In the interest of full disclosure, let me admit at the outset that I have seen none of the previous Mission Impossible movies, though I do acknowledge their enormous box office success.
In my favour, I do have rather vague memories of the television series of some years ago. I know that each episode starts with a new challenge for the team: either to accept the mission or not. So, intrigued by the overwhelming response to the seventh Tom Cruise film in the series, I set about watching Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One.
It was soon apparent to me that what I was watching was largely formulaic. The team, led by the intrepid Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is faced with the task of finding a key which will unlock the path into “The Identity” – a form of Artificial Intelligence that threatens to take over the planet. With this concern, especially relevant today in the real world, the film proceeds to unfold in expected, though, at the same time, highly unlikely and unbelievable, manner.
There are the expected exotic settings, ranging from the Arab Emirates to Rome, and from Venice to the Orient Express. There are spectacularly conceived and totally impossible pursuits and conflicts, ranging from a car chase through and across the streets, alleys, and steps of Rome to an unbelievable fight between our doughty hero and the nasty villain on a moving train.
There is the usual assortment of technological nerds to provide comic relief and the required series of beautiful femmes fatales, who may or may not be on the side of the good guys. And there, at the centre of it all, is Tom Cruise, reportedly performing his own stunts and giving us hope (if not absolute certainty) that good will ultimately prevail.
It’s clearly a winning formula and one which, if one goes along with it for the fun of it and suspends one’s disbelief, is entertaining enough to satisfy fans of the series – and even casual filmgoers like me.
As one of the latter, who is decidedly adrift in this sea of fantasy, I must admit, however, that at times I found it impossible to keep up with the plot. As elegantly attired characters appear in a variety of places far apart, I was constantly wondering how they could all arrive there at the same time.
I had a hard time telling who a good guy (or girl) was and who was evil personified. And, willing as I was to accept the absurdities of the plot, I simply could not go along with the idea that people were able to put on rubber masks of others’ faces so that instantly (without glue or make-up) they were able to pass as the other person.
In actual fact, it didn’t seem to matter much, as clearly the main point is the series of extreme action scenes. I could certainly appreciate the skill required in making these, involving as they do considerable imagination and invention, skillful editing, and brilliantly executed stunts. They are indeed a tribute to the skill of the crew, the star, and director Christopher McQuarrie, and an indication of what a budget of 291 million dollars can provide.
So far, so good. However, this is only the first half of a two-part enterprise. Since the second part is not scheduled for release until May 2025, I wonder how many will be able to remember the complexities of the plot, even supposing, unlike me, they could unravel it in the first half. Presumably, efforts will be made to remind audiences of what happened in Part 1.
Meanwhile the filmmakers and box office entrepreneurs need not worry. It is comforting to know that Part Two of Mission Impossible will undoubtedly again provide all the expected ingredients in just as satisfactory a manner as Part One, Tom Cruise will once again save the human race from extinction, and box-office records will once again be broken – to the satisfaction of all Mission Impossible and Tom Cruise fans.
