Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 Review
by Kevin Morrin
Tom Cruise is exceptionally well suited to certain roles, and Ethan Hunt has always been one of them. The latest instalment of the Mission Impossible series is no exception, leaning heavily into Cruise’s love of big action, bold stunts and the big-screen cinema experience.
After the soft-reboot that came with Ghost Protocol (the 4th movie in the series) which humanised Ethan Hunt and (just as with Daniel Craig’s Bond from Casino Royale on) made him less of a cheesy 60s invincible ladies-man superspy. Hunt is a more grounded character, and he can’t always rely on the spy gadgets to get him out of every situation (which was kind of needed, what with the Mission Impossible face-mask tech).
In Dead Reckoning Part 1 we see Hunt once again given a mission (though this time his option to choose is less relevant than ever, given the history he has with one of the villains). Along with returning Gabriel (Esai Morales) and Alanna Mitsopolis (Vanessa Kirby), Ethan also has to contend with Pom Klementieff’s Paris. Thankfully, he’s is once again joined by Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames and Rebecca Fergusson, with newcomer Hayley Atwell thrown into the mix.
The world-ending plot this time ‘round? Artificial Intelligence that could destroy the world unless a mysterious MacGuffin is located. But of course, this is no easy task, or it wouldn’t be up to the MFI to come to the rescue. First, Ethan & Co. Must locate two halves of a unique cruciform key. But even once they have the key, they need to find the location to what it unlocks, as well as what is locked away.
We get some great action set pieces, including riding a motorcycle off a cliff and trying to parachute onto a moving train. And it wouldn’t be a summer blockbuster without the train getting destroyed.
Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 is another great entry in the series, and after following Ghost Protocol, Rogue Nation and Fallout, that’s saying something! (No Henry Cavill reloading his punches here I’m afraid.)
The trusted words of our very own Kevin Morrin in Waterford.
Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 is available to pre-order now on DVD, Blu-Ray, 4K & 4K Steelbook in-store and here on goldendiscs.ie.
