Film 2381 - Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

Intro: Thank God we ended up watching this one before the sequel came out because clearly I didn't remember much of what happened on this one.

Film 2381: "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One" (2023), Christopher McQuarrie
Watched on: From the projector
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: I honestly really enjoy the "Mission: Impossible", I watched all the movies at least one, with the first one, "Rogue Nation" (#5) and "Fallout" (#6) being my favourite. That said, I think this saga has become so convoluted that it's hard to follow. And I mean this in the best way possible.
The whole "Mission: Impossible" franchise is entertaining and fun to watch, Tom Cruise is perfect for the role and the action scenes are jaw-dropping. Sequel number 5 and 6 being my favourites of this saga, it's obvious that I appreciate the work done by Christopher McQuarrie, so kudos to him. Still, I think with this one things have slightly gone a bit too overboard.
It's always nice to witness a well-written and thought-through story play out on the screen, but here there's so much going on it's really hard to keep track of things, especially knowing that this is only the first part of a bigger plot that started years ago. For the casual viewer it's just too much.
Don't get me wrong, "Dead Reckoning Part One" is really well-written and shot, the quality is obviously there. I'm just saying that, unless you're a massive fan of this franchise and you know every plot point by heart, it's hard to follow. To the point that your brain gives up and you just tag along for the ride until the movie ends and you forget about all you just witnessed. And I think this is partially the reason why this film wasn't as successful as the previous sequels, only managing to pass the $500 million mark ("Fallout" went over $700 million). That, and because splitting your last film in two parts a) is so 2010s, b) after the split sequel fatigue that defeated even the strongest franchises (I'm thinking of 'The Hunger Games' especially) this is a mistake that could have been avoided. Not necessarily by condensing the whole plot into one movie, but just by not marketing it as the same movie split in two parts. All the previous "Mission: Impossible" films, although sequels, work well because they tackle one story at a time. In this decade, after all we've been through movie-wise, I'm not sure how many people are willing to commit to a story that won't wrap up for another few years.
I also think it's possible that this franchise got caught up in the James Bond renaissance, trying to go for longer character arcs and not just standalone movies in order to build a more dedicated fanbase.
Anyway, although the plot could have been a bit less thick, "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One" is still an impressive action movie, very well done and entertaining.
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Film 2381 - Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
Cast: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Henry Czerny, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Cary Elwes, Indira Varma.
Box Office: $571.1 million
Worth a watch?: I enjoyed the watch as I enjoy watching almost every single one of the "Mission: Impossible" movies (#2 is my least favourite, to be honest). Yeah, you really need to pay attention and follow what's going on, possibly remembering it for the next and final movie of the franchise, but even if you don't do it, it's still a pretty fun ride.
Awards: 2 nominations at both the Oscars and BAFTAs for Best Sound and Best Visual Effects. 1 nomination at the Golden Globes for the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement award.
Key word: The entity.
Trailer
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Bengi