Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One has a long name, long runtime, and long action sequences.

Christopher McQuarrie has directed Tom Cruise in 4 out of his 5 directorial movies, the first being Jack Reacher. He has much more impressive writing credentials. But to talk about the direction of the movie, he knows how to direct action and chase scenes but when it comes to dialogue there were some issues I had with camera angles. I totally forgot that McQuarrie had written The Usual Suspects, which can explain some of the dialogue choices in this film. He knows how to write so that the audience remembers the characters' names, unlike Tony Gilroy. There's no connection there I just think that's one of my major criticisms of Gilroy.

Tom Cruise looks like he's forty years old, but is actually sixty at the time of release. He has some great two-liners which seem to be more of his go-to, not only for adding emotions but for the trailer purpose. There are a few moments where it is not what he says but emotes that matter. It really shows his dedication to this character and role.

Peggy Carter, I mean, Hayley Atwell plays Grace in this film. A new character and a pickpocket. She really shines here compared to her other blockbuster movies as Carter wasn't given enough space to shine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Here she shows vulnerability, independence, cunning, and realism in her character. She's not a super-spy like Ethan and she reminds us many times.

Rebecca Furguson is such a good actress and has a face that fits the Mission Impossible series of films. I look forward to seeing her Dune Part 2. The series has this thing where the good people have brown hair and the villains have blonde or white hair. Both Vanessa Kirby, Pom Klementieff, and Esai Morales are examples of this.

Vanessa Kirby might be the prettiest person working in Hollywood.

Pom Klementieff is very much a femme fatal. She looks, acts, and delivers a very convincing character. She's a bit crazy at times but she makes up for it later with her calm and killer attitude. Many people probably know her as Mantis from the MCU and I used to confuse her with Hana Mae Lee but Pom is a much better Actress.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One is the best in the franchise so far and the hype for Part Two is real. The film gets an A-.

Comments

Colony (2026)

Colony is written and directed by Yeon Sang-ho , the director behind the cult classic Train to Busan . While Train to Busan has become the more celebrated film, Colony shows how much Yeon has improved as both a writer and a director. The story is stronger, the filmmaking feels more confident, and the way he builds the world gives the movie more substance than I expected going in. Jun Ji-hyun is the clear standout of the cast. She does a fantastic job conveying emotion through subtle movements and expressions rather than relying on exaggerated acting. That is not surprising considering she is one of South Korea's best actresses, but she still manages to make the character feel grounded and believable. She carries much of the emotional weight of the film. I did not recognize many of the other actors, and unfortunately, none of them really stood out enough to make much of an impression. That is not necessarily a knock against the cast as much as it is a testament to how much Jun ...

Digger (2026)

Digger is directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and stars Tom Cruise as Digger Rockwell. Much like his name, there is a lot of symbolism and meaning packed into the film, along with plenty of references that brought a smile to my face. I went into this expecting it to be pretentious or outright bad because that was the prevailing opinion online before general audiences had even had a chance to see it. Anyone calling this movie pretentious clearly has not seen The Death of Robin Hood or Die My Love . Die My Love was so pretentious that my wife actually begged me to leave the theater, and I had to finish it another day. Digger , on the other hand, actually understands the difference between being ambitious and simply being self-important. Tom Cruise is great as Digger Rockwell, giving the character exactly the kind of larger-than-life personality the movie needs. There is so much going on beneath the surface that I found myself constantly looking for the symbolism and references hidden...

Verity (2026)

Verity was a surprise for me. Normally, the authors who turn their books into movies that I actually enjoy are Stephen King or Michael Crichton , but Colleen Hoover has been doing surprisingly well with the last four movies adaptations from her work. One thing I appreciate about her writing is that she knows how to write male characters who aren't weak or simply there to be punching bags for feminist talking points. That alone makes the characters feel more believable and gives the story a better balance. Dakota Johnson plays an up and coming writer who is brought in to ghostwrite for Anne Hathaway's character. This is easily Johnson's best performance yet. She does a good job carrying the movie and making the character's uncertainty and curiosity believable as the mystery around the house starts to unfold. Anne Hathaway does not have a huge amount to do because of her character's condition, but whenever she is actually on screen, she brings the energy you wo...

Movies, Film, and Chili

Search This Blog