The eighth and final Mission Impossible film starring Tom Cruise has arrived in theaters and I made sure to check it out to see if it managed to end this series in style.
*note: minor spoilers below for Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning
After nearly thirty years, the story of Mission Impossible as we know it has come to an end with Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning. Originally titled Dead Reckoning Part II, The Final Reckoning finishes the story of Ethan Hunt’s battle to take down The Entity before it succeeds in destroying the world. This is easier said than done, as a number of interested parties want to use The Entity for their own ends.
Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning
Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Henry Czerny, Angela Bassett
Release Date: May 23, 2025
The Mission Impossible films have never failed to entertain me, but knowing that this was the conclusion of Ethan Hunt’s story made it that more important for the film to hit all the right notes. As movie fans know all too well, it only takes one “off” entry (remember Star Trek: Nemesis?) to sour an otherwise great series.
That being said, I can safely say that Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning mostly sticks the landing when it comes to wrapping up the story.
Note, I said mostly.
When it comes to over-the-top stunts and stressful scenes that make one feel deeply uncomfortable, The Final Reckoning is right up there with the best moments in the series. The climactic airplane chase will leave you breathless and it definitely pushed the boundaries on the type of stunts that can be put on film. The underwater scene alone made seeing the film in IMAX worth it. There’s a particularly cool moment at the start of that sequence where the screen shifts into full IMAX mode as Ethan begins his underwater journey.
For the plot as a whole, The Final Reckoning does a fairly solid job in tying things together. To my surprise, the filmmakers connected some unexpected dots to present the idea that the bulk of the Mission Impossible films have been leading to this moment in the final entry.
Unfortunately, everything that comes between these moments leaves something to be desired.
While Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning is meant to tie up all the loose ends and be the grand finale of a decades-long story, it doesn’t quite reach the level one would think it would. There are far too many moments that feel awkward for forced, the last scene before the opening credits roll being particularly cringeworthy. It almost feels like they got right to the end of the story and suddenly forgot how Ethan acts, which is to say this performance doesn’t quite fit with what came before and that’s not a good thing.
Then there’s the equally serious problem where some of the emotional story beats don’t feel like they were properly earned. One major character in particular has what I think was meant to be a big sendoff moment, but it ended up feeling rushed and not nearly as emotionally effective as it could have been. By the same token, another character re-emerges after a nearly 30 year absence from the story and we’re suddenly meant to be emotionally invested in what happens to this person that many likely forgot existed. Given how fine-tuned the Mission Impossible films have gotten over the years, it feels inexcusable for the eighth entry to have this many story missteps.
I also have to mention the film’s excessive use of clipped footage from past entries. I get it, I really do: this is the end of the story and everything that’s happened is relevant. But did we really need to see the same clips flash by the screen numerous times? Once is cool, after the second and third time it starts to feel like lazy storytelling.
But worst of all is the fact that the big grand finale we were promised…..didn’t feel all that final. Life continues for Ethan after saving the world yet again, which makes one wonder as the credits roll what makes this any different from the past entries? There’s even a slight crack in the door for things to continue with The Entity if someone really wanted to force the issue. When a big movie series wraps up, it should feel like “The End,” there is nothing further to tell. This doesn’t feel like that at all and the more I think about it the more it bothers me.
It’s still too much of a stretch to say Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning “ruined” the entire film series. The film would’ve needed to be an absolute disaster for that to be true. However, this film ensured the series ends with less of a bang and more of a quiet sigh. If you’ve made it through all the prior entries, you will find things to enjoy in this film. It’s just not as great as it could’ve been.
