Ethan Hunt, the living manifestation of destiny, returns to the big screen in an action epic opus. This is the third film in the Mission: Impossible franchise to be directed by Christopher McQuarrie, who continues his trend of prioritizing action setpieces, style, and heart above all else in these films. 

After a terrific opening sequence, we are reintroduced to Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt by seeing the character come out of the darkness, as if he had never left our screens since Mission Impossible: Fallout. He practically stares the audience in the eyes and refers to himself as a ghost who helps those he knows and those he doesn’t. Cruise is willing to jump off of a cliff in order to entertain us, despite not knowing who we are. This time, the stakes have never been higher, as Hunt and his chosen team are tasked with going up against sentient artificial intelligence known as The Entity. It's as if Tom Cruise himself is facing off against the physical embodiment of the algorithm threatening entertainment and creativity alike.

Over the course of Hunt’s mission, we are introduced to many returning friends and members of Hunt’s team. Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Rebecca Ferguson all turn in compelling performances that add a lot of weight to the film. Hayley Atwell is added into the mix as Grace, a pickpocket thief who will easily win you over with her abundance of likability and charisma. Esai Morales plays Gabriel, both a conduit for The Entity and another menacing Mission Impossible villain, and appears as a threatening match for Ethan Hunt. All of these performances have as much of an impact as they do because of McQuarrie’s strong characterization within his and Erik Jendressen’s screenplay. Cruise is also, unsurprisingly, wonderful in the film. In previous films, he appeared as fairly calm, but he returns to his more paranoid state of the (stellar) original De Palma film. He is extraordinarily committed to his performance as Hunt and remains one of the last bona fide movie stars of his kind.

There are a plethora of action set-pieces in this film, and yet each one manages to be absolutely phenomenal. At times, they even play out like a silent film, with all the focus being on the characters’ movements and Lorne Balfe’s enthralling score. The set-pieces are incredibly varied, as we’re gifted with sword fights on bridges, falling trains, and many other innovative settings that I dare not spoil. Under a less capable director, the constant action could get stale and repetitive, but McQuarrie ensures each sequence feels unique. During several moments, my jaw was on the floor by how intricate some of these set-pieces were. There is one key chase sequence in an airport with so many moving parts that somehow is able to flow together in a marvelously cohesive and thrilling way. The film can periodically be a fairly overwhelming experience, but it nonetheless harmonizes into something that feels truly special.

In between the many action sequences, the film has a fair amount of exposition, with characters explaining the threat of The Entity. In the hands of a lesser writer or director, these scenes would slow the film down and make the film feel much longer than it was. Instead, these sequences are just as exciting as the many action set-pieces. McQuarrie shoots each of these scenes in dynamically, with tons of dutch angles harkening back to the franchise’s first film. All of the exposition is delivered in a riveting way, therefore enhancing the impact of the entire film.

What also adds to the cinematic nature of this film is its cinematography. This is actually the first Mission: Impossible film to be shot digitally, and thus it looks a bit different from the previous films of the franchise. This choice adds to the film’s themes of artificiality and overall focus on technology. Sometimes, when a film is shot on digital, it can look flat, sludgy, and muted. However, in McQuarrie’s film, everything is lit in a dynamic way, adding to the feeling of paranoia. The way light in the film hits the camera during key sequences brings a lot of style and depth to the film’s look. Each scene with exposition is shot with a strong sense of urgency, as even though we may not be privy to a fight scene at the moment, what is happening on screen is just as pivotal to the film. The film’s editing is also stylistically engaging, with some really incredible dissolves that leave a powerful impact. This is a film that you could watch muted and still have a blast with.

Mission Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One is one of the most satisfying films of the year. As a blockbuster and a piece of pure entertainment, I find it hard to believe there is anything better out there. I found several moments in the film to be shockingly emotional and sincere, and of course many that were thrilling beyond belief, and I cannot wait for others to experience them. Cruise and McQuarrie use all the tools of film to create a full cinematic experience like no other, and one that must be seen on the biggest screen possible.

10/10