When it comes to summer blockbusters, there are few franchises as synonymous with the term than Mission Impossible. The high-octane series, led by the constantly boundary-pushing Tom Cruise soars into theaters with its seventh installment, Dead Reckoning Pt. 1 this weekend. Though Dead Reckoning may not reach the character/story highs of predecessors Fallout and Rogue Nation, Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie’s dedication to delivering top-of-the-line stunts results in another pulse-pounding and undeniably exhilarating entry in the world of Mission: Impossible.

Starring returnees Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Rebecca Ferguson, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One follows Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and the rest of his loyal IMF team as they hunt for the latest possibly world-destroying gadget: a mysterious pair of keys that (when combined) hold some kind of unknown but undoubtedly dangerous capabilities. While hunting down the key, Ethan crosses paths with Grace (Hayley Atwell), a mysterious pickpocket who finds herself as the unwilling hinge point of a dangerous, globetrotting race for the keys. 

With the help of his crew at the IMF (including hacker Luther (Rhames), techie Benji (Pegg) and ex-MI6 wildcard Ilsa (Ferguson), Ethan races to find both halves of the key and discover their true purpose before Gabriel (Esai Morales), a terrifying figure from Ethan’s past, can wreak irreversible havoc. 

Since the boarding of Christopher McQuarrie as a mainstay director with Rogue Nation, the Mission: Impossible franchise has continually upped the stakes with what’s undeniably its biggest draw: the jaw-dropping stunts. Frequent collaborators beyond just the M:I franchise, Cruise and McQuarrie continue to prove their mettle as the gold standard for stunts and unforgettable action sequences—and Dead Reckoning is no exception.

The crown jewels of Dead Reckoning’s many action sequences include an (often comedic) car chase through Venice in which Ethan and Grace are handcuffed together, and a third act train wreck sequence that sees the duo race time (and gravity). The train crash in particular stands out as one of the franchise’s more memorable action setpieces (an admirable feat, considering the sheer volume of stunts Cruise has pulled off), and Grace’s relative inexperience in all things IMF brings a welcome dash of added tension, not to mention humor.

Grace herself also functions as a fascinating look into the world of the IMF: though we’ve known plenty of agents over the years (and even seen Benji graduate from tech support to field operative), we’ve never followed someone’s journey with the IMF from the very beginning. It’s refreshing to see someone fumble in the field and shy away from danger as opposed to running straight towards it—and Atwell’s intensely charming performance makes Grace an undeniably lovable character, even if she isn’t particularly well-written.

But while it’s gratifying to spend time with a female character that *isn’t* a straight-up femme fatale, Grace’s narrative prominence often makes Ethan and the rest of his team feel like an afterthought. Especially this deep into the franchise, we’ve come to love Ethan and co. not just for their death-defying stunts, but for who they are as people—so it’s strange how little character beats we get in Dead Reckoning, especially considering this film is presumably towards the end of Cruise’s tenure with the franchise.

Don’t get me wrong, this is still a grade A-action movie, but when we’ve seen the Mission Impossible franchise nail the balance between story and action before (both Rogue Nation and Fallout excel in this regard), the narrative of Dead Reckoning just isn’t on the same level as the action. Gabriel (and his mysterious boss/benefactor) is certainly interesting on paper, especially because his relationship to Ethan predates Hunt’s time with the IMF—a period of Ethan’s life we’ve never explored before.

But while the promise of exploring Ethan’s backstory further is exciting, Gabriel himself feels like a cookie-cutter mission impossible villain if ever there was one: menacing, always one step ahead, and delivering killing blows to damsels in distress to motivate Ethan into action. Dead Reckoning (without spoiling too much) also significantly incorporates a seemingly sentient AI (a-la Person of Interest) into the narrative, a remarkably prescient but underbaked storyline that uses neither Gabriel nor the AI itself to their fullest potential. 

Across the board, Dead Reckoning is frustratingly lacking in character beats and stakes—ironic, considering the halfway point features the death of a major character. But the audience (or the IMF team) aren’t given time to sit with this loss, nor is the character given time to shine/effectively utilized prior to their death. Adding insult to injury is the fact that Grace almost immediately resumes this character’s role in the narrative and Ethan’s life, making the entire death/sequence feel less like a significant turning point in the franchise and more like a revolving door. 

As always, though, the supporting cast continues to deliver memorable performances even if Dead Reckoning’s writing isn’t quite up to par with previous installments. Pegg is endearing as ever, Rhames brings his dry wit in all the right places, and (thanks to some mask-related hijinks) Vanessa Kirby is given the chance to pull what amounts to a dual role, delivering small but effective emotional beats where she can. 

As for the newcomers, Pom Klementieff’s sadistic assassin Paris is deliciously entertaining (sure to be a key player in MI8) and Shea Wingham is always a welcome presence. The only real misses here are Cary Elwes and Henry Czerny (returning as Kittridge for the first time since the original Mission): though both performances are plenty serviceable, the DC/suits storyline is arbitrary at best, and robs the film of precious time that could’ve been used to build out emotional moments for Ethan and Co.

Of course, there is the fact that Dead Reckoning is merely part one of two—so, presumably, with the requisite exposition and setup out of the way, the back half of this duology will carve out more space for Cruise to flex his dramatic muscles, not just his literal ones. Unlike countless other action franchises, Mission: Impossible has created a core group of heroes we genuinely care about, so to see them consistently sidelined in favor of cooking up the next big action sequence or making time for new cast members is a frustrating habit that the franchise will hopefully kick in Part Two. 
But even if it doesn’t spend as much time exploring Ethan and his team’s emotional arcs as I might’ve liked, there’s no doubt that Dead Reckoning continues to push the envelope and set the bar for blockbuster action. With a fearless, charismatic lead like Cruise at the helm and a supporting cast full of scene-stealing talent who (across the board) elevate the material they’ve been given, the cast and stunt work of Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning make for another strong installment of Hollywood’s best action franchise.

Grade: B+

Oscars Prospects:
Likely: None
Should be Considered: Best Visual Effects, Best Sound

Release Date: July 12, 2023
Where to Watch: In Theaters