We’ve waited two years for the second half of the latest Mission: Impossible adventure, starring the daredevil stuntman Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt. I can confidently say that it has been worth the wait. Picking up where ‘Dead Reckoning’ ended, Ethan Hunt has an enormous mission to complete as The Entity, a powerful AI’s whose goal is to take over the world and destroy it. Not to worry, as you’ll also see his signature full-speed running several times during the film with his elbows bent to a 90-degree angle, pushing him forward.
The stunt work is awe-inspiring here, as you’ll be wowed by the biplane sequence featured in the trailers, although you’ll have to wait a bit as it’s near the end. The runtime is a little long, as I thought. Near the middle of the film, it dragged, especially with the lengthy submarine scenes; however, the second time I saw the movie, it didn’t seem as long. It’s refreshing to see strong, significant women in roles such as Angela Bassett, who delivers a fabulous performance as the no-nonsense U.S. president and has a good amount of screen time. I also enjoyed Haley Atwell as Grace; she adds a softness to the more intense scenes and excels in hand-to-hand combat, which was challenging and entertaining to watch. Lastly, I must mention Pom Klementieff, who plays a blonde character that adds much-needed humor to the film. I always enjoy her performances, as she brings a quirky charm to her roles in both films.
There are other comical lines, one that the always great Simon Pegg, who plays Benji, makes a joke about “Going Nuclear,” which garnered a good laugh from the audience. He’s always helpful as the problem solver and Ethan’s loyal friend. Luther (Ving Rhames), a tech genius, works on problem-solving to save the planet from destruction. Last but not least, the villain is Esai Morales, who plays Gabriel, a debonaire cipher whose relationship to the evil AI remains puzzling. We wonder if the Entity has brainwashed Gabriel into devoting his life to working as its embodied human representative. Or is he attempting to take it for himself? A line from the film regarding the technology is described as a truth-eating digital parasite. Morales effectively portrays this villain, making him interesting to watch as he delivers his lines with a glint of mischief in his eye.
Once again, Tom Cruise brilliantly brings his character full circle as we see him navigate through various challenging situations, always managing to find a way out. That’s the excitement of these films: Cruise is repeatedly faced with circumstances that would typically be lethal for anyone else, yet he finds inventive solutions. I also appreciated the musical score composed by Max Arui and Alfie Godfrey in this installment. The jaw-dropping scene featured in the trailer—a thrilling aerial chase where Cruise first clings to the outside of a World War II-era biplane as it takes off, then leaps to a second biplane piloted by the Entity’s collaborator, Gabriel—truly makes the film worth seeing.
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Sarah Knight Adamson© June 1, 2025