Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning brings us back the action-packed, stunt-filled series in a momentous spectacle – but not without falling into some of the pitfalls we’ve come to expect, and love, from the franchise.

I have come to have a deep appreciation for Mission: Impossible. Since its 1999 debut it has become an establishment in the action spy genre, solidifying tropes of over-the-top action sequences and staying true to its goofy cliches which set itself apart from other long-standing franchises  like James Bond and John Wick. In my eyes it is one of the last remaining beacons of dumb-fun action which is still narratively engaging and visually stunning.

The film throws us back into the world of IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) in a continuation of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One with a team full of new faces and old tasked with finding, and taking down, The Entity – a rogue AI which has taken a grasp of the world’s cyberspace and threatens to take control of every nuclear arsenal and unleash chaos across the world.

Firstly, the action scenes are the best they’ve ever been up to this point. It shows Cruise is truly still at the top of his game and possibly never left. We know he does his own stunts but man, I still watch in awe and wonder how any of it was done. There is one underwater sequence in particular which had me at the edge of my seat for its entirety.

While these are the crux of the movie, they can also drag on a bit. The 2 hour 50 minute runtime starts to rear its head during the final act when some action sequences feel like they could be five minutes shorter.

Getting to the meat of the film also takes longer than expected. I feel like the first 30-minutes was a mix of exposition while trying to get to the good bits which ultimately made the story-building feel rushed.

The film manages to make the stakes feel like the highest they’ve ever been – almost entirely thanks to the stellar cast of characters made up of old faces like Luther Rhames (Ving Rhames) and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), along with some newer additions like Grace (Hayley Atwell). For the diehard fans, a character from earlier in the series also makes a surprising return – and puts on an incredible performance.

Because of its increased scale though, it also does without some of its usual cliches. Sadly this includes its iconic theme. The theme matched its 90s original impeccably yet is somewhat inappropriate for end-of-the-world level stakes.

Gabriel (Esai Morales) is a great villain, however I feel like he doesn’t come close to the intimidating presence of the series’ greatest antagonists like Owen Davian (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) in Mission: Impossible III.

Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning is exactly what we’d hope to experience from a high stakes eighth instalment of a monster franchise. It has all the thrill we’ve grown to love and makes for an exciting cinema experience. While some of the writing is sloppy in parts and gets a bit silly – it really doesn’t divert in any way from the adrenaline of seeing Tom Cruise doing what he does best.

The post Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (Paramount Pictures – 2025) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

It is said that with two halves of a mysterious key you can have unlimited technological power.

Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt in one epic Mission Impossible film.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One sees Ethan being called upon to retrieve the two parts to a key which when together can control a mysterious experimental AI known as ‘The Entity’.

But he is not the only one seeking the two halves of the key and what plays out in an almost three hour action-packed epic film is many twisty turns that take Ethan and his allies on an explosive international adventure.

‘The Entity’ is a forever evolving AI and has the capabilities, in the wrong hands, of bringing the entire globe to its knees.

From wild car chases through Rome, to top of a runaway steam train edge of seat action sequences, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is an action film in its utmost purity.

I recommend seeing Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One with the only downside that you’ll need to wait 12 months for Part Two.

The post Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (Paramount – 2023) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Another M.I. installment sees Tom Cruise once again refusing to be uncool. Whether it’s the run, the jawline, or the stunts, he’s got a James Bond-esque swagger that no other actor seems to be able to compete with on the screen, even the likes Henry Cavill dwarfs in comparison to his cool factor.

The Mission Impossible franchise has once again graced us with a 2 and a half hour compilation of car chases, gun fights and smouldering looks in Fallout. Even though Tom Cruise, who plays Ethan Hunt, does his own helicopter stunts, the cast won’t be picking up Oscars’ for their performances, but that isn’t what director Christopher McQuarrie set his sights on. Even the most predictable moments have entire audiences on the edge of their seats as Cruise takes on the seemingly impossible (pun intended).

I’m not one for action films, a perfect film for me being something along the lines of Notting Hill, but I couldn’t resist joining the excitement with the rest of the theatre. Even though every twist, turn and reveal is as foreseeable as the one before it, the audience experiences a somewhat childish fever every time the plot takes a 170° turn through the streets of Paris. I wouldn’t hesitate in putting it out there that this was the best hours I’ve spent in a seat for ShaneTheGamer (STG), and I’m looking forward to the inevitable sequel.

Join the thrill, save some pocket money, and go see this film. Make sure you go to IMAX if you can, Tom looks that much better when he’s 52 feet tall, compared to his regular 5 foot 7 inches.

The post Mission Impossible: Fallout (Paramount Pictures) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Mission Impossible: Rouge Nation is the 5th instalment for this franchise unraveling its exhilarating death defying action and drama. It does well to stay true to it while also standing well on its own. Once you really get into it there is so much action and excitement as you would expect, opening up with Ethan flung across the side of a plane about to ascend further into the skies, and the extremities don’t stop there.

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team are desperately trying to save and keep the IMF running to continue saving the world. The dedicated IMF team must help Ethan with his biggest challenge yet, to find out who the mysterious organization “The Syndicate” is and to stop them before it’s too late. “The Syndicate” being an international rouge organization lead by Soloman Lane (Sean Harris), whose team is just as skilled as the IMF but with nefarious intentions.

And just to make things harder, this is all while Ethan is on the run from the CIA. Well I guess they don’t call it “Mission Impossible” for nothing.

Finding himself coming into contact with the suspicious Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) who Ethan comes to trust, although she will have you guessing whose side she is really on. She creates a good dynamic in character with her being the leading lady without the cliche of it always being a romance as it fully focuses on the action. The funniest moments comes from Ethan’s sidekicks Benji (Simon Pegg) and William Brandt (Jeremy Renner) as they spend most of their time following his instructions and chasing this terrorist group.

As they travel from city to city all over the world, Ethan inevitably gets himself involved in deadly situations. There is plenty of impossible happening with a thrilling high speed motorcycle chase to having you on the edge of your seat with a deathly underwater scene.

With beautifully captured cinematography and breathtaking views, the film really engages you and takes you there.

Once again, Tom Cruise proves he is unstoppable through his character Ethan as he delivers more than expected being a brilliantly self-aware action hero. Through its strong performances and characters is what makes this a dynamic and focus shifting ride.

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is definitely one of the most exciting films I have had the pleasure of experiencing this year. It took me by surprise with how good it was and I would still recommend seeing it even if you haven’t seen the other ones.