Running Time: 170 minutes
This feature film from Paramount Pictures opens exclusively at cinemas and on IMAX screens May 23rd, 2025.
It has been almost 30 years since the release of Mission: Impossible, a spy thriller adapted from a television series that first aired in 1966. Over the course of seven movies, the franchise has delivered spectacular stunts and plenty of thrills. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is the eighth and last (well, at least for now) chapter that wraps up several storylines developed in the previous few chapters. As always, the movie is extraordinarily well-produced and includes top-notch action. It certainly wows at times, but does struggle in some areas more than earlier entries to fully engage.
Picking up from where the previous chapter left off, an artificial intelligence program known as the Entity is causing chaos around the world. In fact, it’s on the verge of overtaking the nuclear arsenals of all nations, with the intention of ending the majority of human life. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and cohorts Grace (Hayley Atwell), Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) are tasked with going rogue and attempting to use a special key acquired in the last movie to find a Russian submarine where the Entity’s source code is located. They hope to access and use this data to control the malware and shut it down for good, saving the world. But the Entity’s human ex-intermediary, Gabriel (Esai Morales), also wants control of it, following on Hunt’s heels. Additionally, the world’s governments are interested in obtaining the Entity for themselves and must also consider using their weapons, adding more conflict.
It’s difficult to create compelling drama when the central villain is an inhuman computer program. That certainly isn’t because the scenario couldn’t happen, but because there can’t be an entertaining back-and-forth challenge of wits between the hero and villain. Even human antagonist Gabriel didn’t make as strong an impression as hoped for in the seventh film, almost lacking as much of a distinctive personality as the Entity itself. But at least the elaborate set-pieces at an airport and on a train helped to alleviate the problem last time out.
So, as expected, this issue rears its ugly head again. There are a few well-captured and edited fight scenes early on, as well as two major missions that do make an impression. The first is on the hidden submarine located underwater near the Bering Strait. Our hero finds himself having to get onboard the craft while avoiding Russian detection and locate the source code. All of this has to occur within a very short timeframe. Events are further complicated when the submersible, which is on a continental shelf, literally begins rolling towards a cliff. It forces the lead to duck around falling items (including warhead missiles) while desperately searching for a way to escape.
That’s dynamic, and there is also a fun reference and reappearance of a character from the original film as Hunt’s team members try to take care of another issue at the same time. And of course, the climax involving a lengthy showdown on a biplane with the lead hanging on for dear life, is spectacular to behold. All of this is exaggerated and over-the-top, but entertaining to witness.
Unfortunately, the tone is slightly off with this effort. In fact, there is an odd lack of joy in this picture. Yes, the movie places the world on the brink of destruction, which is dire, but the film wallows in a more somber tone. The movie isn’t helped by massive amounts of exposition. A large portion of the time between action is spent with characters explaining how the Entity functions, technical details of how they can stop it, and what the goal of the characters is in the following scene. It slows the pacing down considerably and feels stilted. And since this is a finale of sorts, there are several grand emotional exchanges between characters, which end up emphasizing the story’s hyperbolic elements in a negative manner.
That isn’t to say that the overall film isn’t, in many respects, impressive. There are some incredible thrills and, if you have seen the previous seven installments, you’re likely going to check this title out just to see the end of the story. But be warned that the extended running time and serious tone bogs things down. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning isn’t the most energetic sequel in the franchise. It does eventually reach an agreeable conclusion, but also makes one think that after nearly three decades, the series may have officially run its course.