It was not bad, but somehow i expected more. Something that i always notice in this trend of splitting the "last" movie in two parts, is that the first part usually feels weaker, a bit more boring and, of course, incomplete. Maybe i will appreciate it more when Part 2 comes out, but at the moment and as a standalone movie, i felt it a bit weak in comparisson to previous installments. There were some nice easters to the first one, the action and fight scenes felt fine. The Big Bad is good enough (and current, tbh). The acting is great as always. I found too many comedy bits for a MI movie (i know that they always had one or two, but in this one there were more than in any other, and maybe more noticeable than in any other, where they usually are too fast or "under the door" so to speak). The length of the movie felt tooooo long for me (at least for the story being told) and some parts felt too dragged. I like Hayley Atwell but tbh i didn't quite like her character. For now i will give it a 6.5 over 10; maybe it will go up once the story is complete.

For a second summer in a row, the only essential action blockbuster of the summer is brought to us by Tom Cruise. Right from the opening scenes, this movie announces itself as another reinvention of the MI franchise. Dutch angles, cheesy & overdramatic dialogue, funny Russian accents, a ridiculous threat that feels like an exaggeration of our biggest contemporary fear; wait a minute, this is a 90s action movie! Yes, in many ways this film is approached in the exact opposite way as _Fallout_. It doesn’t have those same smart, intricate, Christopher Nolan-esque sensibilities, instead this movie fully embraces and emphasizes the silly, ridiculous nature of the franchise. If _MI 2_ operates at the same level of cheese as the most recent _Fast and Furious_ films, this is more in line with something like _Fast Five_. I think some audiences will have a preference for the sensibilities of _Fallout_, but to me both approaches are equally as valid when done right, which it is here. The set pieces are once again outstanding (the train and Rome chase are instantly memorable), Hayley Atwell is a fantastic, charismatic addition to the franchise (MI’s gotten really good with female characters), it’s funny and there’s genuine emotional heft. It makes a bold decision in regard to one of its characters that I wouldn’t have made as a writer, but let’s see where the story takes us. I’m not entirely in love with the cinematography, because the lighting and framing don’t have as much style as the previous 3 installments, and I think the excessive Dutch angles are a bit hokey in 2023. It’s also not the best MI script by any means. Sometimes it asks for too much leeway (Shea Whigham conveniently shows up in all the right places; Zola has never noticed Vanessa Kirby’s very striking eye colour?) and Esai Morales’ character feels underwritten. Overall, I wouldn’t rank this as one of the best missions, but given the fact that this franchise currently finds itself in the conversation of best franchises of all time, that’s not an insult whatsoever.

7.5/10

This has, honest to God, two of the best action sequences I've ever seen put to film (car chase + bridge scene) but the lows throughout are simply too low to be excused - up and down, which is especially unrewarding for a film of this length - with a sleepy middle portion that, with exception to the second movie from John Woo, might be the least exciting stuff of the entire franchise. Super tiresome.

It's surprising that this story was the one chosen for a presumably 5hr+ two-parter since this plot is really not that good in all honesty. The whole 'key' thing felt like I was watching Lord of the Rings and the AI/digital angle, while understandable, feels forced to me.
Still, I'm looking forward to see how it concludes next year on the big screen.

The reason we watch, though, is because of Tom fucking Cruise. A man who refuses to be labelled a mere mortal and will probably end up dying on set just to be forever known as a martyr for American action movies. And speaking of, the Mission Impossible movies are really the only blockbusters left that keep the traditional values of all the American classics - fully embracing both a masculine nature ("cold, logical and unemotional") and the white hero archetype which other newer sequels/reboots have sadly given up either through making them old, wrinkly and tired or having other characters start saving them - and I reckon this is Tom Cruise's doing - "Produced by Tom Cruise" might mean more than we think; he's either in the writing room too or changing the script on set. After all, who would argue with him, he's a proven king of this shit...and this is his franchise.

The Tom Cruise “Mission Impossible” franchise is one of reliable quality and equally dependable “forgettable-ness.” I’ve seen every film, yet my memory is fuzzy when I try to recall what happened in any of them. And while it’s almost a given that “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” will somehow sadly meet a similar fate, it’s still one of the best of the bunch. Not one thing disappointed me about this seventh installment in the series, an exciting and entertaining ride that gets almost everything right. This is an absolutely terrific action movie that overdelivers, and I loved every minute of it.

World class field agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) works as a field agent for an elite, top-secret branch of the CIA called the IMF (Impossible Mission Force). His team, including associates Luther (Ving Rhames), Benji (Simon Pegg), and Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson) have become close friends, and they’re a well-oiled machine when working together. They regroup to embark on a dangerous mission to track down a new weapon that threatens all of humanity. The entire world is at stake, and Ethan must find a device before it falls into the wrong hands while dealing with some dark skeletons of his own past.

In order to get the most enjoyment out of the film, it’s best not to read too much about the plot. What works so well about the story is that it has a modern angle, and the motivations of the villains are extremely strong. The stakes are high and there’s a very real danger, which adds to the overall excitement. As one character puts it, they’re fighting “an enemy that’s everywhere and nowhere.” It’s smart, sophisticated, and polished in a way that tends to evade your typical summer blockbuster.

There are a few high tech, double cross, master of disguise elements, but they aren’t used as a distracting gimmick (as they sometimes have been in previous MI films). The high-concept action scenes are energetic and absolutely thrilling, making for some very clever and inventive spectacles. From a dramatic footrace through the canals of Venice to motorcycle jumps in the Austrian Alps to an epic car chase through the streets of Rome, there’s never a dull moment. There’s an inspired, extended sequence on a runaway train that will go down in history as one of the most creative and fun action scenes of the year, if not ever.

There are plenty of strong female characters in the story, including the new addition of Grace (Hayley Atwell), a crackerjack larcenist, and Paris (Pom Klementieff), a fierce bodyguard who gives off strong Harley Quinn vibes. This movie, simply put, is packed with badass women. Seeing the gang reunited is always fun, and Pegg and Rhames have created characters that feel like old friends. There’s excellent work from the supporting cast too (Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, and Shea Whigham). Cruise is starting to show his age, but he’s still one of Hollywood’s greatest working superstars. His performance is reliable, charismatic, and believable, which is exactly what it needs to be.

It’s clear that this is a movie that’s older and wiser and in turn, it’s made with more mature audiences in mind. Nothing is dumbed down, the emotional meter runs high, and the level of style and poise is unexpected and welcome (and to be commended). This is a classic espionage thriller that achieves a balance between artistry and pleasure, which is no easy feat.

“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning” is the first part of a two part saga, but the finale isn’t so open-ended that it leads to frustration. Instead, it’s more of an excitement-based cliffhanger that’ll leave you salivating for the second half. This is a movie that could stand alone, but I’m awfully glad it doesn’t.

Good stuntwork as usual from this series and the performances were well done and nice seeing the return of Henry Czeny as Kittridge and filling in the gaps from the first movie and that deal made with Max. They did a decent enough job with a villain that was essentially A.I. by giving it a face with Esai Morales's Gabriel character, albeit compared with the others in the franchise, was pretty weak. And for Cruise, he's at home as Ethan Hunt while the rest of the team had their moments.

The only drawback is some of the dialogue, especially during the intelligence agencies meeting, felt stilted probably because it was basically exposition dump.

It's not on the level of the past few movies but still entertaining, just had hoped the splitting of two movies thing was over and done with or at least was made justifiable (like Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame), which I'm not sure it is here. **3.75/5**