'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One' Review

Synopsis: Ethan Hunt and the IMF team must track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity if it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than the mission - not even the lives of those he cares about most.

Runtime: 163 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence and action, some language, and suggestive material.)

Who should see it? Fans of Tom Cruise and the Mission: Impossible franchise.

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie with a screenplay from McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One is the seventh entry in the long-running spy series. Mission: Impossible - Fallout broke a Mission: Impossible tradition as McQuarrie became the first filmmaker to return. Flashforward to today, and he is currently in production on his fourth Mission film (Dead Reckoning Part Two). While I somewhat miss the change-off, I think McQuarrie and Cruise work very well together. McQuarrie understands the ethos of Mission: Impossible.

The beating heart of McQuarrie's Mission: Impossible set pieces is that action informs character and vice-versa. Based on Ethan Hunt's response to the most harrowing circumstances, the audience understands his idealogy. Then, compelling conflict is drawn from testing these values and pushing Hunt to his limits. From the very beginning, Mission: Impossible has been about the power of choice. After all, each mission starts with the tagline, "Your mission, should you choose to accept it..." Dead Reckoning faces that dilemma head-on as Hunt and his team are up against their greatest adversary yet. Though I'm sure that sounds like a cliché buzzword, there's an elaborate shroud of mystery around this new threat who has greater ambitions than inciting a nuclear war. And I found that incredibly refreshing.

Over twenty-seven years, Mission: Impossible has steadily progressed from a series of espionage thrillers to stunt-oriented action blockbusters. Since Ghost Protocol, the marketing for each new chapter has focused on how Tom Cruise would be putting his life on the line in more insane and entertaining ways. While that trend continues in Dead Reckoning, McQuarrie also brings the franchise back to its roots. Dead Reckoning contains the relentless thrills of recent entries and the Hitchcockian intrigue of the original. McQuarrie and Cruise take everything you love about Mission: Impossible and dial it up to eleven. In many ways, it's a culmination of everything that came before it. Before proceeding, I'd be remiss not to acknowledge Lorne Balfe's propulsive and percussive score. I've obsessively listened to Balfe's Mission: Impossible - Fallout soundtrack since 2018 and was blown away by his work here. 

Concerning action, Dead Reckoning delivers the goods. The centerpiece stunt this time around involves Tom Cruise driving a motorcycle off a cliff and parachuting in to reach his objective. It's just as crazy as it sounds and will leave you holding your breath when Cruise enters freefall. Cruise also drives one-handed while handcuffed for an extended chase through the streets of Rome, engages in close-quarters combat in a narrow Venice alleyway, speed-flies through a ravine (an advanced and unpredictable form of paragliding), and fights atop a moving train in Norway (perhaps a cheeky nod to the original). Tom Cruise's commitment to practical action has always set Mission: Impossible apart in a crowded blockbuster landscape. What some consider a gimmick is actually the franchise's greatest asset.

In a world where studios have become over-reliant on green screen and digital effects as a cost-cutting measure, Tom Cruise is one of the last movie stars championing good old-fashioned authenticity. Not to say visual effects aren't used in the Mission: Impossible series and don't have their place. There's a common misconception that movies marketed around their practicality don't employ CGI (ie. Top Gun: Maverick, prior Mission entries, or any of Christopher Nolan's films). Mission: Impossible - Fallout had 1,800 vfx shots, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn Dead Reckoning had even more. But these effects aren't noticeable because they're so scarcely used and reinforce the action captured in-camera rather than replace it. A genuine sense of danger is present in the Mission movies because Cruise faced those predicaments. Cruise always finds a way to realize the impossible, and I respect him so much for going the extra mile.

At the risk of regurgitating praise for Tom Cruise, Ethan Hunt is deservedly one of his defining roles. Cruise's desire to push himself further with each new mission is readily apparent. Stuntwork aside, Cruise unleashes his dramatic chops and unrelenting intensity to great effect once more. Dead Reckoning enlists a few fresh faces, but chief among those is Hayley Atwell as Grace. Atwell quickly proves herself to be a noteworthy addition to the ensemble as a central figure with compelling characterization and great rapport opposite Cruise. She rightfully garners much of the spotlight and earns second-billing right under Cruise. I won't say any more about her character for the sake of avoiding spoilers.

