Synopsis
Ethan Hunt and his IMF team must track down a dangerous weapon before it falls into the wrong hands.
For almost thirty years Tom Cruise has taken audiences on one action packed mission after another as IMF (Impossible Mission Force) agent Etan Hunt. Through a series of breath-taking stunts, he has made the impossible possible in his bid to save the world. On this cinematic journey, many directors including Brian De Palma, John Woo J.J. Abrams and Brad Bird, have put their stylistic stamp on the series but Cruise’s partnership with Christopher McQuarrie has pushed the boundaries of the series for two films before reaching the latest (and seventh) entry in the series with Dead Reckoning Part One.
Hunt’s latest mission (that he has chosen to accept) sees him trying to save the world from a powerful yet dangerous form of AI known as The Entity. In order to gain control of it, he must retrieve two parts of a crucifix key but in doing so he must confront a dark figure from his past who also wants control of The Entity for nefarious means, setting in motion yet another globetrotting race against time.
The foresight that McQuarrie had in constructing a story with AI as the big threat is a masterstroke given how it is at the forefront of so many conversations at the minute. Even in the area of film, where it is one of the main reasons for the current writers strike as it is a threat to human creativity. This prescient use of AI in the film also feels like it is a metaphor for the work that McQuarrie and Cruise are doing for blockbuster cinema. In the face of studios driving for automated content with the assistance of algorithms and AI, the creative pair are diving into the rich history of cinema in order to create some truly jaw dropping set pieces that will stun and entertain audiences worldwide. They understand that creativity is nothing without human input.
In the wrong hands, the inclusion of this story element could have been presented in a way that is laughable, but McQuarrie keeps the film moving at such a frenetic pace where the thrills take precedence over the story. Two main ways he achieves this is through Lorne Balfe’ propulsive score and the expert editing of Eddie Hamilton. Balfe leans heavily on his use of percussion right from the opening iconic theme on the opening credits, which feels like he is grabbing the audience by the lapels and tossing them into a speeding car asking us to strap in for one hell of a ride. Hamilton maintains the film’s blistering pace through some sharp and impactful cuts that (more importantly) never muddle the geography of any action scene they are employed during. He takes what on paper is a lengthy film but makes it feel half as long.
Throughout the film, you get the impression that this first part of what could be a two-part finale for the series is the beginning of the series coming full circle from a stylistic point of view. This isn’t just because of the return of Henry Czerny as the shady former director of the IMF, Eugene Kittridge, but in how McQuarrie pays homage to De Palma’s work from the first film. Right from the opening scene, he implements a number of tight close ups and Dutch angles, giving the film an old school espionage flavour which ups the stakes. The reunion between Hunt and Kettridge is shot in an almost identical manner to their first meeting in the series.
In terms of the cast, Cruise continues to push himself physically with the death-defying stunt work he has become known for. He is as close as we’ll probably get to having a modern-day Buster Keaton, bringing a crowd-pleasing showman aspect to his acting. In the past, he has run down the Burj Khalifa building, hung on to the side of a cargo plane as it took off, and held his breath underwater for what seems like an inhuman amount of time. With Dead Reckoning Part One, he shows no sign of letting up as this time he rides a motorcycle off the side of a mountain to land on top of a moving locomotive. What is awe inspiring for us as an audience is just another day at the office for Cruise. Outside of this aspect of these incredible feats, Cruise is as good as ever as the devil may care agent where he taps into his natural charisma to produce yet another crowd-pleasing performance.
Alongside him, we see the return of his fellow IMF agents Benji and Luther (played by Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames respectively) as well as former MI6 agent Ilsa Faust (played by Rebecca Ferguson) who provide so much humour and emotion to the film. Joining them this time round is professional thief Grace (played by a feisty Hayley Atwell) who adds so much energy to the chase as well as exhibiting great chemistry opposite Cruise.
Opposite the IMP team is the leading villain Gabriel played with a staunch sense of menace by Esai Morales. The infallible sense of confidence he exudes in every scene makes him a constant threat every time he appears on screen. Alongside him Pom Klementieff gives a memorable performance as Gabriel’s right-hand woman, Paris. Aside from throwing herself into the physicality of the fight scenes, she displays a stoic charisma that makes her performance simply magnetic.
Verdict
All in all, Dead Reckoning Part One is not just a rip-roaring piece of cinema, it is a challenge to all other action summer blockbusters – this is the bar they should be aiming for to entertain audiences. It demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible with the best sound systems in order to enjoy it to its fullest, as it ticks every box of what you expect a film of this calibre to be. As Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie continue to push themselves to their creative limits, we as audience members continue to be the beneficiaries of their working relationship which leaves me with nothing more to say apart from roll on Part Two.
Find Joe on Twitter: @jmcelroy07