Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

©2023 Paramount Pictures

Can the dead reckoning be Hunts goal?

Ethan Hunt receives a traditional message from CIA Director Kittridge via a self-destructing tape. The mission, in case he accepts it, revolves around two key pieces that can be used to unlock an important lock.

 

What it is Ethan does not know at first; however, he learns that his old friend Ilsa Faust (pictured below) already possesses one key piece and is being hunted by bounty killers.

 

Entity

With the two parts of the key, one gains access to a powerful computer intelligence, the so-called "entity". This AI is able to infiltrate all networks and thus obtain intelligence information. And it seems to be fighting for its continued existence with its own consciousness.

 

While the secret services and unscrupulous villains seek to acquire the system for themselves, Ethan Hunt and his IMF team of Ilsa, Benji and Luther want to destroy it so that it can do no harm. The problem is, besides the key, they also need to know where the entity is.

 

In their search, the team travels through Abu Dhabi, Rome, Venice and Austria on an impossible mission. Meanwhile, they encounter the mysterious thief Grace (pictured below) and the inscrutable huntress Paris. Will they find out where the entity originates?

 

Delayed filming

The idea for the seventh Mission Impossible film began directly in 2018 after Part 6 (Fallout). Like many films that were to be shot in 2020, the pandemic delayed work to completion in September 2021 and caused costs to skyrocket.

 

Dead Reckoning is designed to be in two parts because of the amount of content. Part 7.2 is scheduled for release in June 2024. Originally it was supposed to be the end of the film series, but in the meantime further sequels are no longer ruled out.

 

Known faces

With Ethan, Ilsa, Luther and Benji (picture above), well-known actors return as expected. The white widow Alanna (picture below) and Zola Mitsopolis are also back. Unexpectedly, Director Kittridge from Mission Impossible 1 (1996) is also back.

 

The idea of having August Walker (Henry Cavill), Alan Huntley (Alec Baldwin) and Erika Sloane (Angela Bassett) appear at least in flashbacks has also been toyed with. Problems with schedules and with Covid-19 prevented this. William Brandt (Jeremy Renner) has disappeared since "Fallout". Will he return in part 7.2?

 

Magician Tom

As usual, leading actor Tom Cruise has done a few new tricks for the film. The most spectacular, in my view, is something very simple: Magic.

 

In Abu Dhabi airport, he makes the key and the data stick disappear before Grace's eyes. A simple magic trick for which the actor practised for a long time and which had to be shot many times.

 

 

 

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Pom Klementieff

Pom Klementieff (pictured below), who became famous as Mantis in Guardians of the Galaxy, shines in her role as Killer Paris. For this role, she honed her martial arts skills and facial expressions.

 

With only a few words in her native French, her facial expressions towards Ethan Hunt are polished. Both are seen in an emotional scene.

 

Great scenery

As usual, Dead Reckoning offers something for the eye. Places worth seeing, sensational costumes, light and shadow play and, of course, special vehicles.

 

BMW has placed some vehicles in the film with the M5 and iX as well as motorbikes. Honda bikes, a Hummer and a nippy Fiat 500 can also be seen.

 

Music and Sound

Lorne Balfe placed great value on the background music. The man is best known for his scores in video games and has strongly modernised the musical theme.

 

Several times there are shots or explosions in rhythm with the Mission Impossible theme and in harmony with the film sequence.

 

Leap into the valley

Crazy: Tom Cruise actually made the jump into the valley on a motorbike, six times for the filming. Incidentally, this took place in Norway and not in Austria.

 

The actor practised jumping with an Enduro for months. First over sand hills, then with rope pulls over ramps and finally via a large ramp from the mountain into the valley, including a paraglider. The ramp was then digitally retouched. It was important to learn how to fly away from the mountain.

 

Shortcomings

As we have known since the first movie, many scenes seem extremely exaggerated and unbelievable. Accustomed to this by now, one can at least tolerate it to some extent.

 

Nevertheless: The Orient Express would be powered electronically or with fuel, not with coal. And even if it were, a steam engine without a constant supply of coal would eventually stop. And why shouldn't it be possible to stop it? I just wanted to say...

What succeeded?

Strong plot with topical theme

Perfectly filmed in terms of craftsmanship

Actresses very charming

 

Summary

The dead reckoning comes at the good end. The seventh Mission Impossible film leaves little to be desired

 

Dead Reckoning Part One does a pretty good job of avoiding leaving us cinema-goers to stew with an aching open ending. Sure, there's still something to come, but a certain closure is definitely there.

 

Meanwhile, the otherwise exuberant action seems to have been saved for part two. Instead, we get lots of conversations, grim looks and quiet moments of suspense. Ethan, Luther and Benji take you by the hand with puzzles and solutions!

 

Surprisingly, the dry humour of the series is given a lot of space. The lines fly so easily from the hip, the actors must have had to pull themselves together to keep their poker faces. Some of them are really hilarious.

 

Actors

 

 

 

 

Infos to Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One