Cruises along, without any hiccups

Nonika Singh

Even before we walk into theatres, we have read and heard about Tom Cruise’s gravity and death-defying daring, dangerous stunt, riding a motorcycle off a cliff. How the 61-year-old actor practised it to perfection before canning it, has been the talk of the town for more than a while. Of course, in the seventh outing of ‘Mission Impossible’, the jaw-dropping scene comes much later, and let you be informed, it is certainly not the only high point of the film. Rather, from scene one, we are taken in by the mission made possible. The prologue takes us underwater as a submarine explodes; in its destruction lies the secret to the impending mystery and new mission.

Enter Ethan Hunt, leader of the IMF which the fandom of the franchise knows by now is not International Monetary Fund but Impossible Mission Force. Still, the movie spells it out for us. Ethan’s mission impossible this time is to find two parts of the key which hold the key to the godless, borderless, stateless, amoral enemy, aka the Entity. Artificial Intelligence, which is grabbing all our attention, is the meta-power here which can insidiously infiltrate intelligence and military systems and create havoc. Clearly, the one who controls the Entity controls the world. But before they can get to it, the fight is for the key. One half is with Hunt’s ally Ilsa Faust (the lovely Rebecca Ferguson) which he quickly gains control of. It is in the quest for the other half that the plot thickens and action reigns and rains like never before. In Italy alone, there is an extended, more than 15-minute-long breathless car chase sequence that is a treat, even if you are no action aficionado.

Mounted on a grand scale with spectacular cinematography by Fraser Taggart, though an actioner, the film, by no stretch of imagination, is a mere collection of set action pieces. And certainly, it is far more than a sum of its dazzling stunts. Surely, action sequences, especially the train one, which also remind us of our very own SRK-starrer ‘Pathaan’, are exceptionally well executed. While we all know Hunt is going to survive all onslaughts that come his way, even landing safely on a moving train, director Christopher McQuarrie keeps our adrenaline pumping as he leads us through the blend of the predictable and the unpredictable. A melange of unbelievable the film might be, but he has all our attention.

Having co-written the screenplay, along with Erik Jendresen, the writing is undeniably clever, not cerebral though, with enough peppering of humour. Among the smart one-liners which stay with us are, “You’re playing four-dimensional chess. Chess with an algorithm.”

While Cruise does most of the heavy lifting, actresses are not just cosmetic exercises but have well fleshed out parts. Hayley Atwell as Grace, whose sleight of hand as a thief lands Hunt in more trouble than he bargains for, truly enchants. She is both impressive and beautiful and outwits Hunt more than once in an interesting game of wits. Vanessa Kirby as Alanna Mitsopolis, a black-market arms dealer and broker, aka White Widow, also seen in ‘Mission Impossible: Fallout’, might be a late entrant in the proceedings but is certainly deliciously imposing. If you remember her vivacious portrayal of Princess Margaret in Netflix drama ‘The Crown’, her White Widow act too you won’t forget in a hurry.

Hunt’s friends and partners, Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn and Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell, whose technical prowess saves the day for him at crucial junctures, add to the merriment. You bet the movie is loads of fun and entertainment, with little room for boredom.

Even though it is spread out rather longish — two hours and 43 minutes — the Cruise-starrer simply cruises along, without any hiccups and with no dull moments.

Though emotions and human warmth are factored in, especially in the way Rebecca’s character pans out, no time is lost in unnecessary romance.

In short, ‘Dead Reckoning’ is a ready reckoner for all franchise makers on how to keep the momentum going. Even in the seventh instalment, neither the interest nor the pace wanes. Of course, as the title suggests, the second part is very much in the reckoning and will come somewhere next year. But part one nicely ties up the threads and while we are certainly looking forward to what happens next, part one by itself is a wholesome feast that satiates your curiosity and stands on more than Cruise’s nimble running feet.

The ageing but exceptionally fit star may not look as irresistibly handsome as when the first ‘Mission Impossible’ came into being in 1996, but retains his star charisma. Whether a fan of his and of the MI action juggernaut or not, should you choose to see it? A resounding yes.