The Mission: Impossible franchise has been going strong for (prepare to feel old) going on 30 years now. I remember seeing the first film as a teenager theatrically back in 1996 and loving it, and I’d hoped there’d be a sequel or two, never would I have imagined that nearly three decades later they’d not only still be making them, but Tom Cruise would be the driving force behind making sure they constantly pushed the limits and surpassed the major stunts of their predecessors every time.
At this point there have been seven Mission: Impossible films, and while everyone will have an order to their preferences, I can say that in all this time there has never been a dud amongst them. Early on Cruise wanted to change up the dynamic with each film, which is why the first four films have different directors and overall styles. It wasn’t until Cruise crossed paths with Christopher McQuarrie that the future of M:I films would change forever, as the four films in the franchise that follow Ghost Protocol have all been directed by McQuarrie with an overarching story that aims to tie the entire franchise together.
Before we accept the mission to review the film, let’s take a look at this extremely cool Steelbook that fans can add to their collections. The art is taken from one of the unique Dolby movie posters that advertised the film earlier this year, and there’s nothing wrong with that. This is an awesome shot and every part of it screams Mission: Impossible and preps you for what you’re about to experience. On the front we’ve got the poster art, which sees Ethan Hunt (Cruise) dangling from a train car that has crashed through the M:I logo. The only colours on the case are red, black and silver/grey, so the image just pops beautifully.
Cruise’s name is above the M:I, and beside the M:I is the film’s title, Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One. Explaining it makes it sound cluttered, but it’s actually perfectly spread about so that it feels like the train has just crashed through and the action sequence is taking place right there on the front of the case. Just so much fun, and such a great choice for the release of this Steelbook.
On the back we’ve got another major stunt from the film, which is Hunt skydiving through the air after leaping off a motorcycle that he just drove off the side of a mountain. Again, just the three colours are found here, and again, you can just imagine the moment taking place when you look at the back of the Steelbook. To help in that they’ve added some motion blur behind both the bike and Hunt to indicate they’re falling at a rapid pace, and in the distance there’s a simple black scenic of mountainsides. Just two fantastic choices, delivered in visually simplistic, yet hugely effective ways.
Not looking to change things up with a massive hit of colour, the decision to keep the inside of the case the same colours as the exterior is a smart one. It just gives the entire Steelbook an overall heightened feel of prestige, even if it’s manufactured in your own mind. The inside gets closer in on the action, showing Hunt hanging on to the train car for dear life on the left side, while a train car that he’d just leapt from falls into a red oblivion on the right side. Again, simple, yet wonderfully effective, and it just gets you right into the mindset for a movie of this nature with very little effort. This Steelbook is a highly recommended purchase if you’re looking to add Dead Reckoning to your collection – which you definitely should, and let’s get into why that is!
Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One (yes, it’s a mouthful, and no, I won’t be referring to it in its entirety throughout this review) is the seventh film in the franchise, and it’s hard to argue that it’s not the best Mission they’ve done yet. What helps so much here is that McQuarrie has grown and elevated his directing game continuously over the past three films. So while the director has remained the same, the overall feeling and story he’s been telling is more intertwined than any M:I films that came before him. This allows McQuarrie to jump into the action a lot faster, as he has two prior movies full of characters he’s already developed, so there’s no need to spend a lot of time doing that again here.
Visually, Dead Reckoning Part One is also one of the best looking in the series, as again, Cruise – and now McQuarrie – are looking to outdo themselves every time they bring a film to the screen. It’s like a challenge they put on themselves in order to justify making the films, and it’s the viewer that benefits from their passion, because their only goal is to please audiences, and they’ve succeeded on every front here. There are massive scenic shots, beautiful flyovers, glorious cinematography that can make a scene work in an empty room with a table and a bit of darkness, or a lavish nightclub full of neon lights, and we haven’t even touched on the action sequences yet.
Cruise has always been a huge believer that seeing a movie theatrically is the way to do it, especially when it comes to these types of blockbusters that are not only made to be watched, but are created to be experienced. Dead Reckoning’s box office performance was solid, but it came up short of expectations overall, falling victim to a release date that came one week before the “Barbenheimer” explosion hit theaters. It was a theatrical combo that ended up being much more explosive than expected, and it left Dead Reckoning without its desired premium theaters (IMAX, UltraAVX, etc…), and also without the long-lasting box-office legs that has always benefited the franchise in prior installments due to the positive word of mouth that has always come out of opening weekend.
That’s about the only thing that went wrong with this latest installment, as it delivers on every level audiences and fans could hope for. While we’ve had little pieces of story carry over from one to the next in the first four films, McQuarrie now looks to bring the entire franchise full circle, with the return of Henry Czerny as Kittridge, complete with close-up face shots when he and Hunt are trading words, as well as a number of other fun surprises and shocking moments.
The story focuses on how Hunt became an IMF agent (Impossible Mission Force…it’s so cheesy that it works well in a ‘60s TV series, but I just love that they say it with such seriousness in a blockbuster of this level), and pretty much how and why most agents on the force were recruited. We’ve also got the introduction of AI (artificial intelligence) as the primary antagonist, which is an interesting idea with it just coming into the mainstream in accessible amounts recently. Plus, we’ve got plenty of returning characters that we’ve grown with throughout McQuarrie’s tenure behind the camera, all of whom continue to be a joy to watch on screen together thanks to their dynamic chemistry and wonderfully witty banter when the mood calls for it.
