After nearly thirty years, the eighth (and apparently last) film in this iteration of the Mission: Impossible film series delivers in style. It is a long film - getting on towards three hours - but comfortably so. The viral parasitic AI Skynet - sorry, The Entity - has now expanded to such an extent that reality and truth in the world are in short supply, and it is now taking over the world's nuclear powers' missile systems with malicious intent, with Ethan Hunt's past actions inadvertently and retrofittingly contributing to these events which he and his team now have to prevent. As is typical of a last hurrah, flashbacks and montages deliver on the nostalgia front from the outset and attempt to justify the story, which is not so much tight as precision-engineered in order to link everything together, with the cast valiantly explaining every single step in as much detail as possible as if to a child. (Do not poke the story too much, however, as it grows increasingly more ridiculous as the film goes along). Sets, locations and design work are all stunning, and aside from half-a-dozen chucklesome lines, this is a rather sombre affair with more than a whiff of Skyfall at times, perhaps inevitable given its prospect of global nuclear annihilation, and as a result it is strong on the dramatic front. It has a clear three-act structure, the first half being slowish but interesting; however, the two enormous action set-pieces in the last hour are utterly insane and delivered superbly. The Final Reckoning uses many of the series' motifs, from masks to countdowns within deadlines, and one particular returnee is a fan-pleasing delight. Cruise is terrific, and he should be applauded for his extraordinary commitment to the franchise both on-screen and behind-the-scenes over the years. If this does prove to be Cruise's last outing in the Mission: Impossible world, then this is a very effective, fitting and entertaining final mission.
