There is something oddly moving 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 exit quietly. But maybe he should have put on one more mask.
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Disclaimer: Apropos Magazine received access or a review copy. As always, we share our own impressions — unfiltered.
Six stars
A long goodbye at full speed
With an almost touching embrace between Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and Luther (Ving Rhames) in the film’s opening minutes, it is clear that we are approaching the end of an era. This could be the final chapter in the Mission: Impossible saga, which began back in 1996. But let’s actually see it before we believe it.
Family ties and submarine AI
The plot? Something about an advanced AI, a submarine, a cross-shaped key, and roughly fifteen factions of shifting enemies, friends, and government officials who question Ethan Hunt’s authority and loyalty — even though he, as always, is acting from peaceful motives. It’s messy but effective, and the film draws neat threads both to the previous film (Dead Reckoning Part One) and to the franchise’s many other chapters.
Less spectacle, more gravity
Where its predecessor was one of the most successful action films in recent memory, this one turns down the wow factor and the classic disguises. Cruise’s self-aware sarcasm is also dialed back. In return, he runs — of course — like an Olympic middle-distance runner, and the death-defying stunts are still grotesquely impressive. This is a man who gladly leaps off cliffs for our entertainment. Respect.
The women, the charm, and the fun
Where Dead Reckoning Part One had strong female characters and a twinkle in its eye, this outing is missing a little warmth and humor. Everything becomes very serious — almost Fast & Furious-like with all the emotional family references.
Let’s put it like this…
Expectations were sky-high, and it’s hard not to feel a little disappointed. But as a pure action blast, the film still delivers. And if you’re a fan of the franchise — and surely you are — this is one to see on the big screen. Cruise has earned his place in Hollywood’s hall of heroes, and whether Mission: Impossible ends here or not, this is a worthy chapter.