Returning to aid Hunt in another rogue crusade, the dependable trio of Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, and Ving Rhames each have their moments to shine. Par for the course, Ferguson's Ilsa Faust finds herself in the thick of the action as Pegg and Rhames lend technical assistance. Other returning characters include Vanessa Kirby's enigmatic White Widow and Henry Czerny's dubious Eugene Kittridge. Kittridge hasn't been seen since the original Mission: Impossible, so his involvement brings everything full circle in many respects. At Kittridge's disposal, Shea Whigham and Greg Tarzan Davis are other great additions to this franchise who I hope to see more of in Part Two. 

On the antagonistic front, Ethan Hunt faces a formidable and mysterious opposing force in Esai Morales' Gabriel. Gabriel is a unique villain for the series with unconventional motives and ruthless efficiency. In Gabriel's right hand, Pom Klementieff's Paris is an especially memorable henchwoman. McQuarrie cleverly ensures the conflict between Ethan and Gabriel is personal while the stakes are monumental. Audiences are clued in just enough to grasp Gabriel's objective and idealogy but McQuarrie holds back any substantial backstory to preserve the shroud of intrigue.

By now, you should know the drill. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to see Dead Reckoning on the largest screen possible. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One defies all odds and continues the series' upward trajectory, excelling at everything this franchise is known for. It's action filmmaking at its finest. Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise fire on all cylinders and I cannot wait to see what they have in store for Part Two!

Film Assessment: A+

'Ready or Not' Review

Synopsis: A young bride's wedding night takes a sinister turn when her eccentric new in-laws force her to take part in a time-honored tradition that turns into a lethal game with everyone fighting for their survival.

Runtime: 95 minutes

MPAA Rating: R (for violence, bloody images, language throughout, and some drug use)

Who should see it? Adult fans of unique, original horror-thrillers.

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett with a screenplay from Guy Busick and Ryan Murphy, Ready or Not is the hide-and-seek movie you never realized you wanted. This inventive thriller mashes the core concept of the game with violent ritualism, and the end result is a wild ride that's darkly comedic and full of tantalizing twists and turns. 

Viewers are thrust into this crazed situation just as Grace is on the heels of her wedding. Trailers aside, the audience is also unfamiliar with the gothic surroundings and peculiar inhabitants at first. We discover nooks and crannies while Grace is on the run rather than explore the house before the game begins, so the protagonist and audience share a frantic sense of curiosity concerning what lies around the corner. The red band trailer spoils two early surprises, but Ready or Not is otherwise unpredictable. Though the confined mansion only offers a select number of hiding spots, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett creatively maneuver Grace and the Le Domas family. Thus, keeping viewers on their toes and providing distinctive settings for the barbaric shenanigans. There were a few occasions where one of the in-laws would inexplicably reach a distant destination in a matter of minutes, but these didn't substantially affect my experience.

No doubt holding everything together is an exceptional lead performance from Samara Weaving. Weaving demonstrates remarkable versatility and humanity as Grace's blissful naivety becomes crazed panic upon uncovering the game's malicious intent. In the face of danger, Grace is believably badass though. While frequently out of her depth, Grace proves to be ferocious, but never invincible. Physically, emotionally, and psychologically, she endures substantial hardships and Weaving sells it all. After her turn here, I hope to see Weaving star in more projects soon!

Filling out the Le Domas household, Mark O'Brien, Adam Brody, Henry Czerny, Andie MacDowell, Melanie Scrofano, Kristian Bruun, Nicky Guadagni, and Elyse Levesque each lend sufficient depth to their varied roles. The family includes a diverse bunch of eccentric personalities, and the cast does a fine job differentiating themselves without being perceived purely as heightened caricatures. Portraying the groom, O'Brien must choose between honoring tradition and helping his new spouse survive the evening. It seems like an easy decision, but it grows increasingly complex as the night continues. Brody faces a similar dilemma, while Scrofano and Bruun are hysterical additions.

