Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One UHD Review (1 Viewer)

[Neil Middlemiss]

Action films don’t come much better than Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning. It’s a piece of preposterously good and entertaining cinematic wonder. The film underperformed at the box office for reasons I can’t fathom. Perhaps some air was sucked out of the room from the Juggernaut of attention and anticipation that was Barbie and Oppenheimer. Perhaps it was the head-scratching decision to tack on a “Part One” to the title indicating that audiences wouldn’t really get an ending (and this film does satisfyingly conclude, but it doesn’t conclude everything). And the film was not cheap. A budget approaching $300MM, a cost impacted by pandemic delays and COVID 19 protocols.
With a worldwide gross of around $567MM, the film will need a miraculous performance on home video and streaming revenues to make up for it, but that box office challenge isn’t a reflection of the film’s quality or entertainment value. Not even close. This film is incredibly entertaining, with a smart script...

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[Peter Apruzzese]

Great review. Does the film have multiple aspect ratios like the Fallout release?

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

Great review. Does the film have multiple aspect ratios like the Fallout release?

No shifting aspect ratios for this one.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

Thanks, looking forward to seeing this one again.

 

[Dave Moritz]

I really enjoyed this movie in the theater and purchased it as soon as it was released on 4K bluray. Looking forward to Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Pt2

 

[TravisR]

No doubt I mentioned it in the thread in the Movies section but when I saw this over the summer, the woman sitting next to me said "Lord have mercy" three or four times during the most exciting moments. I want that lady next to me in every good movie I see because she made the picture all the more entertaining.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Looking forward to Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Pt2

No such movie will exist because Paramount has decided to change the subtitle of the next film.

 

[Sam Posten]

Can’t wait for my copy. I’m behind on two reviews I will have to finish first tho!

 

[owen35]

Label me an outlier, I wasn't too thrilled with this outing of MI. Near the end I was joking that it was "Mission: Impossible to Watch." The actions scenes were too long and seemed to veer into the absurd and predictable. How many times do we need to see a small car in Europe drive down alleyways with people jumping out of the way? The train action sequence just never seemed to end and actually got boring. (I won't detail anything for those who have yet to see it.). I certainly don't begrudge anyone who enjoyed it, but I doubt I will watch it again.

 

[dpippel]

Thanks for the review, Neil!

 

[Nathan_H]

Yeah this is a fun one, for sure. Perfect? Maybe not. But these movies are always a little shaggy around the edges. They remind me of the best Jackie Chan, or Buster Keaton: a tenuous plot merely in pace to connect outstanding action sequences.

Compare the train action here versus this year's Indiana Jones movie....both of which were set on the same section of track in the real world (though of course largely created in CG). This one feels a lot more fun, imo.

Compare the Rome car chase here versus this year's Fast and Furious movie. MI uses some of the same landmarks, but manages to do something new and more interesting, with handcuffs (for example).

What disappointed me:

1. No use of IMAX at all. Boy that was a waste of my time and money, seeking out an IMAX showing specifically because it has been used to such good affect by the franchise lately......and not at all in this movie.
2. Dumb use of Part One in the title. Spiderman, Dune, Fast X all avoided that death knell in their marketing. Sure wish MI had forgone that, as well. (On the other hand, removing Part 2 from the next movie is just going to be doubly weird and awkward. I mean, at least stick with a naming convention: even if it isn't ideal it's still better than changing horses in mid stream....)
3. I know the crazy practical stunts are part of the promotion strategy for the franchise at this point, but unless it happens early in the film, it's a spoiler: The motorcycle bit near the end of the movie would have been so much more exciting if it was stretched out longer, and if we hadn't seen detailed "making of" features prior to the movie's release (imo).

 

[Mike Frezon]

Neil: Great review of a very entertaining film.

I just watched my 4k disc a few days ago and I can't stop raving about it: the story, PQ, SQ. I told my son I'm giving it 8 out of 5 stars. He knows I don't often engage in hyperbole about the films I watch. But this was one fun ride.

One of my favorite things about the film is that I found the story very straightforward. Oftentimes, I find myself confused by convoluted story lines in these types of films which keep me guessing about what's going on. But this is a very well-told tale. I have found myself consistently engaged by this franchise and this one goes right to the top--surpassing my previous favorite: Ghost Protocol.

Oh. And my subwoofer got a real workout with this film. In fact the Atmos track is probably my second favorite thing about the film. Wow! My room was absolutely filled with music and sound on my budget system.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Nice review Neal.

I did like that this film felt more like a 'team effort' vs. some of the earlier entries in the franchise. I do wish that some of the action more closely adhered to the laws of physics, but that is a foolish wish for films of this genre. There is a certain exit from a moving vehicle that just stomps all over the conservation of momentum.

Fun movie. Looking forward to the conclusion.

- Walter.

 

[Mike Frezon]

There is a certain exit from a moving vehicle that just stomps all over the conservation of momentum.

How about the one-on-one fight atop that same fast-moving vehicle--in which no one fell off!