“Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” is the latest installment of the “Mission Impossible” (MI) franchise and was released in theaters on July 12, 2023. The movie was released to streaming for Paramount Plus subscribers on Thursday, Jan. 25 2024. The movie is also available to buy on Amazon Prime and Apple TV. It was directed and written by Christopher McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen. The film contains thrilling action and has a unique take on Artificial Intelligence (AI), but its long action scenes and ambiguity can hamper the experience.

The movie focuses on Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), Grace (Hayley Atwell) and the rest of the Impossible Mission Force (IMF). They attempt to shut down a rogue AI known as “The Entity” which threatens humanity with its unlimited access to anything digital. In order to shut it down, they must find two halves of a key which can disable or control it. Governments from around the world scramble to find the key in hopes of controlling “The Entity.” Another person searching for the key is an ally of  “The Entity” named Gabriel, a significant figure in Ethan’s past who has now come back to haunt him.

In terms of the plot, there isn’t much to say. The premise of the movie isn’t exactly original, but the execution is good. AI is presented more realistically than in other movies: instead of making a robot army, “The Entity” distorts the truth and makes it scarcer than it already is by mimicking people’s voices and manipulating classified information. Another thing that this movie does differently than most others is having the AI work with someone. The reasons for the alliance between “The Entity” and Gabriel, however, are extremely vague and something I hope is explained in the next movie. 

The action in this movie is very solid. The choreography of the fights are dynamic and exciting. I think the best action scene is Ethan’s fights in an alleyway. Ethan’s realization that he’s been duped by “The Entity” pairs with the music to really sell the scene. The close quarters makes the fight extremely intense and the choreography is beautifully executed. Some scenes do feel like they drag on, however, which takes away from the potency that the scenes initially promise. One of the biggest problems of the movie is its runtime. The movie runs for two hours and 43 minutes, and would benefit from a shorter runtime.

The characters in the movie are enjoyable to watch. Ethan, Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), and Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) are all established characters in the MI franchise, and I have enjoyed watching them in previous movies. However, the other characters aren’t as compelling. During their mission to retrieve the key, they encounter a thief named Grace who starts as a liability but later becomes an asset to the IMF. While she isn’t poorly written, she’s supposed to act as a “replacement” for Ilsa’s spot in the team, and unfortunately doesn’t live up to the role. The two other characters that I have issues with are Jasper (Shea Whigham) and Degas (Greg Tarzan Davis). These two constantly chase Ethan throughout the movie but don’t serve any other purpose. They don’t have any significance within the events of the movie and are essentially an excuse to implement an action scene at any time.

Due to the runtime, faults within different characters, and other issues,  I wouldn’t say that “Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” surpasses the previous movie: “Mission Impossible Fallout.” But the movie is still very enjoyable to watch despite its issues. I would rate the movie an eight out of ten on the “Peanuts Scale.”