Mission Impossible has carried the torch for the sans superhero action blockbuster and you can tell Dead Reckoning spared little to no expense for the budget. The sound design, soundtrack and visuals continue to perform at a high level. The filming locations are beautiful, the choreography for the action is tight and the effort to go with some practical choices as opposed to CGI are reflected in how good the movie looks. Whether Cruise is whipping around in a Fiat, soaring through the air in a parachute or sprinting through an airport, Dead Reckoning Part One is always engaging and keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Tom Cruise may not be an ageless wonder but he works his tail off for the box office winnings. The commitment he shows to attempt what he attempts in every MI movie is some kind of dedication. He doesn't look like he's 30 years old anymore but he's still a bona fide action star and I still enjoy his performances as Ethan Hunt every time. Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg are your regulars and I've always enjoyed that the later movies are more team centric. I look forward to watching Pegg's frantic yet funny delivery and Rhames' cool presence just as much and they help keep things bouncier when the movie needs to release some of the tension. Rebecca Ferguson can be a little hit and miss with project choices (even though she's usually good in the role no matter what) but Ilsa Faust is my preferred character for her to play. She's appropriately steely when the action gets hairy but she's always got this mischievous glint in her eye (accompanied with a knowing smirk) that fit perfectly when she's interacting with the team and she's always been a seamless fit in the franchise. I was so happy to see Hayley Atwell in the trailers for this, she's long overdue for another turn in a tentpole franchise. She does it all in Part One, she's great in every scene, she's gorgeous and I hope she continues to be a featured player going ahead. I wasn't sure what to think of Esai Morales in the marketing but I really liked his take on Gabriel. He's as smooth as silk as the overconfident envoy for the entity, he stole almost every scene he was in without falling into any maniacal cliches. Shea Whigham got a bunch of laughs as Briggs. If there was any disappointment for me, I wish Pom Klementieff had gotten a more developed character. She's great in the Guardians movies and although she's throwing her all into Paris, she's reduced to just fighting, driving and being a generically evil flunky for the Entity.
I enjoyed Dead Reckoning Part One throughout but I wasn't as blown away by it as I thought I would be. It's well directed, well cast and it has some decent set pieces but it lacked the WOW factor that some of the previous MI movies have delivered. I do have to applaud them for saving the best for last however. The scene on the train is long but it's by far the most satisfying in the movie. You get some crazy stunts, some interesting twists in the narrative and a rewarding payoff. It certainly had me squirming in my seat and while you know the probable outcome, it certainly gave me what I wanted from a Mission Impossible movie.
This franchise continues to have a ridiculous amount of staying power. Dead Reckoning: Part One isn't the high point in the franchise that Fallout was but DR Part 1 is still way better than most stuff being shown in this genre. A decent entry in this franchise is worth the price of admission at your local theatre every time. Tom Cruise and the rest of the cast are still a ton of fun in their respective roles, they push the envelope with the action with each new film and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where Dead Reckoning Part Two will go next. I'd fully recommend catching it at the theatre if you feel like a little heart-stopping action while on your night out.
Tom Cruise may not be an ageless wonder but he works his tail off for the box office winnings. The commitment he shows to attempt what he attempts in every MI movie is some kind of dedication. He doesn't look like he's 30 years old anymore but he's still a bona fide action star and I still enjoy his performances as Ethan Hunt every time. Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg are your regulars and I've always enjoyed that the later movies are more team centric. I look forward to watching Pegg's frantic yet funny delivery and Rhames' cool presence just as much and they help keep things bouncier when the movie needs to release some of the tension. Rebecca Ferguson can be a little hit and miss with project choices (even though she's usually good in the role no matter what) but Ilsa Faust is my preferred character for her to play. She's appropriately steely when the action gets hairy but she's always got this mischievous glint in her eye (accompanied with a knowing smirk) that fit perfectly when she's interacting with the team and she's always been a seamless fit in the franchise. I was so happy to see Hayley Atwell in the trailers for this, she's long overdue for another turn in a tentpole franchise. She does it all in Part One, she's great in every scene, she's gorgeous and I hope she continues to be a featured player going ahead. I wasn't sure what to think of Esai Morales in the marketing but I really liked his take on Gabriel. He's as smooth as silk as the overconfident envoy for the entity, he stole almost every scene he was in without falling into any maniacal cliches. Shea Whigham got a bunch of laughs as Briggs. If there was any disappointment for me, I wish Pom Klementieff had gotten a more developed character. She's great in the Guardians movies and although she's throwing her all into Paris, she's reduced to just fighting, driving and being a generically evil flunky for the Entity.
I enjoyed Dead Reckoning Part One throughout but I wasn't as blown away by it as I thought I would be. It's well directed, well cast and it has some decent set pieces but it lacked the WOW factor that some of the previous MI movies have delivered. I do have to applaud them for saving the best for last however. The scene on the train is long but it's by far the most satisfying in the movie. You get some crazy stunts, some interesting twists in the narrative and a rewarding payoff. It certainly had me squirming in my seat and while you know the probable outcome, it certainly gave me what I wanted from a Mission Impossible movie.
This franchise continues to have a ridiculous amount of staying power. Dead Reckoning: Part One isn't the high point in the franchise that Fallout was but DR Part 1 is still way better than most stuff being shown in this genre. A decent entry in this franchise is worth the price of admission at your local theatre every time. Tom Cruise and the rest of the cast are still a ton of fun in their respective roles, they push the envelope with the action with each new film and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where Dead Reckoning Part Two will go next. I'd fully recommend catching it at the theatre if you feel like a little heart-stopping action while on your night out.