There's something strangely touching about watching Tom Cruise say goodbye. Not with a bang, but with a hug. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Two feels like a farewell salute from a man who has been running for our entertainment for nearly 30 years — and who still refuses to go quietly. But maybe he should have put on another mask.
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Disclaimer: Apropos Magazine received access or a review copy. As always, we share our own impressions — unfiltered.
Six stars
Long goodbye at full speed
With an almost touching hug between Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and Luther (Ving Rhames) in the film's opening minutes, it's evident we're nearing the end of an era. This could be the final chapter in the Mission: Impossible saga that began back in 1996. But now let's see it before we believe it.
Family Ties and Submarine AI
The plot? Something about an advanced AI, a submarine, a cruciform key, and about fifteen factions of alternating enemies, friends, and government officials who doubt Ethan Hunt's authority and loyalty—even if, as always, he's acting out of peaceful motives. It's messy but effective, and the film draws fine threads to both the previous film (Dead Reckoning Part One) and the rest of the franchise's many chapters.
Less show, more seriousness
Where its predecessor was one of the most successful action films of recent times, this one turns down the wauw effects and the classic masks. Cruise's self-aware sarcasm is also toned down. In return, he runs -- of course -- like an Olympic middle-distance runner, and the breakneck stunts are still grotesquely impressive. This is the man who likes to jump off cliffs for our entertainment. Respect.
The women, the charm and the fun
Where Dead Reckoning Part One had strong female characters and twinkle in its eye, this take lacks a bit of warmth and humour. It all gets very serious — almost Fast & Furious with the many emotional family references.
Let's just put it like this...
Expectations were towering and it's hard not to be a little disappointed. But as pure action bang, the film still delivers the goods. And if you're a fan of the franchise -- and I guess you are -- you have to see it on the big screen. Cruise has earned his place in Hollywood's hero archive, and whether Mission: Impossible ends here or not, this is a worthy chapter.
