SPOILER warning: details about the ending of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One lie ahead.
Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part 1 is one of the biggest movies of the summer. Featuring high-flying stunts and unbelievable action sequences, the latest addition to the franchise has audiences at the edge of their seats. One of those scenes is the train sequence towards the end of the film, where Ethan Hunt and companion Grace are tasked with climbing up a train suspended in air off of a cliff. Some fans noticed the scene had some similarities to the Uncharted video game, and now the director of M:I 7 is weighing in.
M:I director Christopher McQuarrie has recently been active on Threads, responding to fan questions about his influences and other technical questions audiences have about the making of some of the intense sequences in the franchise's latest movie. In a recent exchange, one fan asked if the director at all was influenced by some of the gameplay in the Uncharted video game. McQuarrie responded, indicating that the scene in question did not have video game influences. He answered:
Not remotely. I honestly know very little about the world.
Uncharted is a treasure-hunting adventure game similar to the likes of Indiana Jones. Players follow Nathan Drake as he travels around the world discovering various historical treasures. The Uncharted similarity question is not unfounded, as one of the sequences in Uncharted 2 features the protagonist trying to climb a train dangling off of a cliff. It even has a shot of the character hanging off of the train, just as Tom Cruise does in Mission: Impossible 7. Even one of the directors of the game made the connection.
In addition, Uncharted's premise isn’t dissimilar from the M:I franchise. While Ethan Hunt isn’t a treasure hunter, he does travel across the globe trying to accomplish a variety of missions, and that sometimes involves hunting down objects. In this particular adventure, Hunt is tracking the cruciform key that unlocks important mysteries of a powerful AI program.
I guess great minds just think alike, and McQuarrie just has similar visual sensibilities of the Uncharted team The sequence in Dead Reckoning is awe-inspiring, featuring Hunt and Grace climbing the falling structure, while trying to navigate the falling objects as they climb. This is followed by an epic fight on top of the train. The physical performances by Cruise and Hayley Atwell are sensational, making the moment one of the most impressive, nail-biting scenes in the franchise’s history. Hopefully we get the same top-notch action when Part 2 is released in 2024.
You can check out Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part 1 in theaters now. The visuals are worth the theatrical experience, so make sure to see it on the big screen while you can. In addition, you can play the Uncharted games on PlayStation consoles, as well as watch the movie adaptation of the game with a Netflix subscription. For more information on other films heading to cinemas and streaming this year, check out our 2023 movie release schedule.
