REVIEW #303 Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 (2023)

Ethan Hunt and the IMF team must track down a deadly new weapon that, if in the wrong hands, will threaten all of humanity.

Tom Cruise proves yet again, that he knows how to make a fun blockbuster, even if the latest instalment in the franchise fails to reach the heights of Fallout and Rogue Nation. Nonetheless there is a lot to enjoy here, with a few wonderful additions to the cast that keep things fresh and exciting. Hayley Atwell felt right at home and was captivating in each of the many scenes she starred in, displaying a nice chemistry with Cruise. Whilst Esai Morales portrayed the menacing antagonist Gabriel really well. I did think that Dead Reckoning Part 1 just felt very reminiscent of recent Fast and Furious films, not as silly by any means but the large set pieces often lacked substance and went on a little too long. But the insane stunts carried out by the lead star certainly made up for it! I wish we saw more of Vanessa Kirby’s Alanna, her character is great and she just steals the show every time she’s on screen. I’m hoping we see more of her in part 2.

The musical score continues to exhilarate the audience, making those large scale chase scenes all the more thrilling and the cinematography is as grand as ever. Unfortunately, like most of the recent Hollywood blockbusters, the CGI is a little sketchy at times but not enough to distract you away from the events unfolding in front of you. All of that is soon forgotten when we are presented with the many beautiful set locations, from Rome, Venice, Abu Dhabi and the Austrian Mountains, there was a lot of truly remarkable locations that created many eye catching stills to enjoy.

All in all I had a lot fun and I’d say apart from the rather slow opening twenty minutes which did drag slightly, the remaining two hours and twenty minutes were super enjoyable and went quite quickly actually. It’s one to enjoy on the big screen whilst you sit back and enjoy some of the clever tricks the IMF have in store!

Overall (7.5/10)

Thanks for reading.

Callan