No Mission is Impossible for Tom Cruise in The Final Reckoning

When Desilu Productions (run by the late and legendary Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball) greenlit the Mission Impossible television series decades ago, I’m pretty sure no one could’ve ever imagined how far this franchise would ultimately go.

The minute Tom Cruise showed up as Ethan Hunt, seven installments ago, his presence solidified his star status in cinema for an eternity.

Once again directed by Christopher McQuarrie, Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, Hunt and the IMF team race against time to find the Entity, a rogue artificial intelligence that can destroy mankind. The timing of this chapter is eerily relevant as the industry grapples with the plus and minuses of embracing or rejecting AI.

With a beautifully sentimental collage at the start reminding audiences of Hunt’s journey thus far, one can become nostalgic over the fact that this is indeed the last time we will witness cruise doing death defying stunts. Afterall, audiences flock to screens all over the globe to see how far Cruise will go.  Well, this time, he is freediving down to the ocean floor and hopping from one plane wing to another in mid-air.  As usual, these stunts will leave you breathless and gasping for air and deliver on the richter scale by millions.

Although, action is high, plot is on the thin side with more action in lieu of dialogue – but who cares!

Even though America didn’t get a woman President, Angela Bassett has returned representing POTUS in this film and does not disappoint – ever!

Severance star Tramell Tillman is holding it down with some of the film’s lighter moments.  Hayley Atwell has a stellar return, alongside Simon Pegg who has literally, along with Ving Rhames, have become the heart of the franchise. Pom Klementieff’s return as Paris becoming a collaborator and not a foe is also a welcomed addition to this final chapter.

As we watch the team fade into the sunset at the end of the film, one can’t help but wonder if this really is the last time audiences will experience Cruise as Ethan Hunt.  Whether or not that is true, what’s undeniable is theaction-adventure history this star has carved out in a franchise just like his predecessors Schwarzenegger, Stallone and Willis, all of whom were in their 60’s when they walked away from Rocky, Terminator and Die Hard.

Can’t wait to witness what other cinema adventures Cruise hops into next after saying farewell to Ethan Hunt and Mission Impossible. For now, grab some popcorn and make your way to a cinema near you to catch the magic one last time.