The Impossible Made Possible
The long-awaited return of Tom Cruise and his jaw-dropping stunts is finally here, and Mission: Impossible fans couldn’t be more thrilled. Seven movies in, the hype for this age-old series has yet to die down. Released this summer on July 12th, 2023, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One delivers non-stop action and leaves fans eagerly waiting for Part Two.
Featuring Tom Cruise as the fearless Ethan Hunt, this movie was bound to be action-packed. In this film, he and his team of top-secret operatives known as the Impossible Mission Force (IMF) are faced with a daunting mission: taking down a mysterious AI bot known as The Entity. As a villain, the fact that it is an AI adds a fascinating twist to the story, challenging the team as they race to prevent it from taking over the world. Ironically, the only way to accomplish this mission is to locate the two components of a single key that unlocks the source code of this AI.
As someone who tends not to shy away from action films, this was, unfortunately, the first time I’ve watched a Mission: Impossible movie. It did not disappoint. Almost every major scene contained some sort of plot twist, and the feeling of high-stakes tension kept me drawn in until the very end.
The stunts pulled throughout the film were beyond impressive. In one particular scene, Hunt drives off a cliff on a motorcycle, ditches the bike, and skydives to land on a moving train. While most actors would have relied on editing or CGI, Cruise decided actually to pull the stunt off. In his preparation, he had to complete 500 skydives and more than 13,000 motocross jumps to get it just right, earning it the title of being the biggest stunt in cinematic history.
Ethan Hunt’s character arc in this movie was also notable. He is forced to grapple with leaving his former love interest, Ilsa Faust, behind in order to complete his mission, though his resilience is tested repeatedly, he still remains strong to protect the world. Hunt is also forced to question his superiors, forcing him to weigh following orders against doing what he believes is necessary for the so-called “greater good.”
While most franchises would’ve died down after seven movies, the Mission: Impossible series has remained an icon in American film for almost two decades. It’s Hunt’s emotional journey throughout the movie, as well as the valuable lessons learned throughout, that set these movies apart. I would rate it an 8/10, and possibly even higher if I had watched the Mission Impossible Movies before this one. Anyone who is interested in action movies or Tom Cruise movies should plan to stream starting October 10th.