On the action side of things, well, where to begin? The film starts with the explosion of a Russian submarine with technology that’s supposed to make it a ghost, and thus, untraceable to the enemy. That’s right out of the gate, and McQuarrie knows how to pace things perfectly, so we’ve got just enough downtime between the suspenseful and/or action sequences so that as a viewer you’re always on edge, but also never overwhelmed with action to the point that it loses the intensity that each scene should bring.
The stunts I mentioned that are showcased on the Steelbook, and were also heavily advertised prior to the film’s release, are top tier. The skydiving off the cliff is superbly handled, and the drop out of sound in the theater was spectacular to experience, as everyone was so engrossed that you could hear a pin drop, which is just something that rarely happens in such a public setting these days. These intense moments are often bookended with interactions between Hunt and fan-favourite Benji (Simon Pegg), as their comedic beats help briefly ease the tension before it picks right back up again moments later.
Then there’s the entire climactic train sequence, which is arguably the best, most impressive overall stunt we’ve seen from the series yet. The absolutely fantastic camera work puts the audience right in the dangling cart alongside Hunt, which is exactly why Cruise puts himself in these dangerous situations. To allow us to experience these larger-than-life moments in the most intense, yet safe way possible. As time is running out we’ve got Hunt losing his grip and slipping that much farther from safety and near-misses of debris so close that it’ll take you a moment to realize you’ve actually been holding your breath while watching. All of this while the train never stops slipping off the rails car by car and our heroes have to continually race against them in order to survive. It was perfection on the big screen, but it still translates incredibly in a home theater setting, so get ready for some fun if this is your first time accepting the mission.
While Dead Reckoning Part One and Two will likely close out the current story in a way that the franchise can end on if that’s what Cruise and McQuarrie decide on, I can’t be certain that it will in fact be the end. I feel like Cruise and McQuarrie will make these movies as long as their bodies will allow. Well, that’s more on Cruise, as he is the one putting it all on the line so that audiences can be pulled into the action with close-up shots that action films of this magnitude are often lacking. Still, even if this is the beginning of the end of the IMF on the big screen, Cruise and company are closing it out in magnificent fashion. Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One is a can’t miss blockbuster that raises the bar once again, and deserves a cherished place alongside its 4K M:I predecessors in your collection.
Overall Movie Score: 5/5
4K Blu-ray Video and Audio Review:
Much like Cruise and McQuarrie have perfected the action formula, Paramount once again proves why they deliver some of the best 4K transfers on the market. There’s no better way to watch Dead Reckoning Part One at home than with a gorgeous Dolby Vision delivery that captures the film the way it should be seen if not in a theater. The details are superb, with the costume design and characters all getting that extra boost that help them jump off the screen, the colours and darks are rich, and the cinematography that Fraser Taggart took great care with is showcased beautifully.
On the audio side we’ve got an equally impressive Dolby Atmos track that will just rock your house, condo or apartment if you let it! Great picture is incredibly important, but if the sound is lacking then it will still find a way to take away from the picture. That’s not an issue here, as you’ll just be surrounding with gunfire, fists flying, car tires squealing, trains tearing down the tracks, a fantastic score that wraps itself around you, and clean and clear dialogue that shines through center stage above all else happening at the moment.
Special Features
Audio Commentary with Director Christopher McQuarrie & Editor Eddie Hamilton – Having Hamilton on is a nice bonus, as we don’t often hear from the editors of a film and they offer great insight that is usually lacking from these tracks. No Cruise is unfortunate, but McQuarrie has plenty to say, leading to a fun commentary track that fans should definitely check out.
Isolated Score Track – For those who want to just be completely surrounded by the score and nothing else, be prepared to be spoiled, as you have the entire film presented here in Dolby Digital 5.1 audio with just the score to take you through it.
Abu Dhabi – This is the type of movie where I could watch loads of behind-the-scenes things just to see how it was all done and the fun that was had on set. We do get a quick dive into a handful of moments; however, nothing overly substantial. Still, better than nothing! Here we have a featurette that’s just under 4-minutes and focuses on the Abu Dhabi, the deserts there, as well as the giant airport.
Rome – Next up is a 4-minute jaunt to Rome, where we get a nice, quick glimpse into the crazy chase sequence filmed there, and how certain aspects of it were filmed to protect the more delicate landscapes.
Venice – From there we head to Venice for a 4-minute layover, where the team finally gets to shoot some scenes in a place they’d been looking to go for a while now.
Freefall – The longest of the featurettes, this one comes in at just over 9-minutes in length and focuses on the motorcycle jump in Norway. While it may seem simple compared to some of the other stunts they’ve done, since he’s just flying off a cliff, right? There’s so much more to it, and the slightest deviation from the plan, or gust of wind could lead to disaster. Definitely a must-watch.
Speed Flying – Cruise does this in real life, and it was worked into Top Gun: Maverick as well. Here in this 4-minute featurette we see how they worked it into the movie, why Cruise loves it, and the dangers involved in it.
Train – This is a five-and-a-half-minute featurette that, you guessed it, focuses on the train sequence! This is one I would’ve liked to have seen more time spent with, but it’s still great to even catch a glimpse behind the curtain to such an awesome scene.
Paramount Pictures Presents Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One. Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie. Written by: Christopher McQuarrie, Erik Jendresen. Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Venessa Kirby, Pom Klementieff, Esai Morales, Henry Czerny, Cary Elwes. Running time: 163 Minutes. Rating: 14A. Released on 4K Blu-ray: Oct. 31, 2023.
