After almost three decades and seven films of action-packed adventures, the Mission: Impossible franchise has come to an end with the grand landing of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Starring Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Hannah Waddingham, Pom Klementieff and more, the film follows Ethan Hunt and the IMF team as they chase Entity, a rogue artificial intelligence that threatens to destroy mankind.
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the culminating feature picks up two months after the events of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, which was released in 2023. As per Variety, the eighth film was screened for the press recently and the reviews have been just as explosive as the film itself promises to be.
As we've often seen, it is tempting for production companies to keep stretching a beloved franchise, though it can be just as difficult to wrap it up with a satisfying end. While fans await the May 23 release of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, the reviews might help anticipating filmgoers form a calculated guess over the franchise's fate.
'A summer spectacle'
Film critic Courtney Howard cut to the chase. "[Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning] rips! Loved it. An exhilarating adrenaline rush for the head and heart, and an immersive, awe-inducing stuntacular of the highest order. McQ, [Tom Cruise] and co have crafted the gold standard - a brilliant, bold actioner for the ages. See it big and loud," Howard gushed on X.
Journalist and BAFTA member Simon Thompson mirrored Howard's sentiments, dubbing the film a winner. "[Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning] is whip-smart and razor-sharp. This tense eighth entry in one of the most exhilarating franchises of all time is another winner. With sphincter-tightening set pieces, blockbusters do not get much better than this. Cruise and McQuarrie nail it!"
You know a Cruise starrer is one for the books if it gets the audience concerned for the actor's safety. Offscreen Central's founder and editor-in-chief, Kenzie Vanunu, said, "[Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning] is a summer spectacle with nonstop adrenaline and me asking if Tom Cruise is OK the entire movie. There's a bit too much going on (at all times), but still a good time at the movies!"
Matt Minton, on the other hand, described the film as "an absolutely captivating send-off to the franchise's legacy and what Tom Cruise has given to Ethan Hunt." Echoing the general critique that the film is not immune to overwhelming moments, Minton added, "While the first 30-40 minutes is a bit too much of an exposition dump, all the set-pieces that follow are unbeatable."
In the same vein, Leo Rydel wrote, "After a poorly paced first act, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning revs up the engines for a full speed adrenaline rush to the finale! Incredible stunts, great visuals, and a crazy edge-of-your-seat final sequence! Had a blast! This is what action movies are about!"
Landon Johnson summarised it best for those holding their breath in anticipation. "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is the grand crescendo of a franchise built on speed, suspense, and spectacle. Cruise pushes every limit - soaring higher, diving deeper, and racing toward the edge, risking life, limb, and logic in a three-hour blitz of chaos, precision, and pure adrenaline. It's not just a finale - it's a full-body experience. Buckle up."
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