**The Feel-Bad Flick of Summer: A Dive into “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning”**
### Not Your Typical Summer Blockbuster
**Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning** is here, marking the eighth installment in the beloved franchise. However, **this outing is unlike any before**—it’s grim, heavy, and drenched in a sense of impending doom. Instead of the usual escapism that Hollywood films offer, this narratively dark chapter tackles existential dread, with themes centered on global tensions and imminent catastrophe.
### A Foreboding Opening
The film’s prologue sets the tone with a haunting declaration: **“Truth is vanishing, war is coming.”** What follows is a barrage of missile launches and the specter of cities going up in flames. Gone are the playful banter and adrenaline-pumping scenes that characterized earlier entries. Here, we’re treated to philosophical musings wrapped in a shroud of darkness.
#### Why the Shift?
What’s particularly disheartening is how drastically the franchise’s tone has flipped. The previous film, **Dead Reckoning**, was infused with humor, excitement, and even a hint of romance—qualities that made it a joy to watch. In stark contrast, **The Final Reckoning** unfolds primarily in **gloomy tunnels and shadowy caverns**, making it feel like both a literal and figurative descent into darkness.
### Dwindling Action Amidst Exposition
A staggering portion of the film’s almost three-hour runtime is spent in dimly lit rooms where characters whisper complex narratives to each other. Rather than excitement, we’re subjected to scenes that could easily be retitled **Exposition: Interminable**. These moments are fragmented by jarring cuts to flashbacks and flash-forwards, attempting to infuse dynamism into a plot struggling to find its footing. This frantic pacing only reveals that the creative team may have been grappling with a story that didn’t quite shine.
#### A Lack of Substance
If **The Final Reckoning** had aimed to be a sophisticated drama, its heavy themes might have been excusable. Sadly, it falters as it serves up a convoluted premise: an AI known as **the Entity** threatens to wipe out humanity—but strangely, the film never fully explains its motives. What’s more alarming is how easily Cruise’s character, Ethan Hunt, can neutralize this apocalyptic threat. All he needs to do is click two gadgets together to dismantle a global crisis.
### The Gadgets and Their Importance
One crucial gadget is a box containing the Entity’s source code, currently stranded in a wrecked submarine. This underwater sequence, while eerie, fails to evoke excitement—who wants to watch long stretches of silent swimming through murky waters without a chase? The second gadget is a **”poison pill,”** a thumb drive created by his ally Luther (Ving Rhames). Estranged from its guardian and conveniently placed in an unguarded pocket, it’s snatched away by the antagonist, Gabriel (Esai Morales). Such plot holes leave audiences scratching their heads at Hunt’s glaring carelessness.
### A Mixed Bag of Praise and Critique
Ironically, while the film elevates Hunt to heroic status through montages and solemn speeches, it neglects to address the glaringly erroneous decisions he makes. This paradox cuts deep, leaving viewers questioning the intelligence of a protagonist depicted as a paragon of virtue while simultaneously stumbling over basic operational security.
### The Stunt that Stands Out
While the film has several issues, it does deliver one memorable action scene featuring Cruise hanging onto a biplane—an impressive feat that showcases his penchant for high-octane stunts. But even this climactic moment feels like a rehash of previous films, blending elements from **Fallout’s** helicopter sequence with moments from **Rogue Nation**. One can’t help but wonder: **Biplanes? Really?** It suggests a creative team running low on ideas, scavenging the shelves of all previous transport-driven sequences.
### A Pensive Farewell
As the franchise bids adieu, one hopes for a more jubilant and less morose farewell. Instead, **The Final Reckoning** insists on a solemn departure, mired in reflections on what we’ve become—both as a civilization and as an audience. While it may be marketed as the grand finale for Ethan Hunt, it leaves a lingering question: was this the exit we truly wanted?
#### Final Thoughts
In a summer filled with vibrant escapism, ***Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning*** might stand out as the feel-bad film of the season. It’s a stark reminder that even the most exciting franchises can stumble—leaving audiences not just wondering what comes next, but questioning everything they just witnessed.
**Director**: Christopher McQuarrie
**Cast**: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Hannah Waddingham
**Run-time**: 2hr 49m
For an alternative take on the action genre, check out [How Film Thrives on Escapism](https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20230705-mission-impossible-dead-reckoning-is-ideal-escapism).
