Adding to the buzz is the speculation that this could mark Tom Cruise’s final outing as Ethan Hunt.
The eighth instalment in the franchise picks up where “Dead Reckoning” left off, thrusting Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) into yet another urgent mission – one that, as always, seems impossible until he takes it on.
This time, Hunt must track down the source code of the Entity, a rogue artificial intelligence creating chaos in the digital world. Terrifyingly, it is also seizing control of nuclear facilities across the globe and pushing the world towards an Armageddon-level disaster.
The Entity must be stopped, and Hunt is, of course, the man for the job. To do so, he needs to retrieve the source code, which is stored in a device known as the Podkova. Then, he must insert a plug-in called the “poison pill” to stop the Entity.
As always, it’s never easy for Hunt – the pill is in the hands of his old nemesis, Gabriel (Esai Morales).
As the clock ticks and the fate of the world hangs in the balance, Hunt’s mission takes him from the depths of the Bering Sea to the skies over Africa.
He teams up with Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), Grace (Hayley Atwell), former adversary-turned-ally Paris (Pom Klementieff) and a few new recruits.
The film is directed by Christopher McQuarrie, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Erik Jendresen. This marks McQuarrie’s fourth time writing and directing a “Mission: Impossible” instalment.
As with every “Mission: Impossible” film, “Final Reckoning” delivers a barrage of pulse-pounding stunts. One standout moment sees Hunt hanging off a biplane in a desperate attempt to retrieve the pill from Gabriel – a stunt so intense, it’s said that Cruise even passed out while filming.
There’s also a gripping underwater sequence, where Hunt manoeuvres through a sunken submarine with floating torpedoes inside.
If this is the concluding chapter for Cruise as Hunt, he couldn’t have delivered a better swan song.
Watching him perform these stunts at his age – he turns 63 in July – is nothing short of remarkable. In the biplane scene especially, he surpasses even his epic motorcycle cliff jump in “Dead Reckoning”.
Woven between the high-octane action sequences are heartfelt moments – especially when a beloved character dies. Despite its 170-minute runtime, the blend of adrenaline and heart keeps it from feeling too long or overwhelming.
The film also boasts a strong cast which includes Angela Bassett as US president Erika Sloane, “Severance’s” Tramell Tillman as Captain Bledsoe and “Ted Lasso’s” Hannah Waddingham as Admiral Neely.
Yet, amid this star-studded cast, Klementieff delivers a memorable performance as Paris. She’s effortlessly cool and undeniably tough, with a hint of underlying humanity that makes her captivating.
If there’s one gripe, however, it’s the lack of a truly fearsome villain. Somehow, the faceless AI doesn’t send shivers down the spine the way Philip Seymour Hoffman did in “Mission: Impossible 3”.
Overall, there is still plenty to keep viewers well-entertained, and fans will love the flashbacks from earlier instalments. While these add a nostalgic touch, it also raises the question: could THIS be Cruise’s final chapter as Hunt?
They also remind viewers just how gracefully Cruise has aged since his 1996 debut as Hunt. If Hunt seems to defy death time and again, Cruise seems to defy ageing itself.
Still, time has left its mark on Hunt’s character: he’s found love and lost those he cared about. But through it all, he remains unwaveringly committed to impossible missions – and this mirrors Cruise’s dedication to pushing physical and cinematic boundaries.
With “Final Reckoning” showcasing his most daring stunt yet, Cruise proves that age isn’t a limitation – it’s just another seemingly impossible mission to conquer.
And if this is indeed Hunt’s final bow, this writer can only say: parting is such sweet sorrow.
As of press time, ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ is screening in cinemas nationwide.