Tom Cruise returns for what feels like one last waltz with danger in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, a film that knows exactly what it is and yet still dares to push further. Directed with muscular precision by Christopher McQuarrie and shot with striking urgency by Fraser Taggart, this instalment walks a delicate line between excess and excellence, occasionally stumbling but never failing to entertain.

The film opens with a measured pace, heavy with information, and admittedly takes its time finding emotional ground. For about 40 minutes, it seems caught in its own mechanics setting up stakes so grand they almost blur into abstraction. During this stretch, character moments feel distant, and we’re left watching familiar faces without quite feeling their heartbeat. It’s not until the mission properly kicks in that the film begins to breathe, flex, and ultimately soar.

Tom Cruise, ever the daredevil, proves once again why he remains a force in modern cinema. His performance as Ethan Hunt is not just about the stunts though those are, as expected, thrilling. There’s an unspoken weight in his eyes now, a maturity that blends desperation with duty. It’s that mix that gives this supposed final chapter its emotional undercurrent, even if it arrives later than expected.

The ensemble cast adds depth, though not all are given equal footing. Simon Pegg’s Benji continues to evolve, revealing new emotional layers beneath the comic relief. Meanwhile, Esai Morales plays the antagonist with chilling restraint, providing just enough menace to keep us uneasy. The presence of actors like Angela Bassett, Janet McTeer, and Hannah Waddingham is welcome, but their roles feel more functional than full-bodied a missed opportunity in a film about global stakes and personal cost.

Visually, Taggart’s cinematography is captivating. From deep-sea sequences to gravity-defying aircraft manoeuvres, there’s a tactile tension in every frame. The camera lingers not just on action, but on the consequences on the sweat, the weight, and the quiet in-between moments that define Hunt’s journey. McQuarrie directs these set pieces with confidence, occasionally veering toward the extravagant, but never losing sight of the franchise’s beating heart: its belief in one man’s unrelenting commitment.

What holds this film back is how its early indulgence in exposition dulls the impact of some key emotional turns. Characters die. Lives are risked. But in the beginning, it all feels strangely muted. That said, once the gears shift and the mission truly ignites, everything clicks. The film becomes less about spectacle and more about legacy what it means to hold the line when everything around you is slipping away.

The Final Reckoning may not be the series’ strongest chapter, but it is a deeply reflective one. There’s a sense of closure here not necessarily in plot, but in tone. It feels like a love letter to the franchise and a final embrace between Cruise and a character that has defined much of his career.

In a cinematic era obsessed with reboots and algorithms, this film, with all its imperfections, still believes in the human touch. And maybe that’s its greatest strength.

Rating: 3.5/5