Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning (2025) Review

Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning
Year: 2025
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Country: US
Language: English

Social media has made actors far too accessible to the public. Once distant, almost mythic figures, actors are now constantly "online" — posting personal content, engaging directly with fans, and sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of their lives. The mystery is gone. The larger-than-life movie star is now a rare phenomenon, preserved only in a select few.

Tom Cruise — Scientology aside — is one of those few. He embodies the classic star power that makes any film he touches feel like a major event. Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning was a must-see the moment it was announced, simply because of his involvement. He doesn’t just star in movies; he turns them into spectacles.

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the IMF team continue their search for the terrifying AI known as the Entity - which has infiltrated intelligence networks all over the globe - with the world's governments and a mysterious ghost from Ethan's past on their trail. 

For this - perhaps last- entry in the Mission Impossible franchise, director Christopher McQuarrie blends plot points and characters from over thirty years, giving them added weight by adding their storylines into this one. Even though Hunt's character has faced seemingly impossible circumstances before - this film seeks to out-impossible all of them, by having a $400 million big-budget & "end of the world" stakes at the heart of the story. 

Dead Reckoning takes its time to find its footing, but once it does, the film delivers jaw-dropping action sequences that will leave you squirming in your seat, asking, "How on earth will Ethan Hunt survive this?!" Part of the enduring thrill of Mission: Impossible is watching the odds stack impossibly high against Cruise, only to witness him claw his way out with sheer determination (and some mind-blowing stunts). The title Dead Reckoning adds a layer of uncertainty and tension — I found myself genuinely wondering if this could be the end of Ethan Hunt. 

I had a very fun time with Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning. If this is the last MI then the franchise went out on a very high note. The stunt work, effects, and cinematography are all impressive. This film makes me want to re-watch the others. Perhaps I'll do a marathon when this comes to streaming.