Plot: What’s it about?
I don’t think we’ll fully appreciate the impact of the Mission: Impossible movies for quite some time. Granted, these aren’t meant to be on par with Citizen Kane or Casablanca, rather just a way to entertain audiences. And they have – for nearly three decades. What began back in 1996 with Brian de Palma directing (and Cruise starring, of course) would culminate in the summer of 2025. Cruise, at the time, was 30’s and already the biggest movie star on the face of the planet. To his credit, that’s still true. In between he’s jumped on couches, professed love for Katie Holmes (and subsequently divorced her years later) and has given us countless gems like Live.Die.Repeat, Vanilla Sky and Top Gun: Maverick just to name a few. Yes, folks Mr. Tom Cruise loves movies almost as much as we like watching him in them. One thing that’s really impressed me about this franchise, though, is that it’s been Cruise all the way through. Take, if you will, the James Bond movies from…1969 to 1999. They went through five Bonds (Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton and Brosnan) and produced 14 films. Conversely, Cruise was in all eight installments. To me, that’s pretty impressive. If this introductory paragraph is any indication of what you’re in for, you’re correct. Let’s get started on the final mission. And we’ve all chosen to accept it.
Let’s get something out of the way right now. This movie is long. Like really long. How long? They’re still showing credits at the 24 minute mark. Get comfortable, folks.
Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team continue their search for “the Entity”, the AI program that’s, shockingly, started to think for itself and has begun the process of turning the world’s nations against one another. In his favor, he’s got the special key needed to obtain the source code that makes it “tick”, but he’s got to find the sunken submarine where it’s located. Not easy. Ethan’s entourate: Luther (Ving Rhames), Benji (Simon Pegg), Grace (Hayley Atwell) and Paris (Pom Klementieff) are all on board to assist. And lest we forget their nemesis, Gabriel (Esai Morales) who also wants the key as he wants to join forces with “the Entity.” Add to this that the President (Angela Bassett) has to face some harsh realities in that if they wipe out “the Entity” they also wipe out cyberspace which will wreak havoc on the world’s economy, among other things. As always, there’s a panel of advisors with trigger happy Secretary of Defense (Holt McCallany) and the Joint Chiefs Chairman (Nick Offerman) pushing and pulling her in different ways. We know the stakes couldn’t be higher, but can Ethan pull it off?
To pull a phrase out of a previous installment “It’s called Mission: Impossible, Ethan. Not Mission: Difficult.” Like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II, this is merely a continuation of the first film. It didn’t need to be this long, but part of me is glad that it is. I mean, why skimp now? And if you’ve been invested since the start (I have) then this is a great sendoff for the franchise. A bit off-topic, I’ve found that this has two distinct parts with the first three (i.e. the “numbered” films) having a different vibe than the later ones that started in 2010. Maybe it’s just me, but I much prefer the last five films under the Christopher McQuarrie system, as opposed to the first trio. Don’t get me wrong, they had some good moments, but no matter how many vinyl masks are ripped off, I’ve found from Ghost Protocol on they’ve become a lot more engrossing. And, well, that’s it. I could go on and on, but we know what to expect and this one delivers on all accounts. Through the endless mind-blowing stunts (most of which Cruise did himself) to the plot holes to the cool Bond-like gadgets, the franchise has not only survived but thrived. Folks, if you love movies – these films are for you.
Video: How’s it look?
As we might expect from a Mission: Impossible (or James Bond, if that’s your thing) movie, this delivers all the goods in pure 4K glory. Cruise and his minions galavant all around the globe, with scenes filmed in some pretty iconic places. That said, the 2.39:1 HEVC 4K image leaves very little to the imagination with excellent detail, color rendition, black levels and so forth. In a word, it’s amazing. Dolby Vision helps bring the image a bit higher highs and lower lows and after being exposed to several hundred 4K movies (both new and catalog titles), this is certainly indicative of a new-to-the-format title. Sit back, relax and let Cruise and company take you on the ride of your life. The bigger TV you have – the better.
Audio: How’s it sound?
If the first installment was any indication of how good this can/will sound, then you’ll rest easy knowing that the Dolby Atmos soundtrack lives up to the hype. And, as we might expect, this checks all the boxes with atmospheric sound from the surrounds, clear and crisp vocals, the LFE that don’t know when to quit and everything in between. What exactly is the sound made when you ride a motorcycle off a mountain? Until any of us ever attempts it – we’ll have to assume that it sounds like it does in this film. Folks, this is a Mission: Impossible movie – it’s going to sound good. This does.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This three disc set has more than enough supplemental material to keep even the most die-hard fan at bay for hours on end. Let’s dive in.
- Audio Commentary — Director Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise who all enjoy a compelling, in-depth discussion with Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise.
- Audio Commentary — Director Christopher McQuarrie, Editor Eddie Hamilton, and First Assistant Director Mary Boulding—Experience the film with riveting insights and analysis from these acclaimed filmmakers.
- Audio Commentary — Composers Max Aruj and Alfie Godfrey, and Score Producer Cécile Tournesac—Hear from the artists who enhance the action with thrilling music.
- Behind the Scenes – Five featurettes that run the gamut of what was in store for us. As comprehensive as they are, it’s only the tip of the iceberg.
- Taking Flight — Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie take you through the biplanes stunt. Witness them push things to the next level to capture these incredible flight sequences.
- To The Depths — Dive in with Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie to explore every detail of the water tank/moving gimbal, the special masks/water suits, and the rigorous planning and execution of this one-of-a-kind stunt.
- To The North — Journey with the cast and crew to see how they filmed in extreme conditions to create the breathtaking sequence in the high Arctic of Svalbard.
- Through the Mine — Explore the Middleton Mine as the team highlights the risks, challenges, and practical elements to pull off this incredible action sequence.
- The Score — A behind-the-scenes look at the original music composed for the film.
- Editorial Content – Three key sequences are broken down with some deleted footage as well as some commentary.
- Deleted Footage Montage with Optional Commentary by Director Christopher McQuarrie — Director Christopher McQuarrie shares some of the stunning, never-before-seen deleted shots that did not make the final film.
- Olifants River Canyon with Optional Commentary by Director Christopher McQuarrie — Director Christopher McQuarrie details the difficulties of shooting the dangerous, low level flying sequence through the Olifants River Canyon in South Africa.
- Biplane Transfer with Optional Commentary by Director Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise — Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie discuss the challenges of filming the highly technical and extremely dangerous biplane transfer stunt at high altitudes.
- Promo Spots
- Parachute Burn — Watch Tom Cruise earn a Guinness World Record for the most burning parachute jumps by an individual.
- Snorri Rig Camera — Survival is in the details. See the unique camera set up for Tom as he does his parachute jump.
- Jump Flip — Witness Tom’s epic jump.
- Long Wing — See Tom hang on to the wing of the biplane mid-flight.
- Still Galleries
- Tom Cruise
- Christopher McQuarrie
- Collaboration
- Supporting Cast
- Isolated Score Track – I’ve never really seen the appeal in these and, granted, they are pretty scarce these days but it’s there if you want it. All three hours of it.
The Bottom Line
Well…here we are. We’re done. Ethan Hunt and his seemingly endless roster of IMF agents have, once again, saved the day/world. What began in 1996 has now seen 8 films, billions of dollars grossed and Cruise killed nearly a dozen times. And all in the name of entertainment. If these movies don’t make you appreciate film, nothing will.
