I’ve been a long-time fan of the Mission Impossible movies. It’s been fascinating to watch Tom Cruise remake the beloved 60’s era TV series from a vanity starring vehicle into a billion-dollar film franchise. Super Spy Ethan Hunt is now America’s version of James Bond, for better or worse. While the first four entries were very much visions of their respective directors: Brian De Palma, John Woo, JJ Abrams, and Brad Bird, the M.I. franchise really hit its stride when writer/director Christopher McQuarrie took the reins with 2015’s “Rogue Nation.” McQuarrie supercharged the franchise by mixing smart storytelling with intense, globe-trotting action culminating in 2018 with the excellent “Fallout,” arguably the strongest entry in the 20-year franchise.
The fruitful relationship between Cruise/McQuarrie continues (McQuarrie is also a co-writer on this week’s “Top Gun: Maverick”) as we get our first look at “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part One.” The long-delayed two-part film, due to the covid pandemic (including the infamous recording of Cruise berating crew members over safety protocols), has Ethan Hunt bringing his merry band of super spies back together. Cruise is joined by returning stars Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, and most intriguingly, Vanessa Kirby from “Fallout.” Newcomers to the franchise are white-haired Esai Morales, who looks to be one of the big bads, and the very talented Haley Atwell (that’s Peggy Carter for all you MCU fans.) Also interesting is the return of Henry Czerny’s Kittridge, the villain of the original 1996 Mission Impossible.
The trailer, which reportedly leaked early, is a well-edited and gripping preview, hitting all the pleasure points for M.I. fans. We get exotic locales, thrilling car chases, and even Rebecca Ferguson flashing a deadly sword as she faces off against the villainous Morales. The trailer finishes big with that jaw-dropping motorcycle cliff jump, which looks like the big stunt set piece that has become standard with the franchise.
Sadly, we must wait more than a year to see the finished product—Dead Reckoning-Part One debuts July 14th, 2023, with Part Two dropping June 28th, 2024.
Check out the trailer below: