Moviegoers were first introduced to Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt over 25 years ago, and he’s kept us entertained over the course of six mind-blowing movies with some truly great action sequences. Following the success of 2018’s Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Cruise will return for two final films to close out his character’s story. The first of those, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, is set for release in July, and critics who've been able to catch an early screening are hitting social media with the reactions. Let’s see what we should expect from the beginning of the end of this action-packed series.
Christopher McQuarrie wrote and directed this seventh installment, which unsurprisingly will see Ethan Hunt on his most dangerous mission yet, according to the plot description. The movie will see his team attempts to track down a weapon that threatens humanity. Joining Tom Cruise on the Dead Reckoning cast will be some other familiar faces from the franchise, including Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg and Henry Czerny, as well as some new additions, who include Hayley Atwell and Pom Klementieff. Early reactions to the movie should make fans excited for what’s to come, as Collider’s Perri Nemiroff calls it a win for the franchise, praising Atwell’s “captivating” performance:
#MissionImpossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is another winner for the franchise. Yet again, the production value is THROUGH THE ROOF with some of the most well-defined and exhilarating set pieces photographed in ways that truly make you feel like you’re in the middle of the… pic.twitter.com/yAX0eJ1t1tJune 19, 2023
Mike Ryan of Uproxx calls Mission: Impossible 7 an "ambitious" meditation on the potential dangers of artificial intelligence and also says it's nice to see Henry Czerny back in the franchise. However, the inherent nature of this being the first half of a bigger story makes this installment less satisfying as its predecessor. Ryan tweets:
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE works as Christopher McQuarrie’s ambitious examination of/meditation on AI and the dangerous path we might be on. (He doesn’t like it) With the inherent nature of being “part one” (said that a lot lately), not as satisfying as FALLOUTJune 19, 2023
Germain Lussier of Gizmodo says the upcoming movie's final action sequence ranks in the top 2 or 3 of the whole series and says the story is not only "dynamite" but appropriate for the times we're living in. Like others who were able to catch an early screening, Lussier compliments the new characters, writing:
#MissionImpossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 is fantastic. Dynamite, timely story. Excellent new characters. Huge variety of action and a final set piece that ranks top 2-3 all-time for the franchise.It gets a little dense at times but its pace & intensity more than cover that. pic.twitter.com/prm2wa6ZD6June 19, 2023
Barry Hertz of the Globe and Mail calls the new Tom Cruise blockbuster a "behemoth-sized spectacle," agreeing with others that the set pieces are ridiculous. Hertz says Dead Reckoning comes close to Fallout but he stops short of saying it exceeds the sixth movie:
#MissionImpossible DEAD RECKONING PART 1: Tom Cruise hates streaming so much he's made an algorithm the villain. And bless his crazy ass, b/c this is a behemoth-sized spectacle, one go-for-broke set-piece after the next, close to FALLOUT excellence. Henry Czerny fans will go nuts pic.twitter.com/Gj7fYdAr8IJune 19, 2023
Film critic Scott Mantz, however, has no issues with calling this one the best Mission: Impossible offering yet, with a great story, impressive cast and incredible action. Mantz continues:
FINALLY HERE & WORTH THE WAIT! “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE — DEAD RECKONING” is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC & the BEST “MISSION” YET! Great story, awesome cast, incredible action that will keep you on the edge of your seat — @TomCruise has topped himself w/ the BEST ACTION MOVIE OF THE SUMMER! pic.twitter.com/e2otIYcvQ4June 19, 2023
While some say the ending feels less than complete, as it leads into next year's Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Two (assuming the writer's strike isn't delaying production), Fandango's Erik Davis has no issues, saying that Part One gives a satisfying conclusion while leaving the audience dying to know what happens next. Davis tweets:
I had the absolute best time watching #MissionImpossible - an impeccably made action film that does not stop entertaining. Each action sequence is long, crazy & intense. The story is big & sprawling, but I like how it both felt complete & left you dying for what comes next pic.twitter.com/iNaKlDMH8lJune 19, 2023
Fans who have been waiting for years for the seventh Ethan Hunt movie should be bolstered by these first reactions. Though it's no surprise that Tom Cruise and co. would go to all lengths to ratchet up the action for each ensuing Mission: Impossible movie.
We'll learn even more when the reviews for Dead Reckoning Part One are released on July 5, so be sure to check back to CinemaBlend for continued coverage. In the meantime, you can start planning your next trip to the theater with our schedule of 2023 new movie releases, or see how to stream all of the Mission: Impossible movies in preparation for the latest installment's July 12 release date.
