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07/16/2023

Review "Dead Reckoning" (Part One) - The Mission: Impossible saga at its peak splendor.


By Juan Camilo Ardila (Twitter: @juanardila87)

The successful producing duo composed of Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie did it again. After the spectacular Mission: Impossible – Fallout in 2018, Cruise and his great accomplice in direction and production raised the stakes even higher during the pandemic by making an even more massive film, shooting in multiple locations, and paying homage to Brian de Palma, the director of the first film in the franchise.

The result is unbeatable: a spy movie with great action sequences that successfully maintain tension throughout its nearly three-hour duration. With only one film left to complete this golden circle that began in 1996, it is clear that the Mission: Impossible franchise is already established as one of the best and most consistent in the history of cinema.

The fact that McQuarrie and Cruise are able to steer this plane at full speed and achieve a satisfying climax for the saga is a testament to their fierce commitment to every project they undertake. This film runs like its protagonist, but it also makes the audience sweat and leaves them ecstatic from a journey that, although it will have a sequel, provides a very good and satisfying conclusion, avoiding the typical cliffhangers that we often endure in these giant franchises.

It should be noted that "Dead Reckoning Part One" takes a bit of time to find its rhythm as the audience adapts to the 180-degree shift from a film with a more serious, dark tone and a stylistic force reminiscent of Christopher Nolan, to receiving this grainy proposal from McQuarrie, with various camera angles and a more nostalgic tone, evoking De Palma's fabulous Mission: Impossible.

What is the movie about? An artificial intelligence is threatening the world while nations led by humans (and a couple of criminal enterprises) fight like mad to control it. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) finds himself at the center of this potential war, largely for personal reasons. The memory of a lost love whispers from the past, while his friends in the present are in great danger for being close to him. Should he save the planet or protect the lives of his friends? This dilemma is precisely the dramatic weight of the film.

One could argue that this also happened in Fallout, but in "Dead Reckoning," they strive to sell its grandeur and danger even more. The fact that the unbeatable and stealthy enemy is AI, although it may sound vacuous and repetitive, is well presented. However, with the constant comedic moments in the first hour of the film, especially in the chase sequence in Rome involving a small yellow Fiat, the story slightly loses momentum and intensity.

The film finds its balance when Ethan and his team arrive in Venice. McQuarrie creates a fascinating and dark sequence set in the narrow streets of the Italian city. Our hero is pushed to the limit as he races against the risk of losing a loved one while trapped in an alley with two villains. Those minutes of the film are an undeniable visual delight. And as if that weren't enough, we later get to enjoy a sequence on a train that, in my opinion, is one of the most fabulous ones ever seen in action cinema.

We'll have to see how this penultimate Mission: Impossible film performs at the box office. However, creatively speaking, the risk is worth it. There is a significant amount of craftsmanship in such a massive film like "Dead Reckoning Part One" that truly deserves the collective applause of all viewers and critics. This movie is filled with love for the art of filmmaking, cinematic quality, even more so than spectacle.

I don't need Tom Cruise to convince me. I regularly go to cinemas because it is one of my greatest passions, but it makes me happy that this man occasionally gives many people the motivation to go to a movie theater.

Streaming platforms should complement cinema; not replace it. That's why I want to take this opportunity to invite you to find the largest movie theater in your city and enjoy this new special invitation from one of Hollywood's most dedicated characters to satisfy the needs of those who set aside the realities of daily life for a few hours to travel far in front of a giant screen.

Immense thanks, Tom Cruise. And now, we wait for the definitive conclusion of this legendary saga.

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