If the new “Mission: Impossible” movie is Tom Cruise’s last, he’s going out on top.
Of an airplane.
From crawling all over a biplane to spelunking a sunken submarine, the A-lister’s daredevil secret agent Ethan Hunt is going above and beyond to save the world – as usual – in the eighth installment of the franchise, “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” (★★★½ out of four; rated PG-13; in theaters May 23). That “Final” does seem apropos: This installment feels different in terms of its emotional stakes and like more of a closure than ever, weaving in aspects of past movies while putting Ethan through the direst of straits.
Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY’s movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox
The introduction of “The Entity,” a rogue artificial intelligence, as Ethan’s main enemy leaned sort of silly in the last movie, 2023’s “Dead Reckoning.” Maybe it’s because the real world caught up with the movies, where the AI in co-writer/director Christopher McQuarrie’s action thriller feels more believable as an apocalyptic chaos agent, but the Entity earns those supervillainous stripes this time around: It wants to enslave mankind.
We’ve had to wait two years to see Cruise back in action but the new flick picks up only a couple of months after the “Dead” ending – enough for Ethan to grow out his hair a bit – and President Erika Sloane (Angela Bassett) wants the spy to come in from the cold. The Entity has divided people and countries to a staggering degree and Ethan is pretty much the only chance of staving off global nuclear annihilation. The original AI source code is on a Russian submarine at the bottom of the Bering Sea, and Ethan holds the key to unlock it.
‘Mission: Impossible 8’ mixes old cast with impressive rookies
But the situation’s not that simple, logistically or morally, for Ethan and his allies: old friends Luther (Ving Rhames) and Benji (Simon Pegg), pickpocket Grace (Hayley Atwell), ex-baddie Paris (Pom Klementieff) and helpful federal agent Degas (Greg Tarzan Davis). The Entity’s human helper Gabriel (Esai Morales) becomes more of a thorn in Ethan’s side and our heroes scatter to London, South Africa and the Arctic on a mission that would be rather impossible for anyone not named Tom Cruise.
“Final Reckoning” offers some of the franchise’s tensest moments, to the point where you feel exhausted (mostly in a good way) after nearly three hard-charging hours. The momentum is especially fast-paced, almost overly so, at the beginning, but the film settles over time into the relatively pleasant feel of a runaway train. McQuarrie is so good at parsing out action sequences, dramatic scenes and character moments, and one key scene – where Ethan is quietly investigating a wrecked sub and being tossed and turned like a washing machine – is even oddly calming.
Overall, there’s an “Avengers: Endgame” feel to “Final Reckoning,” throwing back to plot points and characters from previous films. Henry Czerny is back again as Ethan’s ex-boss Eugene Kittridge and is joined by another returning actor from 1996’s first “Mission,” Rolf Saxon, who played the CIA analyst affected by Ethan’s iconic vault heist. (This thing is such a throwback, even a VHS tape plays a significant role.) The new film also brings in a crop of impressive rookies, too: Nick Offerman is a worried general on Sloane’s Joint Chiefs of Staff; “Ted Lasso” standout Hannah Waddingham chews oceanic scenery as a no-nonsense battleship admiral; and “Severance” phenom Tramell Tillman rules as a steady sub captain.
Is this the last ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie?
Cruise, as always, is the main reason why this and every other “Mission” (except for that iffy second one) works. Yes, he’s the world’s most famous stuntman to put his body on the line for the theatrical experience. He also showcases dramatic heft amid a soulful narrative, which skillfully explains why Ethan and his cohorts make the choices they do – and it’s not just to accept a mission with a message that will self-destruct.
That Cruise might be wrapping up this franchise may seem, well, impossible. Maybe Ethan comes back after a needed vacation and Cruise does this until he’s 90. Maybe there are spinoffs (green light a Tillman-led undersea adventure now, please). Although if “The Final Reckoning” is indeed at hand, you couldn’t ask for a better death-defying, free-falling, edge-of-your-dang-seat sendoff.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ‘Mission: Impossible 8’ review: Tom Cruise goes full throttle
