Mission: Impossible remains one of our most beloved movie franchises. Accompanied by mind blowing stunts and Tom Cruise’s star power and charisma, the franchise has been entertaining audiences for over 25 years. The hype for the seventh film, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, is real, as production has already put out footage of Cruise riding a motorcycle off of a cliff to give fans a glimpse of what's to come for the summer blockbuster. Some critics have already seen the movie, and are sharing some thoughts they had about the most anticipated action movie.
Fans are likely not to be disappointed as early reactions for M:I 7 are incredibly positive. Early reactions have teased the quality of the new Tom Cruise film, but now we are finally getting detailed thoughts on the latest addition to Ethan Hunt’s story. While the franchise has had several mind blowing moments in the past, like the protagonist strapping himself to a plane taking off, or scaling the tallest building in the world, this one may take the cake. According to Todd McCarthy for Deadline, the latest film takes the extraordinary action sequences to the next level. He said:
#MissionImpossible Dead Reckoning Part One, ramps up the excitement and sheer flat-out impressiveness to a new level, with the absolute final piece of the puzzle already shot and due to open in a year’s time.
Many couldn’t help but give it up for the man at the center of the film, Tom Cruise. The Oscar nominee has always put himself in the driver's seat, performing his own stunts. It seems like this time around, the actor has truly outdone himself. Siddhant Adlakha for IGN found humor in the film, in addition to the action and Cruise’s characteristically committed performance. He said:
Whether or not "Dead Reckoning Part One" is the best Mission: Impossible, it's undoubtedly the funniest. A pure summer banger with some of the most tense, tightly-wound action in the series, and the closest we'll come to seeing Tom Cruise fight God.
IndieWire's David Ehrlich shouted out the Top Gun star in his comments as well. According to the critic, Dead Reckoning Part One marks the return of the summer blockbuster, showing that Cruise is ever dedicated to making his films the experience of a lifetime for audiences. Ehrlich said:
Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One: Tom Cruise's suicide mission to save the movies from themselves has reached the point where the villain is literally an algorithm. it's glorious. this is what summer blockbusters should feel like.
Last year, the 61-year-old was credited by many for saving Hollywood and bringing audiences back to theaters with his film, Top Gun: Maverick. It remains to be seen if he will do it again with Mission: Impossible 7, but it seems like it’s definitely a movie worth returning to cinemas for. Variety's Peter Debruge praised the impeccable set-pieces of the film, crediting director Christopher McQuarrie for keeping the franchise fresh. He said:
Combining breaking-news intrigues with ever-crazier practical set-pieces, Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie keep this almost-three-decade franchise feeling cutting-edge
Justin Chang for the Los Angeles Times echoed this statement, seeing the new Mission: Impossible as a true return-to-form for movies, acting as a callback to some of the great action films that came before it. He stated:
Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One is a celebration and a reminder of how profoundly the movies have shaped our views of the world.
The reactions to this film are overwhelmingly positive. This is unsurprising, as many of the films in the franchise have been cinematic triumphs. Many consider Mission: Impossible to be the best remaining action film series we have, and luckily, Dead Reckoning Part One seems to be carrying on this legacy. Whether Tom Cruise is retiring remains in question as for the future of the franchise, but we still have Part Two to look forward to next summer, and a fantastic catalog of M:I films to fondly revisit.
Audiences can see Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part One when it hits theaters on July 12th. Fans of the film series can revisit the other M:I movies ahead of the seventh film’s release now with a Paramount+ subscription. For more information on other movies coming to cinemas and streaming later this year, make sure to consult our 2023 movie release schedule.
