Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

Mission : Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One 

This film is spectacular in every sense of the word! Now I have been seeing Mission Impossible films in theatres since Ghost Protocol back in 2011 and I can say Tom Cruise always gives some of the most memorable theatre experiences when it comes to this franchise. As these films are meant to be seen on the biggest screen possible with the best sound quality. This film is an incredible pulse pounding film from start to finish and is it as good as fallout? No it’s not but that is a hard act to follow though. As Fallout raised the bar in terms of American action films and in my opinion that is one of the finest action films ever crafted so following that up was not going to be an easy feat. That being said Dead Reckoning Part one is right behind fallout in second place on my ranking of the franchise as Tom Cruise keeps finding ways to one up the last film with action, scope and story and it never ever feels over the top but still grounded in reality while showcasing some of the most breathtaking stonework ever put to screen. 

Firstly, The narrative at hand is one of the most chilling and even creepy as the film takes on a very real subject which is artificial intelligence and how terrifying it can be when used in ways of combat. How this film plays out with its narrative to some may not be as strong as what fallout provided. But I honestly think the antagonist of this film is the most terrifying thing the Mission Impossible film has brought to screen as it’s about something ever evolving and technologically advanced that it’s hard to stop it. That fact within itself is terrifying and it’s very much a concern of today and to take something so on the nose with Artificial intelligence and show people what could happen if it’s not handled right is horrifying. Having that be the big bad of the film I thought was so smartly written into the film as it’s not a far fetched idea it’s very much a concern of the moment and Tom Cruise then takes that and has the narrative wrapped in some truly breathtaking action set pieces that have you gripped onto your seat the whole way through. It isn’t trying to go out of its way to be better then Fallout but you can tell the whole team involved want to go places with each one that visually and action wise tops the last in terms of stunts which is always exciting. From the moment it starts it thrusts you into the action having set piece one after the other going bigger and bolder with what they can achieve onscreen. Theirs a whole sequence taken place at an airport and on a train that had me stressed out with how the characters were going to get themselves out of that situation. The way they also explore the characters past to use as stakes for the current storyline worked so well as they’ve done that a few times before and it dose not feel lazy or repetitive but they find new ways to explore Ethan Hunt’s personal life and us the audience finding new sides of him not just as an agent but as a person and it lets us view him in new ways which is actually really smartly done. It’s never done in a way that revels to much of who he is but little bits of his heart  so we can better understand his heart and also gives Tom Cruise more to explore with the character. Overall the film really goes into new waters once again with its terrifyingly on the nose antagonist that’s very much of the moment while giving thrilling  action sequences that constantly top the previous one without it feeling over the top but keeping it still realistic but also fun. One of the strongest things the film has going for it was how well executed the storyline was in this two part narrative. 

Secondly, The Performance from the whole cast is great but it’s the showmanship performance from everyone’s favourite daredevil actor Tom Cruise that keeps you locked in from the first frame. Theirs also great performances from the likes of Simon Pegg who once again gives another solid turn as him and Vincent are very much fan favourite characters and Ving Rhames have become as important to the franchise as Ethan Hunt. Their presence is always great to see with each new entry in the franchise and what Simon Pegg delivers is amazing he is able to be both hilarious and emotionally gripping in a another great entry as Benji and then Ving Rhames who plays the other close friend of Ethan very much over the course of the franchise has been the voice of reason. He keeps Ethan’s head screwed on right as he tends to think with what’s the best outcome for the world where Rhames keeps his feet on the ground and tells him to think with his heart and that guiding voice he gives once again in another charismatic and entertaining turn. What is a great aspect of this action franchise is it’s attention to the supporting characters arc is as important as the lead as a lot of times the secondary characters take a basest for the leads but that isn’t the case with these movies their are a even balance and I love that. We also have some fresh new faces with the introduction of Hayley Atwell she gives a tremendous presence to the film as she has to go toe to toe with Tom Cruise which for any actor would be very intimidating but she held her own giving such a charming performance of this complicated person who has so many layers to her. As once you think you have her figured out of who’s side she’s on she keeps you on your toes constantly which only made me more invested in where her characters journey goes. It’s a fantastic performance she fit so well into the team and truly holds her own. Overall all the performances from the returning cast to the new faces all give terrific performances. 

Lastly, Mission Impossible : Dead Reckoning Part One is a fun ride seeing Ethan Hunt and his team go up against one of the most terrifying antagonist they’ve ever faced while also presenting new high caliber action set pieces that keep the audience on the edge of their seat with creative and shocking stunt work that will have you in awe. It never tries to repeat the previous film’s beats but finds new ways to bring these characters into places we haven’t seen them go before both with the action element but also their emotional arcs too. We are 7 films deep into this franchise and it’s doing the unprecedented which is the more they make the better which never happens as most films that past three films usually decline. This and the John Wick franchise are truly the best action movies that know how to keep the audience coming back for more while keeping the material fresh. Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One ends in such a great cliffhanger ending you’ll be counting the days until the second part comes out this is another brilliant entry in the Franchise delivering death defying stunt work with beautiful locations and so much great emotional heart Dead Reckoning  Part One is phenomenal! I recommend everyone go check this film out on the biggest screen possible. 

This film centres around Artificial intelligence and the sheer danger of it and how easily things can be twisted and manipulated not knowing what’s real and what’s not and a person from Ethan Hunts past uses that to his benefit to hurt him and Ethan and his team must find a way to stop his plan he has in place. 

