Beebom Score
Tom Cruise has been one of the most celebrated figures in Hollywood. He became a household name in 1996 when he played Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible. Since then, Cruise has appeared as the orders-defying IMF agent for almost 30 years, and with every movie that has come out of the franchise, it has been an absolute delight for fans. However, no matter how good or bad something is, it eventually ends, and such is the case with Tom’s time as Ethan Hunt. Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning is said to be the end of this franchise, and I am here to tell you if it stuck the landing or messed it up in this review.
Mission: Impossible 8 Makes the Mission Feel Impossible
Since the very first movie from the Mission: Impossible Franchise, one thing has been common. The missions Ethan Hunt embarks on are said to be “Impossible”. However, while watching the movie, most of the time you have the feeling that Ethan Hunt will emerge victorious at the end. However, if we talk about Mission: Impossible 8, that hope you have for Ethan Hunt to succeed happens to fade away.
Throughout the movie, there are multiple moments where you will get the feeling that Ethan Hunt is going to lose, which is a massive thing for this franchise. The adversities that Ethan and his team go through will send you into a fit of anxiety, as this is probably the first time when the prospects of him not succeeding seem quite strong.
The flow of events in Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning might be predictable to some degree. Even though you know, Ethan and his team will succeed eventually, because, well, it would not be a good choice to end this franchise with Hunt losing, you will have a huge “But” or “What If?” hanging over your head, pushing your hopes down. This truly adds to the thrill of sitting through this movie.
The Action and Stunt Sequences Hit It out of the Park
What is a Mission: Impossible movie without action and stunt sequences that make you hold your breath? This franchise has given us some of the best sequences, and I am sure that you must have your favourites, but as far as I believe, Mission: Impossible 8 has outdone itself with its action and stunts. When Ethan goes down almost 500 ft into the ice-cold ocean to get the “Podkova”, if you have already watched the movie, you know what I mean, and if you have not, you are so not prepared to witness what he does to get out of there.
Even before the movie was released, its teaser already showed us Tom Cruise hanging from a plane, but the stakes, thrill, and the extent of that particular scene are so high that it’ll have you jumping in your seats with anxiety and adrenaline rush. Just so you know, I do this, watching movies and writing reviews for a living, and am quite immune to anything a movie can throw at me. However, with Mission: Impossible 8, I have no shame in admitting that Ethan Hunt’s spoils were rather immune to my immunity.
It almost baffles me, Tom Cruise is 62 years old, almost twice as old as I am, and this man is pulling off death-defying stunts left, right, and center while my back hurts if I sleep wrong. Anyway, the heart of the matter is that if you have not yet watched this movie and suffer from anxiety, I recommend you carry your medication with you.
Another shining area of the movie was the homage paid to the previous movies in the franchise. We get to see multiple shots from previous MI movies in this one. Not just that, the story of Final Reckoning also takes into account the spoils of Ethan Hunt, seen in Mission: Impossible 3, and relates it to this one. Not only does it add details to the movie, but it also leaves the loyal audience of the franchise contented with the conclusion.
However, the Story Cruised into Charted Waters
While Mission: Impossible 8 brilliantly pulled off almost every aspect one can ask for, it has somewhat fumbled when it comes to storytelling. In the broader aspect of things, the story does not have any major loopholes, but one can almost feel that the vulnerabilities of The Entity displayed in the movie are somewhat forced.
However, the good part about it was the homage paid to the previous Mission: Impossible movies that have been incorporated in Mission: Impossible 8. We get to see multiple shots from previous MI movies in this one. Not just that, the story of Final Reckoning also takes into account the spoils of Ethan Hunt, seen in Mission: Impossible 3, and relates it to this one, and I found it pretty cool.
Considering Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning is said to be the final movie in the franchise, I walked into the theater with high expectations on every front. However, the overall plotline presented by Mission: Impossible 8 seems to be generally predictable if you have experience with the franchise, which was somewhat of a letdown.
Now, let me make this perfectly clear that with predictability, I am only talking about the general plot, not the outcome each event leads to. So, as far as my opinion goes, the only chink in Mission Impossible 8’s armor is the few loose ends it has in its plot.
Does Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning Lives Up To Expectations?
Now, it all has come to this, the big question: did Mission: Impossible 8 live up to what fans expected from the grand conclusion of this franchise? As simple as this question is, the answer to it is slightly complicated. This movie beautifully executes every aspect that gives Mission: Impossible its signature touch. Ethan’s wisecracking during fights, the breathtaking action sequences, and of course, the trademark Ethan Hunt running style. It offers everything one would expect to see in a movie that concludes such a fantastic franchise and operates heavily on the emotional value.
If you would like to draw a comparison, it’s almost like how things were with Deadpool and Wolverine. The movie was a love letter to the fanbase, but lacked heavily when it comes to storytelling. But even after this, it did extremely well at the Box Office and was celebrated across the globe purely out of emotional value and the love fans have towards the characters.
In the case of Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning, it is pretty much the same case. The movie is thoroughly enjoyable, will keep you hooked to the last frame, and as mentioned above, will make you go through fits of anxiety. If you ignore the points where the storytelling is not up to par, Mission: Impossible 8 did live up to the expectations, at least mine, and is a fitting goodbye to Ethan Hunt.
