Movie Review

Dense A.I.-centric plot keeps Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One from flying high

Since Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie started making movies together, the results have been mostly amazing. McQuarrie has either written, or written and directed, Cruise-starring movies like Edge of Tomorrow, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, and Top Gun: Maverick (yes, he also wrote Jack Reacher and The Mummy, but nobody’s perfect).

The duo is back together again in their favorite series with Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, what could be the beginning of the end to Cruise’s three-decade run as IMF agent Ethan Hunt. As always, Hunt and his extreme world-saving adventures have run him afoul of the U.S. government, with Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny, returning for the first time since in the original film) tasking a group of mercenaries to take out Hunt once and for all.

Hunt, naturally, has bigger concerns on his mind, this time an artificial intelligence known as The Entity that threatens to destabilize the entire world. Joined by team members Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), love interest/fellow spy Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), and a thief by the name of Grace (Hayley Atwell), Hunt travels around the world trying to track down a cruciform key that could help stop The Entity.

Directed by McQuarrie and co-written by McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen, the nearly three-hour film is the longest in the series’ history, mostly because the filmmakers fill its running time with a ton of exposition. Even for a series that is famously dense with confusing plots, this one takes the cake, as scene after scene tries to explain how dangerous The Entity is, as well as how new villain Gabriel (Esai Morales) fits into the scheme.

Somewhat disappointingly, that means that the series’ action scenes take a bit of a backseat. To be sure, there are some truly spectacular sequences, including a finale that will have audiences holding their collective breath, but they’re not as plentiful and definitely not as impactful as ones in previous films. Perhaps McQuarrie is saving the truly great stuff for Part Two, or perhaps – after upping the ante in each film in the series – he and his team were due for a letdown.

The film also suffers to a degree from a lack of a compelling central villain. The idea of A.I. taking over the world is very timely given the rise of ChatGPT, but in the context of an action film, it’s not that exciting. How or why Gabriel is a conduit for The Entity is also confusing, as is his supposed long antagonistic relationship with Ethan, which is never explored well enough to be noteworthy.

The 61-year-old Cruise is as fearless as ever, giving his all to each action scene and truly making you feel the depth of Hunt’s emotion. Ferguson, who’s been a boon for the series in the past two films, is great again, although she’s not given as much to do in this film. Atwell fits in nicely, but the presence of Ferguson and Vanessa Kirby as returning character The White Widow makes her superfluous in the “pairing Cruise with femme fatales” game.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is still much better than the majority of franchise films being offered up by studios, but when you have the track record the series has had to this point, anything less than greatness is discouraging. Part Two awaits in 2024, so redemption may not be far off.

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Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is now playing in theaters.

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One.

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RIP Joe

Texas country music singer-songwriter Joe Ely dies at 78

Joe Ely/Facebook

Joe Ely was a major figure in Texas' progressive country scene.

Joe Ely, the legendary songwriter, singer, and storyteller whose career spanned more than five decades, has died from complications related to Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and pneumonia. He was 78.

According to a statement posted to his Facebook page, Ely died at his home in Taos, New Mexico, with his wife Sharon, and daughter Marie, at his side.

Born February 9, 1947, in Amarillo, Texas, Ely was raised in Lubbock and became a central figure among a generation of influential West Texas musicians. He later settled in Austin, helping shape the city’s reputation as a hub for live music.

"Joe Ely performed American roots music with the fervor of a true believer who knew music could transport souls," said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

In the 1970s, Ely signed with MCA Records, launching a career that included decades of recording and touring around the world. His work and performances left a lasting impact on the music scene and influenced a wide range of artists, including the Clash and Bruce Springsteen, according to Rolling Stone.

"His distinctive musical style could only have emerged from Texas, with its southwestern blend of honky-tonk, rock & roll, roadhouse blues, western swing, and conjunto. He began his career in the Flatlanders, with fellow Lubbock natives Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, and he would mix their songs with his through 50 years of critically acclaimed recordings."

Read the full story at KVUE.com.

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