MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING PART 1
US, 2023, 163 minutes, Colour.
Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Henry Czerny, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Pom Klementieff, Cary Elwes, Charles Parnell, Mark Gattis.
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie.
Action, and more action! And this is only Part One. It is all more or less as trailers and promotions lead us to expect, only more so. And then more!
At this stage of movie box office, Tom Cruise is at the top of the world. After the enormous success of Top Gun: Maverick, even 36 years after the original, here comes the next Mission Impossible saga. And we are quickly reminded that it is almost 30 years since the first film in the franchise. And, we are also reminded that a message will self-destruct after five seconds. And Tom Cruise does wear a mask and suspense fully remove it. And, all the while, especially intense during all the stunts in action, Lalo Schiffrin’s original and very familiar score for the television series.
Watching this episode of Mission Impossible, it is almost impossible not to become excited. It is amazing to see Cruise, turning 61 in the week of its release, still maintaining his success as an action star, his energetic sprinting (many times here), being seen, as so often, speeding with his motorbike, involved in fights, struggles on the top of a speeding runaway train, and the famous stunt of his riding his bike over a high cliff and parachuting down to the runaway train (which happens later in the film rather than earlier – and the film goes for 2 ¾ hours). In fact, in terms of stunts and effects, the train crash, the exploding bridge, the extended suspense of each carriage individually coming loose and dropping into the River, Cruise and Hayley Atwell trying to crawl up to safety is certainly worth waiting for.
With the espionage issues of the 1990s and the earlier films, we are now in the age of AI, AI as a potential villain, AI and its power to turn on the human race. This is demonstrated in the opening sequence, eerie, a Russian submarine, a torpedo, the enemy appearing and disappearing… And the language of the villain is The Entity. Which means that in this episode and Part 2 to be released 12 months later, there is a quest to find the keys which, literally, unlock the power of The Entity. The CIA and its unofficial agents, led by Ethan Hunt, Cruise’s character, are on the quest. (Not that you can trust all of the official American authorities.). A sinister villain from the past, Gabriel, a solid role for Esai Morales, is unscrupulous and merciless in his pursuit of the key. Vanessa Kirby is a British femme fatale who is employing agents to recover the key. And, it could all come to grief with the intrusion of a very successful thief, pickpocket, Grace, played enthusiastically by Hayley Atwell. And, into the bargain, after Ethan Hunt’s ride in the desert, the rescue of his old ally, Ilsa, Rebecca Ferguson. Not to forget Luther and Benji (Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg) with their extraordinary electronics continually communicating with Ethan. And, to cap it all off, there are two gung ho CIA agents who are determined to take down Ethan. Barely a time for pausing – and not a sign of any of them ever having a meal or having a night’s sleep!
Christopher McQuarrie has written a great number of films, Oscar for The Usual Suspects, a range of films for Cruise, Valkyrie, Jack Reacher, and three Mission Impossible films. On this evidence, he and Cruise are cinema winners.
So, plenty of plot, plot complications, chases and pursuits in the Middle East, spectacularly and smashingly through Rome, in gondolas through Venice, in and on the roof of the Orient Express through Austria…
And, by the time of the final credits, we have all decided that we really want to know what is going to happen in Part 2.
1. The popularity of the franchise? From 1996 to 2023 and beyond? In the background of the television series?
2. Tom Cruise vehicle, his success over the decades, his achievement as Ethan Hunt? Audience response to him? As a performer, his character, the stunts and action?
3. The background of the original, Lalo Schiffrin score, messages self-destruct in five seconds, the use of masks? Comments on the original, espionage of the 90s, 21st century and AI and world threats and domination?
4. The range of locations, the international sense, the US, the Arabian desert, Rome, Venice, the Austrian Alps? The musical score?
5. The prologue, the introduction of the idea of The Entity? The Russian submarine, the secret powers, the radar and the enemy, appearing and disappearing, the torpedo, destroying the Russians? The submarine and the key to The Entity and its power?
6. The US, the official meeting, Kittredge supervising, vinegar and his questions, Ethan removing his mask? The issue? The keys? The mission, beyond the bounds of the organisation?
7. Luther, Benji, from the previous films, their skills, getting on with each other, their equipment, keeping contact with Ethan, at the airport, the CIA agents pursuing, their determination, the crew changing the physical features, the issue of the bomb, the riddles and questions, the threat, the timing?
8. Gabriel, from the past, at the airport, the issue of the key, power, confronting Ethan? Going to Italy?
9. Grace, her background, British, thief, pickpocket, the keys, Ethan and the cigarette lighter? The interactions with Ethan, the issue of the key, in pockets, other pockets, skills and deception? Eluding Ethan?
10. Rome, the familiar scenes, the chases, the landmarks, the dangers, the narrow streets, crashes, Paris, sinister character, at the airport, the fights, the pursuit in the larger vehicle? Grace and her involvement, the threats?
11. Ilsa, from the past, the ride through the desert, Ethan rescuing her, her reappearing, support, her death?
12. To Venice, the White Widow, her guard, character, after the key, employment?
13. The continued chases, the CIA agents, desperate, eluding them?
14. The Orient Express, Gabriel on the train, the White Widow, the plan for Grace, the mask, impersonating, Ethan and his deal, referring her to Kittering, urging her to make a choice?
15. In the carriage, with the Widow, the mask and Grace taking her place, the clothes, the interview with Kittering, his promise, the key, her skill at pickpocketing, the transfer the money, the cancelling it? The arrival of the actual widow, the clashes? The CIA agents, Kittering trying to influence them, but his not being officially on the train? The agents relentless in continued pursuit?
16. Gabriel, the key, his interventions, brutality? Killing the drivers of the train, the runaway train?
17. Luther and Benji, Luther going underground, the equipment, Benji and the contact with Ethan, chasing the train, its not slowing down, on the bike, going up the mountain, the challenge of the fall, the high peak, the parachute, crashing into the carriage, the fight with Gabriel, on the roof of the train? With Grace, the uncoupling of the carriages?
18. The explosives on the bridge, the train, the crash, each carriage hanging, Ethan and Grace moving up the carriages, Paris and intervention, saving them?
19. The buildup of the action, the tension, the characters, Paris and the information about the submarine? Part two?
