Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

Overview

Ethan Hunt and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the world's fate at stake and dark forces from Ethan's past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan must consider that nothing can matter more than his mission—not even the lives of those he cares about most.

Rating

15 Reviews

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  snunes97

  6 Dec 27, 2023

  This is the weakest M:I movie so far, which doesn't mean it's bad but it definitely has a few critical issues. The smaller issue is the pointless action sequences. This movie has a couple of overly long sequences that drag on for way too long and serve no purpose. They bring nothing new to the table in terms of stunts and don't add anything to the story. It's just padding and noise. However, the biggest issue is the plot about artificial intelligence. The filmmakers seem very insecure about the audience's ability to understand the themes used in the story. As a result, there are multiple long scenes where characters sit in a room and repeatedly speak about certain plot elements, in different levels of detail, as if they're trying to make sure the audience understands what they're talking about. I think "rogue computer program" is something that most people would understand, but the movie really tries to make this concept much deeper than it needs to be for the purpose of the movie, resulting in multiple needlessly complex exposition scenes. All of this to say that the movie could have been 30 minutes shorter if you could trim the pointless action sequences and the tech jargon. As it stands, Dead Reckoning Part Two is going to have to do some very heavy lifting in order to compensate for this bloated Part One.

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  whitsbrain

  8 Jan 30, 2024

  **Mission Impossible** has been out-Bonding James Bond for years now. Tom Cruise continues to churn out movies that bring more fun and escapism than anyone else. He's a strange guy but his run of super-entertaining films over the last couple of decades has been amazing. This time, his character Ethan Hunt battles an all-knowing AI called "The Entity" and frankly, it's kind of a lame villain. The embodiment (sort of) of The Entity is Gabriel, who gives Ethan a baddie that he can punch. It's all rather confusing and convoluted, but the cast of characters and the action sequences are really what makes this latest **MI** movie a blast. Again. I was actually looking most forward to seeing Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa. Her character has always brought so much acrobatic grace and fridged detachment to her fighting in scraps with the bad guys. She isn't in this installment much, but when she is, it's impossible to look away. In fact, the ladies of **MI:7** are the best thing about it. Grace (Hayley Atwell) is magnetic and provides some real chemistry with Ethan. She was the person to care about the most. She was tough but also just naive enough to want to invest in emotionally. Her final "deal" with Kittridge makes me wonder if they are setting her up as the main character once Cruise leaves the franchise. The characters of Paris and The White Widow owned their screen time, as well. And of course, Luther and Benji are a solid pair, dropping in and out of the movie as needed. Thinking back on the action, there were so many great sequences. The runaway train was great but the car chase in Rome was one of the best that I can remember seeing in any movie. As has been stated often by others, this movie is a little long and the fact that it's a "Part One" doesn't help it at all, but the strong cast and balls-to-the-wall action make this another very good entry in the **Mission Impossible** series.

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  Dark Jedi

  7 Mar 11, 2024

  Overall this is a fairly entertaining movie. It has a reasonably cool, totally unrealistic of course, but cool story. It has plenty of special effects, lots of action, some mild suspense and a bit, sometimes too much, humor. Overall it is in the same style as the previous movies and that brings me to the gripe I have had with these movies since the movie part of the franchise started. This is yet another movie where Ethan is betrayed and goes off doing his own thing. Seriously? The original Mission Impossible was agents doing cool stuff with the full backing of their organisation. Not this bloody Hollywood secret agent soap opera crap. Another issue I have is that, as usual when Hollywood tries to wander into areas of technology, the basic premise of the movie is just totally unrealistic. There’s no way the computing power available on a submarine would be sufficient to house an actual Artificial Intelligence. Also, at the bottom of the sea there’s no bloody connection to be used for taking over the world unless you count low frequency submarine communication which would make an old 300 baud telephone modem look lightning fast. Yes I ment baud, not bps, in that last sentence by the way. Apart from those really annoying faults the movie was, as I wrote pretty good. The special effects were over the top of course but not so totally over the top as in some movies. Sometimes they were really dragged out until they became too much though. Like the obligatory car chase or the forever falling of a cliff train. I also have to say that Nathan being screwed over, over and over again by that bitch became tiresome rather quickly. So did Benji’s often ridiculous behavior. So 3 1/2 out of 5 stars it is. Could have been better but could also have been a lot worse.

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  Angel Brown

  9 Mar 16, 2025

  Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise return with another high-octane installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise, delivering breathtaking action, a gripping story, and a sense of urgency that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats. Dead Reckoning Part One is not just a typical spy thriller; it’s a showcase of practical stunts, sharp storytelling, and an evolving narrative that sets the stage for the franchise’s most ambitious chapter yet. The film follows Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team—Luther (Ving Rhames), Benji (Simon Pegg), and Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson)—as they go up against a new, ominous threat: an advanced artificial intelligence known as "The Entity." With a rogue key holding control over this AI, Ethan races against time to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands, all while being pursued by a relentless assassin (Esai Morales) and facing the return of former ally-turned-rival, Gabriel. What sets Dead Reckoning Part One apart is its ability to balance large-scale action with emotional stakes. Tom Cruise once again defies the limits of human endurance, executing jaw-dropping stunts—including a now-iconic motorcycle jump off a cliff. Meanwhile, the ensemble cast shines, with standout performances from Hayley Atwell as Grace, a mysterious thief drawn into the chaos, and Pom Klementieff as a deadly adversary. The action sequences are among the franchise's best, particularly a tension-filled train sequence that rivals any set piece in modern action cinema. Lorne Balfe’s intense score amplifies the stakes, while the cinematography captures stunning global locations, from Venice to Abu Dhabi. If there’s one drawback, it’s that the film is only part one of a larger story, leaving some threads unresolved. However, the pacing, character depth, and sheer spectacle make it a worthy entry in the Mission: Impossible saga. With a thrilling finale that sets up Part Two, this film cements the franchise’s reputation as one of the best in action cinema. Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5/5)

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  r96sk

  8 May 22, 2025

  'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning' is a fun M:I movie, certainly. Admittedly, I am someone - despite enjoying all of them to a fairly solid degree - who has a relatively lukewarm feeling for these flicks, at least compared to other franchises. These go in one ear and out the other if I'm totally honest. That does sound negative, but it honestly isn't because I certainly have the desired entertainment with 'em whilst watching; they just don't stick in the old memory bank, that's all. That's arguably by design, no? Perhaps that part is harsh. This seventh entry does set things up nicely for the currently-in-theaters sequel, which I am looking forward to. The action, stunts, cast and music are the big strengths pf this series and those departments are practically perfected here, that theme song will forever be iconic. Tom Cruise is Tom Cruise, a performance of quality as one would expect. Hayley Atwell is a great addition, while it's nice to see Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg again. The rest of those onscreen are impressive as well, namely Pom Klementieff and Esai Morales. I'm not sure this needed to be split in two with that noted follow-up, but I guess the proof will be in the pudding when I hopefully watch that 2025 release soon. I'm positive it'll be fun to see, either way.

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  Dr_Nostromo

  8 Jan 17, 2026

  75/100 The search is on for a key that will control an A.I. that can control the world ...and everyone wants it. I admired the previous 2 films as they really embodied the true M:I spirit of schemes and gadgets. This one is far more James Bond than M:I but that doesn't make it any less exciting. Some of the action pieces did drag on too long but you can't accuse the film of being slow. Hayley Atwell is a great addition ...haven't seen much of her since Agent Carter and she did a great job. Esai Morales' Gabriel was an effective creepy villain, as well. Overall, whole lots of fun! -- DrNostromo.com