"Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning": Does the Last Mission Justify Itself?

The eighth and concluding chapter of the "Mission: Impossible" film series hits theaters across the country today. Tom Cruise reprises his iconic role as Ethan Hunt, and after nearly three hours of Final Reckoning, the mixed feelings it leaves behind raise questions about whether this final stamp meets expectations.

"The things we do... the things we do," Tom Cruise says with a wide grin, reflecting on three decades of impossible missions. The legendary agent Ethan Hunt has made Cruise’s name synonymous with achieving the impossible, but in his last and final mission, the challenge is not only to meet high expectations but to surpass them.

The plot picks up directly from where the previous film (Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning) left off, with Ethan Hunt and his scattered team, Luther (Ving Rhames), Benji (Simon Pegg), and Grace (Hayley Atwell), facing their greatest threat yet: "The Entity," a malevolent artificial intelligence capable of wiping out humanity.

A key note: those who haven’t seen the previous film may find themselves confused, especially in the first half-hour. The storyline demands familiarity with prior events, posing a challenge for viewers who haven’t closely followed the series.

The team is pursued by agents Briggs and Degas (Shea Whigham and Greg Tarzan Davis), confronts Gabriel (Esai Morales), and is aided by former foe Paris (Pom Klementieff). Their goal is to secure the only weapon capable of defeating The Entity, a weapon located beneath the polar ice in the Bering Sea, within the wreckage of the sunken Russian submarine Sevastopol.

Expectations for a film with a staggering $400 million budget were for a relentless, thrilling action experience, but the result is surprisingly measured in pace. Despite the dramatic momentum the film aims for as a concluding chapter, some segments suffer from a sluggish tempo, creating a sense of unnecessary length in a genre known for its intensity and drive.

The film’s production was an impressive global effort, with stunning locations, from a staged military base in the UK to the Norwegian Arctic, English mines, South Africa’s blue skies, Brussels, and even a real aircraft carrier. The visual investment is evident in every frame, but the narrative doesn’t always maintain the same level of intensity.

Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning tries to balance respect for the franchise’s legacy with attempts at innovation but sometimes falls into the trap of familiar Hollywood conventions, predictable dialogue, overly calculated emotional moments, and narrative patterns the genre has exhausted.

The collaboration between Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie yields technically impressive results. McQuarrie, whom Cruise calls his "creative brother," brings exceptional visual quality to the film. The key scenes, from a complex underwater chase to hair-raising aerial stunts, are filmed with noteworthy virtuosity, highlighting Cruise’s commitment to performing his own stunts authentically.

The artistic design, sound design, and music wrap the film in high production quality, and the supporting cast adds depth to the story. However, despite all the technical strengths, the film lacks the excitement and freshness that characterized earlier entries in the series.

As a concluding film for a revered franchise, it makes a bold attempt to tie up all loose ends, but the result doesn’t reach new heights. Compared to previous installments, Final Reckoning doesn’t offer the innovation and freshness expected from a film meant to cap a three-decade cinematic epic.

Still, fans of the series will find value in the closure the film provides, and Cruise’s impressive physical performances, pushing the boundaries of human capability even at his age, are worthy of admiration. As a committed filmmaker, there’s no doubt Cruise pours his all into every frame, even if the script doesn’t always keep up with his fervor.

Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning is still a grand cinematic experience worth seeing on the big screen. While it’s not the series’ peak, it has enough impressive and dazzling moments to satisfy genre fans. Just enter the theater with tempered expectations and focus on the production’s remarkable technical achievements.