retconned part 7's title), and does take liberties with the lore. But complaining about that when the payoff is well could amount to nitpicking.

In The Final Reckoning, more than any other previous MI film, Tom Cruise serves a reminder of why he is a global superstar, a matinee idol no less. His mere presence on the screen is enough to elevate the scene. He has great support in Simon Pegg and Hayley Atwell, of course. 

And the cameos from powerhouse performers Angela Bassett and Hannah Waddingham add to the heft of the film in the performance department. But Cruise still outshines everyone. This was the one film where I felt the antagonist paled in comparison, and through no fault of Esai Morales. It's simply the Tom Cruise effect.

An emotional roller-coaster

The Final Reckoning is also the most emotional MI film ever, arguably. It takes us on a journey with Hunt, as he looks back at his 35 years with the IMF and looks ahead to an uncertain future. His past is weighing on him, and the toll of saving the world every so often has started to show. The layer it adds to the film grounds it in reality, raising the stakes even higher. After a long time, it felt good to see that the people being saved in an action film are considered real human beings and not simply numbers.

Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning is a classic action film that never takes its foot off the pedal. It is relentless, emotionally charged, visually spectacular, and fun enough to hide its flaws in logic and narrative. It is also a throwback to the great Hollywood actioners from the 90s, and a Tom Cruise love song, almost.