Rated PG - 13 : Intense Sequences of Violence|Action|Some Language|Suggestive Material

Tom Cruise : Cruise once again gives another fantastic turn as everyone’s favourite MI6 Agent! Tom Has been playing this role for almost 30 years now which is crazy to think about and since that very first film he’s been captivating audiences with his portrayal of this charismatic spy. He’s 7 films into the franchise and still is able to find things we have yet to see explored of the character What characteristic he’s brought to this role that is so smart is his ability to shed more layers of his heart with each film. Here we see some what he showed in Mission III and fallout which is him  exploring his past to let the audience have a better more clear understanding of how Ethan was before we saw him in the mission gone wrong in Prague with the first film. He’s very much not haunted by his past more that he’s having to close chapters of his life that was never fully dealt with and he’s thrown in some of the most emotionally disturbed situations he’s faced since the kidnapping of his wife. He always feels the need to save the day and make sure no one is brought In harms way but he can’t be everywhere all at once which kills him because it means someone close to him could get killed and that responsibility and guilt falls right onto him. Tom expresses that sorrow through his eyes and the sheer pain in each word of dialogue he speaks when he feels he could have done better. Tom constantly finds new ways to keep Ethan Hunt fun to watch without falling into a repetitive state of repeating the same performance from the previous film he finds new ways of exploring the depths of who this spy is at the heart and finds new ways to draw you into his character. He does a solid job at a man who used to be b very careless in his missions but now that he’s established relationships with his co workers and builded bonds their his family now so theirs more for him to loose and he thinks more with his heart and the later films with fallout to this one explores that character trait so well. Tom delivers once again another solid turn as Ethan Hunt. 

Simon Pegg  : his performance here here is memorable! As he’s always been the comedic relief in many ways but he does it in such a way that never feels one note or annoying.With each new film his character has become more and more layered which I think is a fantastic aspect to these films. Since Fallout his character has taken a shift where he’s not just always making quips and sarcastic one liners he actually has hardened due to the experiences he’s had with Ethan Hunt. As he’s the tech genius that has made a name for himself within the company and he’s proven his place in the team and shown he deserves to be their and he’s so involved with Ethan he considers him family at this point so he is very much more emotionally invested with making sure he’s okay because he wouldn’t know what he would do without him and the people around him. So seeing that fantastic evolution over the course of Mission Impossible III to now he’s definitely found new ways to keep this character fresh while also giving us the fun loving character he is and in this film he definitely continues on exploring the deeper and more vulnerable parts of his heart and it stands out as a fantastic performance from Simon Pegg. 

Christopher McQuarrie : This filmmaker proves once again why he is one of the best action directors working today. Last time he gave us what I think is one of the best action films ever made with Fallout and then gave an amazing screenplay with Top Gun Maverick. So now since he crafted such an astonishing action film with fallout how do you follow that up without making people say it’s not as good as the last film. Now he can’t recapture the exact ingredients that was Fallout but he can come close which he does with Dead Reckoning Part One. As also if he copied fallout it would feel lazy unoriginal and just a copy and paste of what we’ve already seen before and who wants that. So he takes the audience into new ground by tackling the terrifying reality of what artificial intelligence has evolved into and use that as the driving  force to be the antagonist of this film. He  ups the stakes by taking that on as if anything by placing the finger on the pulse of the current moment and showcasing it in such a horror like state shows people how scary it can get if not handled right and or used for terrible means. Then on top of a very well thought out enemy he explores more of Ethan’s past making him confront what never was resolved and sometimes in very heartbreaking ways that have you on edge the entire time. Some people say the film very much like half a film due to the cliffhanger it leaves you on but I thought the way the film ends has you hungry for the next chapter to know what is going to go down in the next film to close this chapter in this two part story. As it was a smart move to put it into two films as theirs so much story to tell and break down and I would of hated if it was rushed for the sake of runtime and the story is so complex and can feel complicated if your not following along so yes the runtime is earned and having it in two parts gives the material more time to breath and fully flesh out each characters arcs and for all the plot points we have to follow. The story was so engaging you need to give it the proper structure for it to be told the way it deserves too also feels like a old fashioned mission impossible episode leaving the audience on a cliffhanger it was perfectly done in my opinion. Then you have the big set pieces that really made my jaw drop as again he’s in the mindset of what have we not done action wise we can give the audience that can thrill them but also go places we haven’t yet to go in the Franchise for keeping it fresh. I love that about his approach when it comes to the big action sequences as theirs a chase in the desert, an airport chase scene a elaborate pulse pounding train set piece that had me on edge the film just kept topping the scene before it but never felt unrealistic. Like when you watch it it feels like this could happpen it’s not like the furious films where it’s so over the top and impossible for anything on that degree to happen Mission Impossible keeps its feet firmly grounded in reality which sets it apart from a lot of action driven franchises. You never feel like the characters are safe and they’ll make it out of this unscratched Christopher places his characters into life or death situations where your thinking will someone actually perish in this moment and you don’t know and that’s the scary part he keeps you guessing if they will or not and knowing their isn’t a safety net for them to fall into but the fact a mission or plan could go wrong and they can die keeps you constantly locked in and invested into these characters. He even introduces new characters that work so well with the characters we come to love and gets the audience to care for them as much as the ones we’ve seen since the first film he does another great job at accomplishing another solid Mission Impossible entry without it feeling like a repeat of the last film but going into new places with the characters we haven’t seen them go before while keeping the set pieces breathtaking and pulse pounding. Christopher McQuarrie shows once again why having him at the helm of Dead Reckoning Part One is why he was the best person to direct this franchise as his voice as a filmmaker works perfectly with these films another solid directed film by McQuarrie.