Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
Release Date: 8th July 2023 - Australia
Production Companies
Paramount Pictures (presents)
TC Productions
Distribution
Paramount Pictures Australia
Genre: Action
Rating: M
Runtime: 164 minutes
Budget: $291,000,000
Box Office Gross: $567,535,383 (Worldwide)
Plot Summary
Ethan Hunt and the IMF
team are on the trail of a
horrifying new weapon
that threatens the entire
human race if it falls
into the wrong hands.
of the world at stake, a
deadly global race begins.
In the face of an enigmatic, omnipotent foe, Ethan must consider that nothing may be more important than the mission - not even the lives of those most dear to him.
Cast
Tom Cruise - Ethan Hunt
Vanessa Kirby - White Widow
Simon Pegg - Benji Dunn
Rebecca Ferguson - Ilsa Faust
Ving Rhames - Luther Stickell
Esai Morales - Gabriel
Pom Klementieff - Paris
Henry Czermy - Kittridge
Shea Whigham - Briggs
Greg Tarzan Davis - Degas
Frederick Schmidt - Zola
Mariela Garriga - Marie
Cary Elwes - Denlinger
Charles Parnell - NRO
Mark Gatiss - NSA
Rob Delaney - JSOC
Crew
Writer/Producer/Director -
Christopher McQuarrie
Based on the Television
Series - Bruce Geller
Writer - Erik Jendresen
Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager - Chris Brock
Executive Producer/Post-Production Supervisor - Susan E. Novick
Executive Producer/First Assistant Director - Tommy Gormley
Producer - Tom Cruise
Casting Director - Mindy Marin
Production Designer - Gary Freeman
Supervising Art Director -
Phil Sims
Giovannetti
Property Master - David
Cheesman
Costume Designer - Jill Taylor
Supervising Armorer - Joss Skottowe
Prosthetics Supervisor - Kristyan Mallett
Director of Photography - Fraser Taggart
Aerial Director of Photography - Phil Arntz
"A" Camera/Steadicam
Operator - Jonathan
'Chunky' Raymond
"C" Camera Operator: Splinter
Camera/Steadicam Operator: Second Unit - Peter Wignall
Production Manager - Ben Piltz
Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator - Wade Eastwood
Skydiving/Base/Speedflying Coordinator - Jon Devore
Base Jump Instructor - Miles Dashier
Special Effects Supervisor - Neil Corbould
Visual Effects Supervisor - Alex Wuttke
Visual Effects Supervisors:
ILM - Simone Coco and Jeff Sutherland
Associate Visual Effects Supervisors: ILM -
Sam Bassett, Dave Dalley, Bill Georgiou
and Matt Middleton
Computer Graphics Supervisor: BLIND LTD -
Andrew Booth
Film Editor - Eddie Hamilton
Supervising Sound Editor - James Mather
Production Sound Mixer - Chris Munro
Re-Recording Mixers - Chris Burdon
and Mark Taylor
Music - Lorne Balfe
Review
Hello, everyone. I've been taking a two-month hiatus from my blog since I've struggled to balance writing my reviews, updating the old ones, etc. Fortunately, I returned to finish a critique, which took me five months before I could publish it and get back to completing the other reviews. Hollywood is in turmoil after the writers and actors went on strike over getting underpaid and their growing concerns about AI taking over their jobs, the latter, which proved that people are becoming less involved in the film industry and is a cautionary tale. Thankfully, the writers' strike in Hollywood ended when they agreed to a new deal, followed by the actors' strike a few months later. Ironically, the movie I'm reviewing contains an AI that went rogue, which is eerily prophetic in the storyline. Then again, many viewers didn't care for the AI subplot, regarding it as one of its weaknesses. Once again, actor Tom Cruise outdoes the impossible in the first part of his latest Mission: Impossible movie, DEAD RECKONING. At this point, he may very well be the last movie star on the planet.
With the James Bond series currently in the process of rebooting after culminating with No Time to Die and other film franchises like Fast & Furious, Transformers and Indiana Jones have gotten to the point where they reach franchise fatigue, which is an ongoing problem for Hollywood as they either begin to run out of ideas or finally being put to rest, the Mission: Impossible franchise is the only one to avoid it. Its latest entry had gone through many constant delays in production and release due to COVID-19 until it hit theatres. Audiences enjoyed DEAD RECKONING PART ONE, while critics gave it similar acclaim to its predecessor, Fallout, which many (or most) consider the best of the series and has a 97% higher rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it doesn't reach the same impact as Tom Cruise's last movie, Top Gun: Maverick, did to save Hollywood.
This film is a pulse-pounding spy-fi thriller with exhilarating stunt-driven action and marvellous set pieces, which it does deliver in terms of excellence. Christopher McQuarrie has been in the franchise since 2011 with the uncredited script revisions he did for Ghost Protocol and has gotten to direct the later instalments, beginning with Rogue Nation. Here, he returns to outdo himself in perfecting each action sequence, regardless of detail. One issue regarding DEAD RECKONING PART ONE is that it feels complete and doesn't end with an abrupt cliffhanger like in other films such as Fast X and Across the Spider-Verse.
Cruise is doing much better in the series, even though he was about 61 years of age when he's still doing his outrageous stunts like he did in its predecessors that occasionally require no digital effects or stunt doubles. For example, he drives his motorcycle, jumps it off the cliff and skydives onto a train, which is beyond anything ever accomplished. It harkens back to the pre-credits scene in The Spy Who Loved Me, where Roger Moore does the same thing, only by doing a ski jump and then opening his parachute. Hayley Atwell is a new addition to the cast, as she plays a pickpocket and is remarkably talented after being in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). Esai Morales is surprisingly capable of bringing chills to our spines in his performance as Gabriel, a villain who works for a benevolent AI and has a connection with Ethan's past.
Rebecca Ferguson returns as the elusive Ilsa Faust, which adds a level of conspiracy to the narrative, and her on-screen chemistry with Cruise is undeniable. Simon Pegg injects his trademark wit and charm while reprising the role of Benji Dunn, ensuring the necessary comic relief amid the thrilling action scenes. Fellow MCU veteran Pom Klementieff plays a henchwoman who is much deadlier than anyone else. A huge surprise in the film is when actor Henry Czerny returns as Kittridge from the first instalment. Fraser Taggart's cinematography is praise-worthy, encapsulating the spirit of the spy genre. Lorne Balfe's thumping score livens up the film, while the sound design is superb.
DEAD RECKONING PART ONE is a splendid film but is a close second to its predecessor, Fallout, which remains the best of the franchise. Moviegoers and fans will have to sit through its long-running time of 164 minutes to watch the movie and wait for Dead Reckoning Part Two to hit theatres in 2024, should they choose to accept it.
Star rating: (9/10) Excellent Movie
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