Everything about the latest ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie is big. Big stars. Big sound. Big stunts. That big ass title. Everything.
…ain’t summer grand?
Love him or not, I don’t think any Hollywood figure understands what makes a popcorn blockbuster tick quite like Tom Cruise. Last summer it was ‘Maverick’, and now, hopped up on ambition and what looks to be quarts of caffeine, he and his team do it again with this hair-on-fire sequel, the seventh and (somehow) most energetic chapter in the ‘Mission: Impossible’ series. It’s not overdosed on smarts, but have you ever bashed a really great roller coaster ride for lack of intelligence? Me neither.
And to be honest, the simplistic pitch for ‘Dead Reckoning Part One’ is actually quite refreshing….you really CAN turn the brain off for this baby and simply enjoy the fireworks.
Oh yeah, it’s topical too. Because in ‘Dead Reckoning Part One’, the bad guy is an AI…..a self-learning spy program, developed by the Americans, that gains self-awareness and tricks a Russian nuclear submarine into shooting itself. And THAT happens before the opening credits roll! (I told ya…..big!)
The AI, known as “The Entity”, specifically targets Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team, fully aware of their threat level. That makes the race to track down the keys that will shut down The Entity a wild one, full of airport scuffles, nuclear bomb threats, car chases, athletic brawls, one wicked daredevil move involving a motorcycle and a cliff, and all kinds of fun on a speeding passenger train.
What’s extra cool is that the sequel includes every character from the series that you expect to see, and perhaps a few that you don’t. It’s like a Marvel exercise, minus the superheroes. Tough to say how they top this one in the (reportedly) last instalment of the franchise, but I officially can’t wait to find out!