Film: Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025)

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Off to Cineworld in Rushden Lakes with Jo and Janet to see the 6.20pm performance of ‘Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning’.

This is the concluding part to 2023’s blockbuster of a similar name – Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning – Part 1 (later re-titled to Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning). I guess we all thought this one would be following a similar naming convention, but they seem to have dropped the ‘Part 2’ err, part, and slightly altered the ‘strap’. No doubt, some clever marketing person will understand the reason for this.

Our original plans were to see this one over at The Savoy in Corby (our now fave Cinema) but it wasn’t showing there tonight, so we ‘slummed it’ at CineWorld at Rushden Lakes. As usual, it was a Friday night and the car park at Rushden Lakes was heaving! Luckily, we found a solitary space not too far from the entrance, and were soon queuing for our beverage-of-choice.

In we go!!!

There are lots of rumours circulating that this will be Cruise’s final appearance in the MI franchise, but maybe that’s just hype to fill the cinemas around the world. He’s certainly revitalised this series of films and brought the 60’s TV series to a whole new audience – and many of the old audience too! 👍👍 (Oh! Just me then!)

Official Trailer

The above trailer first appeared about a month ago, showcasing Tom Cruise’s obsession with doing all his own stunts – and trying to ‘out-stunt’ his previous efforts! If anyone recalls his motorcycle scene where he rode off the side of a mountain – that’s going to take some beating in this one (read on… the biplane stunt is unforgettable!)

Synopsis

Ethan Hunt and the IMF team race against time to find the Entity,
a rogue artificial intelligence that can destroy mankind.

Worth Seeing..?

Mild Spoilers Ahead!

After we got through what seemed to be an extra-long series of previews for ‘coming soon’, we were finally ready for the Final Reckoning. Well, on a positive note, it looks like June might be quite busy for us at the cinema! CineWorld, Screen 14 was maybe half full by the time curtain up came, where most people had decided that to save time, eating separately in a restaurant, they’d stock up with mega-buckets of popcorn. Worse still, instead of traditional popcorn, the latest obsession (well, in these parts) a trough of Chilli with the obligatory dips! I don’t mind the first, but Chilli is a bit of an acquired taste – especially in public! 🙄

Back to the movie! That’s a first! A short piece to camera pre-film by TC himself thanking us for seeing the film. Apart from a genuine desire to cement himself as one of the nicest people in the industry, I wasn’t sure of the purpose. Hey-ho, he certainly made us feel err, ‘special’. 😊

It was a long one at 2 hours 50 minutes, although fortunately, it didn’t feel quite that long! So, camel bladders only for this one, it seemed! Unlike previous MI instalments, the first part of tonight’s was a bit of a chatterbox, with not that much action. I guess this was needed to help those who hadn’t seen Dead Reckoning – Part 1 and to help wrap their head around what was going on. Clever gadgets and latex face masks, so much a staple of the MI ‘thing’, were sadly sidelined to a degree in this one, in fact, if you’d arrived partway through, you might have wondered if this was a Mission Impossible film AT ALL! Yes, not exactly a gadget-fest! – more’s the pity! 😉

All our favourite characters were back (Grace, Benji and Luther) but be warned, some don’t make it to the end credits. Tom Cruise excels at what he does best – running and extreme stunts – and if we were worried about whether he’d top the ‘bike scene’ from the previous movie, we needn’t have! Example 1: The scene in the sunken submarine is NOT for anyone who:- has a hint of claustrophobia/hates water – but most of all, loathes drowning!!! 😯. It’s a scene that will have you on the edge of your seat on more than a dozen occasions! And to top that, there’s example 2: the biplane chase towards the end of the movie! Good grief, that was stressful to watch, but worth the ticket price for that alone!! It’s well known that TC does most of his own stunts, and having apparently passed out whilst ‘hanging on a wing’ (as you do!) during rehearsals, this outing confirmed he’s either completely bonkers or he’s fearless! Once you’ve seen it, answers on a postcard, please! 😂

Apart from the ‘regulars’, there are a few faces from past episodes making a welcome return – with one, especially, completely unexpected where you’ll need a good memory for which MI film you first saw them in (I think it’s the first one from 1996!)

The film motored on, with a lot of Tom Cruise running everywhere (OK, that’s an MI ‘thing’!) and where the action scenes, when they eventually arrived, were top notch. It’s a storyline that demands you don’t look too deeply for plot-holes, but it all made for a riveting three hours – thank heavens for CineWorld’s ultra comfy seats! The whole ‘AI’ plot driver is very vague as to how ‘it’ would accomplish its goals, but the tin-foil hat brigade will be able to dine out on this one for ages! 🫨🙄 Acting by everyone is very convincing, where, in spite of the ludicrous plot, they give us a credible glimpse of a future that seems to benefit no-one on the planet! 🤔

All in all then, a thoroughly engaging film, but if I’m honest, I was slightly disappointed at the amount of talking vs the amount of action, especially in the early scenes. It’s an overly sentimental ending that seems to be mandatory for these kind of outings these days (our friends across the pond, seem to demand it!), but it brings things to a satisfying conclusion. The final scenes are sufficiently ambiguous so as not to confirm nor deny the possibility of the Mission Impossible franchise continuing, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there was another in some or other in a few years. However, if it’s without TC, it won’t be the same. 😢😢

I know it’s respectful to sit through the credits, but there’s no mid nor end credit scene to give you a clue as to what’s next, so best get an early night in! 👍👍

Main Cast

Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt
Hayley Atwell as Grace
Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell
Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn
Esai Morales as Gabriel
Pom Klementieff as Paris
Henry Czerny as Kittridge
Holt McCallany as Serling
Janet McTeer as Walters
Nick Offerman as General Sidney
Hannah Waddingham as Admiral Neely
Tramell Tillman as Captain Bledsoe
Angela Bassett as Erika Sloane
Shea Whigham as Briggs
Greg Tarzan Davis as Degas
Mark Gatiss as Angstrom

Creatives

Based on the television series created by Bruce Geller

Written by Erik Jendresen & Christopher McQuarrie

Chris Brock: Executive Producer
Tom Cruise: Executive Producer
David Ellison: Executive Producer
Dana Goldberg: Executive Producer
Tommy Gormley: Executive Producer
Don Granger: Executive Producer
Susan E. Novick: Executive Producer
Phew! So many ‘Execs!’

Gina Hallas: Co-Producer

Music by Max Aruj and Alfie Godfrey
Cinematography by Fraser Taggart
Editing by Eddie Hamilton

Full cast list HERE courtesy of IMDB.

In spite of my reservations of the lack of action and gadgets, is it worth nearly three hours of your time and would I watch it again? Yes and yes! Would I buy it on 4K DVD when it’s released? Yes! (although the biplane scene won’t feel quite as impactful on the small screen!).

Go see! 👍