Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 (2023) Blu-ray Review

Verdict

Summary

Plot:

The impossible mission force goes rogue again to retrieve a key that can control a very dangerous AI device.

Review:

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his impossible mission force team – Luther (Ving Rhames), Benji (Simon Pegg), and Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson) – are tasked with retrieving two halves of a key that unlock a dangerous AI device that could potentially become a trigger device for an endgame result in a potential war where whoever wields it would have the ultimate power. A cult surrounding the device, led by a mysterious guy named Gabriel (Esai Morales), has formed, and is willing to do anything and everything – including eliminating Hunt’s team – to retrieve the key, and there’s a new wildcard element in the mix: A thief named Grace (Hayley Atwell), who has to learn to trust Hunt to survive. The mission takes the team on another globetrotting adventure through Italy, Norway, Dubai, and beyond, and the climax involves a speeding train – the Orient Express – as it careens towards doom.

The seventh entry in the long running Mission Impossible franchise, Dead Reckoning Part 1 is quite long at 163 minutes, but it’s very exciting, still fun, and incredibly engaging with a set of characters we’ve come to enjoy, with Cruise spearheading a meticulous script and setup that has him becoming even more grounded as a human hero than ever before in the franchise. The script has him doing incredibly outlandish and “impossible” stunts, while also giving his character room to be a humble mercenary with no regard to his safety, always putting everyone else ahead of himself. Cruise is still fantastic in this role, and it’s amazing that he’s been going at it for longer than any of the actors who played 007 in their tenures as Bond. Cruise definitely still has the mojo to keep going, so here’s hoping we’ll see some more of these films for years to come. Why put an end to it if everyone is still delivering such entertaining adventures? Filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie – already on his third entry in the series with this one – really tries outdoing himself (and mostly succeeds) with great suspense, eyebrow-raising stunts, chases, and effects, but it’s his penchant for character development and relationships where he succeeds most of all.

Paramount’s Blu-ray / Digital code combo pack will be released on October 31, and the disc comes with an audio commentary by McQuarrie and the editor, as well as a handful of bonus features that explore the making of the film and how they did the stunts. Bonus content is detailed below:

Commentary by director Christopher McQuarrie and editor Eddie Hamilton—McQuarrie and Hamilton take viewers through each compelling scene with in-depth commentary.

Abu Dhabi—Explore the exotic filming locations in the desert and at the international airport and discover how each thrilling sequence was shot.

Rome—Take a behind-the-scenes look at the thrilling car chase through Italy’s historic capital, as Tom Cruise’s driving skills are pushed to the limit while handcuffed to Hayley Atwell!

Venice—See the breathtaking city of Venice as it’s never been shown on film. Plus, witness the cast’s dedication and commitment to their training as they prepare to get “Mission Ready.”

Freefall—An extended behind-the-scenes look at one of the biggest stunts in cinema history. Watch never-before-seen footage of the rigorous training as Tom launches a motorcycle off a cliff.

Speed Flying—Join Tom and the crew as they explain the various training techniques involved in pulling off the dangerous speed flying stunts in the film.

Train—See how the climactic train sequence was captured on film. From building an actual train from scratch to crashing it using practical effects, you don’t want to miss this!

Deleted Shots Montage—Director Christopher McQuarrie and editor Eddie Hamilton share some of the breathtaking, never-before-seen footage that didn’t make the final film.