Life-affirming action, lifeless script.

It really is quite remarkable just how far Mission: Impossible has come. While its metamorphosis hasn’t been quite as dramatic as similar long-running franchises, Mission: Impossible’s evolution since its 1996 debut has been mightily impressive, nonetheless.

Although it’d be unfair to pin the series’ longevity on one particular aspect, it’s fair to say Mission: Impossible just wouldn’t be what it is today without its ever-present, seemingly never-aging star. Like the franchise itself, after twenty-seven years and seven instalments, Tom Cruise has had to adapt to survive, growing with his character and the series to become its singular driving force.

Of everything in his glittering filmography, nothing has made quite the impact that the Mission: Impossible franchise has, and it is thanks largely to the star’s unrivalled commitment to it that the series has had such enviable durability. However, after all this time, does Tom Cruise have enough left in the tank to keep the momentum going and to make Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One the success his sheer, unwavering persistence demands?

Embarking on their most dangerous mission to date, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the IMF team must track down a terrifying new weapon posing an existential threat to humanity. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by an elusive, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to confront truth itself and to consider that nothing matters more than the mission - not even the lives of those he cares about most.

There are plenty of factors that have made Mission: Impossible the success it is, however, at the heart of it all is an unrelenting commitment to action authenticity. Yes, early efforts like the John Woo-stylised Mission: Impossible 2 were a very different beast, yet, where we find it today, is a franchise, led passionately by one man, hellbent on giving us the most authentic ride of our life.

As the figurehead from the very beginning, Tom Cruise has, fittingly, become a man on a mission, and nowhere has his dogged commitment to authenticity been fiercer than with Dead Reckoning Part One. Battling the uncertainty of the film industry, an audience in flux, streaming’s existential threat to cinema, and a whole-ass global pandemic, Cruise has had quite the battle on his hands getting this film done, and he’s tackled it all head-on to produce something that positively revels in its enormity.

If scale and action audacity are the key measurement of success for any Mission: Impossible instalment, Dead Reckoning is a winner. The thing is huge. It’s big. It’s bold. It’s ballsy. It’s absolutely, 100% the kind of unbridled, all-encompassing viewing experience cinemas so desperately need amidst a summer that has, so far at least, been a huge disappointment.

As with many instalments in this series, much of Dead Reckoning’s plot is built around a string of immaculately choreographed set pieces, and as one might expect, these pockets of action make sure to take things just that one step further than anything we’ve seen before. Revelling in their ridiculousness, this string of stunts feel like cinematic spectacle in its purest form, capped off by a much anticipated third act sequence that will go down as one of the greatest this franchise has ever produced.

Having played a huge part in the film’s marketing, it’s highly likely you’ll have already seen a good chunk of the motorbike jump/train landing stunt that functions as Dead Reckoning’s dramatic finale, yet nothing can truly prepare you for just how the sequence plays out.

As the perfect interweaving of Tom Cruise’s unyielding desire to push action cinema to its limits and Christopher McQuarrie’s keen eye for crafting stellar stunts, Dead Reckoning puts it all on the line for a finale (that isn’t quite a finale because it’s only Part One) that’s both insanely intricate and incredibly ballsy. It’s both entirely indicative of everything this franchise represents and utterly unlike anything you’ll have witnessed in the cinema before.

Less successful, however, is much of the connective tissue between these mightily impressive set pieces. Despite the undeniable quality of Dead Reckoning’s gung-ho action, there are great swathes of the film that never quite hit the same heights.

Whether it’s the lacklustre, exposition-heavy script, the narrative’s erratic structure, or the underwhelming deployment of the story’s AI big bad (despite its pertinence), there is a great deal to Dead Reckoning that just doesn’t add up. Considering the pandemic-related behind-the-scenes drama that played out putting this film together in the first place, such structure, script, and story issues are perhaps to be expected, however, considering the high bar set by the action, these deficiencies are even more disappointing.

Coming off the back of the franchise high of Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Dead Reckoning just doesn’t offer the all-round cinematic satisfaction its predecessor offered. Overlong and overly scripted, the film struggles to find its footing when it’s not hurling itself off cliffs or racing through Venice for our viewing pleasure, ultimately relying far too heavily on its action and its cast to pull it through.

For their part, however, Dead Reckoning’s ensemble, led gallantly by the batshit insanity of Tom Cruise, do a superb job of carrying the film through even the roughest of patches. Of course, Cruise is Cruise, and his utterly unique brand of bullish craziness has a huge part to play in the success of both Dead Reckoning and the rest of the Mission: Impossible franchise, yet what allows this instalment to stand out from the rest is just how well the cast around him step up to the plate.

As long-standing members of the team, Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames are their always affable selves, proving that this franchise has always been far more of a group effort than some give it credit for, however, it’s Dead Reckoning’s women that really light the film’s fuse.

Alongside the welcome returns of Rebecca Ferguson and Vanessa Kirby, Hayley Atwell marks her Mission: Impossible debut with a standout performance that’s among the best to go toe-to-toe with Cruise. Given more purchase in the script than perhaps any other woman in the franchise to date (even Rebecca Ferguson), Atwell absolutely nails the role, embracing the unique challenges that come with a Mission: Impossible instalment and ensuring that she’s not lost in the shuffle like so many of Cruise’s past female co-stars.

Completed by the relatively brief (yet no less impactful) presence of Pom Klementieff as a silent, scene-stealing assassin, this quartet of female stars ensure Cruise isn’t left to run away with the film, allowing for a far rounder, more satisfying character experience than anything this franchise has had to offer before.

But, of course, when all is said and done, Mission: Impossible is Tom Cruise’s baby, and as is to be expected, it’s his hypnotically hyperkinetic onscreen energy that fuels a great deal of Dead Reckoning. Working in tandem with his franchise sprit animal, Christopher McQuarrie, Cruise both physically and metaphorically launches himself into absolutely everything his director throws his way.

While there are certainly stumbles along the way, leaving Dead Reckoning lagging behind the last three Mission: Impossible outings, Cruise and McQuarrie nevertheless concoct an all-out assault on the senses that’s nigh-on impossible to resist in full flow. The two just get what makes this franchise tick, so with Cruise leading from the front and McQuarrie working wonders behind the camera, there is more than enough action and pure spectacle on offer to make up for Dead Reckoning’s glaring shortcomings.

With stakes and stunts as gigantic as they’ve ever been, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One marks a true action high point in the long-running franchise. As Tom Cruise once again pushes himself to the limit for our viewing pleasure, Dead Reckoning offers adrenaline-fuelled entertainment on a par with anything we’ve seen from this series before, however, lacklustre writing, poor dialogue, and narrative issues hold it back from a mission you’d freely accept.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One is in cinemas worldwide now.