As the summer movie-going season draws to a close, it turns out there was one last gem hiding in our midst. After a string of mostly underwhelming releases, it's such a relief to find a film like Ready or Not in cinemas. It's a jack of all trades as an original release with edge-of-your-seat action and a macabre funny bone. Now, please seek it out!

Film Assessment: A-

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Mission: Impossible'

Recently, I've taken a break from my Throwback Thursday Review series, but I'm returning to the format in order to review Mission: Impossible before the release of Mission: Impossible - Fallout next month. I realize it's not yet Thursday, but there are a lot of films I'd like to review this summer and not enough Thursdays to do so. For the time being, I plan to share Throwback Thursday Reviews of Ocean's Eleven (2001), The Incredibles, Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, and Mission: Impossible II along with new reviews for Upgrade, Hereditary, Ocean's Eight, Hotel Artemis, Incredibles 2, Tag (2018), Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and Sicario: Day of the Soldado this June.

'Mission: Impossible' Review

Mission: Impossible accompanies American IMF agent Ethan Hunt as he's disavowed when a mission goes awry and Hunt is framed for killing his team of fellow spies and selling government intel. Determined to prove his innocence, Hunt recruits fellow renegades to help him track down the traitor responsible and retrieve the missing intel.

Mission: Impossible was directed by Brian De Palma, featured a screenplay written collectively by David Koepp, Robert Town, and Steven Zaillian, and served as the first film adaptation of a television series from the late '60s (which was rebooted in the '80s). At the time, no other spy franchise was quite like it. The Mission: Impossible series' claim to fame has always been the elaborate, outrageous stunts performed by the star himself. Over the years, they've grown gradually in regards to ambition and scale as Tom Cruise has gone from simply being suspended in a room and blown back by a 140mph wind machine to scaling the Burj Khalifa and hanging outside an actual airplane during take off. 

As director, De Palma leans into the intensity of the stunts and ensures the audience is able to understand the stakes and consequences associated with failing the feat. Before the Langley computer disc heist, De Palma quickly demonstrates the vault's extreme security measures, so every drop of Ethan Hunt's sweat feels like it could potentially be the end of it all. Even with the foresight of the film's ending, I still find the sequence to be quite riveting. 

Another thing that De Palma did extraordinarily well was establishing the blueprints for the franchise going forward. Every Mission: Impossible film since the first has featured an intro with a fuse accompanied by the trademark theme, Hunt assembling a team of agents, and memorable set pieces intended to one-up the previous film's show stoppers. Suffice to say, the franchise's barebones formula has been fairly effective considering a sixth installment is coming just next month. On top of the aforementioned qualities, Mission: Impossible shines in regards to the inventive camera movement from cinematographer Stephen H. Burum and an exciting score composed by Danny Elfman. 

Now twenty two years old, Mission: Impossible can't help but feel dated in comparison to today's blockbusters. While the practical stunts are still stellar, the visual effects are hit and miss in regards to authenticity. Of course I'm not holding this against Mission: Impossible too much, but I felt it was worth mentioning nevertheless. Where the plot of Mission: Impossible is relatively straight-forward and easy to follow, the twists and turns along the way either don't add up or require a slight suspension of disbelief because of their inherent cheesiness. Either way, it all felt indicative of the '90s.

Beyond launching a film franchise that's still ongoing, Mission: Impossible helped Tom Cruise's career skyrocket into the movie star stratosphere (although you could make an argument that Top Gun played a big role in the initial takeoff). Pushing semantics aside, Cruise's crazy commitment to stunt-work started here, and Cruise's formidable, magnetic charisma shines through it all tremendously. It's really no wonder that Ethan Hunt is one of Cruise's most popular roles to date. However, seeing as the first Mission: Impossible was largely a star-vehicle for Cruise, the surrounding ensemble wasn't given nearly as much to work with. Jon Voight, Henry Czerny, Emmanuelle Bėart, Jean Reno, and Ving Rhames make the most of their screentime, but are ultimately impaired by lacking characterization and are unable to define themselves much beyond the simple genre stereotypes spelled out in the script.

In spite of its age, Mission: Impossible holds up exceptionally well as an action-thriller. Should you choose to watch it, you'll discover that Mission: Impossible is an exciting, occasionally over-the-top spy flick full of spirit and spectacle. 

Film Assessment: B