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MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING – PART ONE (2023) REVIEW

A “DEAD RECKONING” RINGER FOR GREAT

SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER ACTION

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The Mission Impossible franchise has had a lengthy road, stretching from the small screen (all the way back from 1966 to 1973) to the big screen in 1996, with the release of the first film (i.e. Mission Impossible) and introducing the spy riddled world of character Ethan Hunt (played by actor Tom Cruise) to moviegoers everywhere. While the first movie, which grossed over $450 million and receive praise from critics, its’ two follow-up sequels Mission Impossible II in 2000 and Mission Impossible III in 2006, were faced with mixed reviews, but were still deemed commercial success at the box office. Perhaps the world wasn’t ready for another spy installment with Cruise’s Hunt and his fellow operatives. That was until 2011 when Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, the fourth entry in the franchise, exploded into theaters. In a nutshell, director Brad Bird seem to breathing new life into the series with Ghost Protocol and rejuvenated the Mission Impossible brand name with more high-flying action stunts, visual vigor, and (possibly) a better narrative than the two previous sequels. The film went on to gross close to $649 million at the box office as well as the fifth highest grossing movie in 2011. With Mission’s mojo back (and positive praise from critics and the public), a fifth entry in the series materialized in 2015 with Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation. The movie, which was directed by Christopher McQuarrie, continued the on-going trend from Ghost Protocol in being more a high-action spy adventure with visuals and stunts and with (of course) Cruise once again returning as Ethan Hunt. Rogue Nation, much like its predecessor film, gained positive reviews and garnished roughly $680 million at the box office, becoming the second-highest grossing in the film series and the eighth highest grossing feature film in 2015. Following that, a sixth Mission Impossible film in the franchise was planned and came to cinematic realization in 2018 with the release of Mission Impossible: Fallout, with McQuarrie, Cruise, and many other players from Rogue Nation returning to the project. Like its two predecessors, Fallout received universal acclaim (many calling it the best in the franchise to date), with the action blockbuster bringing in roughly $791 million at the box office worldwide. Now, after five years since the release of Fallout, Paramount Pictures and director Christopher McQuarrie prepare the much antiquated and highly coveted seventh chapter in the Mission Impossible franchise with the release of Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part One. Does this first half of a two-part feature endeavor worth the hype or has time (and the mission itself) run out for Ethan Hunt, his team, and the entire IMF agency?

Hi, I’m Lillie. Previously a magazine editor, I became a full-time mother and freelance writer in 2017. I spend most of my time with my kids and husband over at The Brown Bear Family.