- Date of Release: 17 May 2025
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
- Language: English
- Watch On: Theatres Only
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
Introduction
The success of a franchise which is ending can be judged when the viewers ask ‘Why’ and not ‘When’. In that regard, the Mission Impossible franchise has got to be probably the best franchise in the world that consistently amped up the intensity of the action set-pieces with every film, while retaining its core. And the core here remains the 62 year old action phenomena Tom Cruise. It is unfair really to compare Cruise with any of his peers simply because the man can even fly at his age while others have either typically transitioned into ‘Dad’ roles or stuck up in the glory of their past, barely being able to move while still going for a film that they call an ‘action entertainer’ (the joke is on them). But every good thing as they say, does eventually come to an end. And the ‘delay’ is directly proportional to the famous lines of The Joker from The Dark Knight (2008) – Either You Die A Hero Or You Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become A Villain’. So, the decision of making the new installment of the Mission Impossible franchise titled ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ its last dance MUST be welcomed given how we would witness Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) in his beast mode one last on the Big Screen. It won’t be wrong to say that between Mission Impossible (1996) and Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025), we all grew up! So we mustn’t be sad that it is over, we must smile that it happened!
Story & Screenplay
My sentiments aside, Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning directly picks up two months after the events of Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning. But instantly you notice an evident shift in the tone of the film from the last time around. The playfulness of the drama coupled with its intensity in action sequences is immediately replaced by a more sombre mood that is more vulnerable and uncertain given the power of the invisible nemesis the AI ‘Entity’ which has started to take over the world (a meta-reference to the real world events that are slowly shifting tide around us). Sure, Hunt does have to worry about the ‘other’ antagonist Gabriel (Esai Morales), an off-shoot of his past who would stop at nothing for attaining the power and sensibilities of the AI tool for which he has been a liaison. And so the setup is tense but unlike a superhero avatar for the protagonist that you would witness in films like these. The sense of uncertainty is evident in Hunt even as he regroups with his team while having to complete the mission against the tick of the clock. And because there is a timer involved, it adds to the intensity of the drama which is more absorbing and cerebral to begin with (and something that can divide the fans of the franchise). This also doubles up as a commentary on the AI in the real-time world wherein most people mistake it for a ‘computer’ and not an ‘entity’. The waves that AI has already created between the last two installments of Mission Impossible is for everyone to see (and partly be worried about).
In many ways Mission Impossible 8 (MI 8) can be equated to Avengers: Endgame (2019), given how the latter also excelled in a similar probing mood that it had to offer. The similarities also involve losing a character in the film (it happens within the first act in MI 8), something that further adds to the emotional core of the drama. Here, the drama is also packed with a lot of information, not only with how things stand from the previous film but also with nuggets of nostalgia from the previous 30 years, at times also dating itself to the first Mission Impossible film. And this remained a huge positive for me given how the makers chose to maintain the thread of the universe, as opposed to creating mindless spiritual sequels in the franchise. It added depth and purpose to the writing. Here I must also say that the drama needs a little patience to sit through it, particularly in the first hour that has less action and more information that is dumped onto the viewers. Some may term it as sloppy but I enjoyed the ability of the makers to focus on the drama by restraining the very granular order of the franchise that was built around the action. It was a different route and quite absorbing in my opinion.
The stakes in the drama are elevated in the background even as Hunt having being arrested, is presented in front of the US president. And so in many ways, the ‘mission’ of Hunt is also layered – he is separated from his group (with a purpose), he has to convince his own people for a chance to counter the ‘entity’, a part of the mission includes retrieving the source-code of the entity, and later tracking Gabriel and neutralizing him while retrieving a ‘poisonous substance’ to control the actions of the entity. All of this with a sword of a timer on his neck. Here if MI was a cricket match, Hunt would be the chase-master Kohli who has a target in mind and flexes all of his game-awareness to pull off a ‘heist’ of sorts. If Hunt were a footballer, he would be Ronaldo, clutching the key moments for his team by delivering when it matters the most. Hell, Hunt could also be MS Dhoni from another reality, walking in at number 5 in the 2011 cricket world cup final, and seeing his team through to the end!
The terrain here does play a very important character in the drama (case in point being Bering Sea), even as some characters from the past resurface in the current schene of things. The chilly winds coupled with the frozen sea is almost symbolic of the world today which is devoid of emotions and mainly interacting with each other (or alternately trolling) on social media. Hence it hardly comes as a surprise that one of the characters exclaims (in jest) on how one mustn’t spend a lot of time of social media, while being in this setting. There are cultural references in the film too that are symbolic on how all of us might be the same, yet divided by the countries even while having a common goal. And this is where the representation of the MI Team tells us a different story, all of whom work collectively for a common goal despite varied cultural representations.
The drama here boasts of two of the most breathtaking action set-pieces of the franchise, collectively speaking. One remains the terrific underwater sequence featuring Hunt that doesn’t have a more intimidating nemesis other than the setting itself. The other is in an airplane at many meters above sea-level that will add to the adrenaline rush for the fans of the franchise. But what these sequences do is make you a quiet bystander who would gasp at every juncture, in anticipation for fearing the worst for the protagonist. The raw emotions that emerge coupled with the spectacle has got to be one of the most glorious moments of the film. In between, there is also a crazy double whammy of a sequence featuring Benji (Simon Pegg) as he guides Grace (Hayley Atwell) with the integration of the source code of AI into the servers, along with Paris (Pom Klementieff) who is tasked with reviving him and keeping him awake during the interactions. The sequence adds to the intensity and humour in the drama, something that reminded me of the crazy sequence in the Hindi film Crazxy (2025).
