Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning Review: A $400M Blockbuster That Defies Gravity and Logic

The eighth entry in the franchise, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, is a visceral, high-octane thrill ride and easily one of the most ambitious action films in recent memory. With a jaw-dropping budget of $400 million, this film is not just a movie, it’s a stunt-fueled cinematic experience designed around one man’s relentless passion for pushing physical limits: Tom Cruise.

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Plot: The War Against AI Continues

Picking up directly after Dead Reckoning, this installment follows Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team as they race against time and technology to stop The Entity, a rogue artificial intelligence that threatens global annihilation. With half of a mysterious key in hand, the team must navigate deception, betrayal, and chaos across continents to find the second half — the only way to shut down the AI before it rewrites the future of humanity.

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Tom Cruise: The Human Special Effect

Let’s make one thing absolutely clear: Tom Cruise is the heartbeat of this film, and he continues to do every hair-raising stunt himself. Whether he’s riding a motorcycle off a cliff, free-falling in silence, or executing a gripping underwater escape sequence, Cruise proves again why he’s the last of a dying breed — a true movie star who doesn’t rely on green screens or stunt doubles.

His commitment isn’t just impressive — it’s what makes Final Reckoning believable, immersive, and flat-out thrilling.

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Action That Goes Beyond Spectacle

The action scenes are, quite literally, breathtaking. The film’s highlight is a claustrophobic, silent underwater sequence, where Ethan is trapped in a submerged submarine — a set piece that relies entirely on Cruise’s physicality and the tension of every ticking second. There are no cuts, no musical cues, no distractions — just Cruise, fighting the elements.

Director Christopher McQuarrie frames every stunt with precision and grit. The set pieces are long, immersive, and emotionally engaging. There’s no cheating here — the danger feels real, because it is real.

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Cast & Performances: Mixed Bag with Missed Opportunities

• Hayley Atwell (Grace) has decent screen presence, but her chemistry with Cruise feels undercooked due to rushed emotional beats.
• Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames bring reliable support. Pegg’s Benji steps up with greater urgency, often taking charge of operations in Ethan’s absence and showcasing a more emotionally involved and tactically sharp side. Rhames’ Luther unfortunately exits the narrative within the first 45 minutes, which explains his limited screen time. Still, his brief role leaves an emotional impact and helps set the tone for the stakes ahead.
• However, Pom Klementieff (Paris) — a standout in Dead Reckoning — is criminally underused here. Her wild energy and unpredictability are barely tapped into, making her feel like a shadow of her former character.
• As for Esai Morales (Gabriel), the so-called main villain, he never quite lands. Despite being positioned as Ethan’s dark counterpart, he’s oddly flat and forgettable.
• Angela Bassett as Erika Sloane, exuding authority even in brief moments, while Hannah Waddingham adds intrigue in a mysterious supporting role.
• Katy O’Brian makes a solid impression with limited screen time, while Tramell Tillman plays Captain Jack Bledsoe, adding weight to the military subplot.
• Greg Tarzan Davis as Theo Degas adds youthful energy to the team dynamics, although his role feels underdeveloped.

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Story & Structure: A Weak Spine for a Strong Body

The story is where the film stumbles. The first act is rushed, delivering crucial backstory and exposition through hasty voiceovers and montages. There’s barely room to breathe, let alone get emotionally invested.

Unlike earlier entries like Fallout, which masterfully blended narrative with action, Final Reckoning feels like a film reverse-engineered from set pieces. The plot often exists just to connect the dots between stunts — and it shows.

But in the second and third acts, the film finds its rhythm. The pacing slows down just enough to deliver longer, tenser sequences — including the train-top finale and a relentless cat-and-mouse chase across Europe.

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Editing, Score & Technical Prowess

The editing is sharp, especially in the longer action sequences that don’t cut away to distractions. This gives the audience time to absorb the danger and tension.

Kudos to the editing team for allowing moments of silence — a rare luxury in modern blockbusters. That submarine sequence stands out as a masterclass in suspenseful, wordless storytelling.

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Final Verdict: Cruise’s Passion Carries It All

The Final Reckoning might have a paper-thin plot and underwhelming villains, but when it comes to cinematic action powered by pure human will, it doesn’t get better than this.

This is Tom Cruise in full form — not just running, jumping, or fighting — but risking his life for a franchise that has become a symbol of old-school movie magic.

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But the real question is: Will this truly be Ethan Hunt’s last mission — or does Tom Cruise have one more impossible stunt left to pull off?