MI: Dead Reckoning Part 1 Review: Tom Cruise tries his best in this -badly written setup for its sequel
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Ethan Hunt and his team are in a race against time to stop a terrifying new weapon from falling into the wrong hands.
The latest installment in Mission Impossible franchise and the third movie directed by Christopher McQuarrie is one the weakest films in the franchise.
The movie feels like a poorly executed build-up for the sequel, while some of the action sequences are fun to watch, the rest of the film, especially the dialogues, is a snooze fest.
In the movie, Ethan Hunt and his team must stop a rogue AI before it starts a world war. Basically, Ethan Hunt is to save the world again.
Now this is expected from a Mission Impossible movie, however, this time, it fails to make this premise exciting like the previous installments.
This is mainly due to the poorly written dialogue as most of it is trying to hit you over the head with the fact that the stakes have never been higher but ends up parodying itself at certain moments.
From a technical standpoint, some of the cinematography for the action and editing choices feel confusing. An example of this is when Ethan Hunts fights two bad guys in a small valley way. It is clear that the aim of the makers was to show the desperation Hunt is facing but ends up making you wish that it would end faster.
From an acting perspective, Tom Cruise carries this entire movie, his natural charisma and charm are clear to see in every scene he is in.
The supporting cast especially newcomer Hayley Atwell does a good job with what they are given, the chemistry between Cruise and Atwell also deserves a mention.
Most likely, director Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise wanted to save their best for Part 2 and therefore end up making this movie nothing more than a build-up for the sequel.
I wouldn't recommend watching this movie on the big screen, because frankly, it's not worth it. Just wait it out till it comes on streaming services.