There are bittersweet moments that you witness in the concluding moments of the drama. There remains a clout of uncertainty even with the conclusion while reheating the moments of nostalgia that are sprinkled into the narrative, even while witnessing Hunt and his clan in action for the last time. It made me jog back my memory to multiple sequences of the franchise – be it Hunt going in anti-gravity mode in MI 1, or the Burj Khalifa sequence in MI 4 or the leap of faith in a stellar Orient Express sequence in MI 7 – each of which have been iconic in their own rights. It was a classic case of me questioning on “Why” this franchise was ending, something that also echoed my sentiments from the start of this review. If ever there was a live commentary, it would be Ravi Shastri calling the shots – ‘Hunt Finishes Off In Style, A Magnificent Strike Into The Crowd, Mission Impossible Caps Off Its Glorious Run After 30 Years, And It Has Been A Special Secret Agent Who Has Been Absolutely Magnificent In The Night Of The Final’! And that quite honestly, sums up the screenplay that is absorbing and manages to deliver in an epic swansong!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are information-heavy this time around while doing away with some goofy one-liners from the earlier installments, which may divide the viewers. But for me, it was a more realistic take on the looming faceless danger that didn’t allow much scope for humour. One of my favourite memories of the franchise remains its title card that often plays out after a sufficient buildup, while being a tease for the viewers. And what better than the iconic theme of the Mission Impossible franchise (ta ta…tata..ta ta…I see you humming too) playing to the beats of the title card, that presents its protagonist as a graphic novel hero! Even otherwise, the BGM here provides several poignant moments in scenes of vulnerability while delivering a resounding score during the action set-pieces, which were wonderfully well choreographed. The cinematography reeks of grandeur and depth, be it in the underwater sequence or the mini-plane sequence. The ability of the frames to engage with viewers even during a couple of other combat sequences, meant that the emotional core remained a palpable byproduct of this technical aspect of the drama. The editing is crisp and sharp ao much so that I didn’t feel the whopping runtime of 170 minutes at all. Also, the alternating editing technique was an innovative way of dumping information to the viewers. Director Christopher McQuarrie definites understands the beats of his viewers but instead takes a lesser route of an absorbing narrative, rather than the popular one. And what that ensures is, it creates a character that you know is a ‘superhero’ but this time possessing shades of vulnerability with chinks in his armour, that automatically makes him real. As a result (and it did help that this was a swansong too), there is a clout of unpredictability around the fate of the protagonist which in turn resonates with a direct emotional connect with the viewers. And in action set-pieces, the combo of Cruise and McQuarrie just cannot go long given their long standing association that has yielded several iconic moments of the franchise. The direction remains excellent and signs off in style!
Performances
The performances are terrific by the members of the cast. Ving Rhames as Luther has a more emotional and philosophical outlook to his character, this time around, and he manages to leave a lasting impression. Angela Bassett is first rate while carrying out her role with a lot of dignity. Lucy Tulugarjuk and Rolf Saxon as Will are quite sincere and earnest, a trait that automatically makes them affable. Shea Whignam as Briggs and Henry Czerny as Eugene have their moments to shine. Greg Tarzan Davis as Degas is terrific particularly in combat sequences that makes for a solid impact. Pom Klementieff as Paris is outstanding to the core wherein her minimalistic approach really hits the sweet spot at various junctures in the drama. Simon Pegg as Benji is just a master of ‘timing’ and his one-liners just hit the bullseye every single time. He was amazing to witness. Hayley Atwell as Grace has a radiating screen presence and she brings such poise and ‘grace’ to her character while expressing beautifully through her eyes that often tell you a story. Esai Morales as Gabriel is the perfect nemesis (along with the AI ‘Entity’) for the protagonist. He is intimidating and powerful while making for a lasting impact throughout the film.
But the soul of the film as well as the franchise is Tom Cruise who yet again aces it as Ethan Hunt. The idea of carrying the franchise on his shoulders for nearly 30 years was almost synonymous to the gigantic achievement of Sachin Tendulkar who often shouldered the batting responsibility of the Indian Cricket Team in the 90s. Here Cruise is phenonenal in action set-pieces, having performed some staggering and mind-boggling stunts at a tender age of 62. But the prowess of the actor also lies in the emotional sequences that he caters you, often allowing his body language and eyes to do the talking while reflecting on his character’s vulnerability. And that for me was the clutch in his performance. It was intense, brilliant and palpably exciting with generous bouts of nostalgia even while I got to witness his daredevil act, one last time in IMAX. Ethan Hunt – thank you for the memories, and long live Tom Cruise!
Conclusion
Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning is an absorbing swansong with nuggets of nostalgia packaged in a gloriously brilliant actioner that delivers that one knockout punch even during its last dance. It is cerebral, layered and makes for an excellent drama that deserves an IMAX watch! Available in a theatre near you and Highly Recommended!
