‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ Blazes into Cannes

Agent Ethan Hunt is up to his adrenaline-soaked tricks in the latest – and reportedly final – installment of the Mission: Impossible film franchise, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, which premiered at the 78th Cannes Film Festival this week. No expense was spared in making the premiere a grand affair. The long-lasting, successful franchise, which has been running for nearly 30 years, deserves to go out with a bang, and it did. 

A 40-piece orchestra welcomed audience members into the theater while playing the film’s iconic score. Following the film’s premiere, the film and its star received a five-minute standing ovation. Director Christopher McQuarri told the audience after the film, “This response is why we do it. You are why we do it. The big screen experience is why we do it.” McQuarri also commended the fortitude of the cast and crew, as they persisted in making the film amid a global pandemic and two industry strikes. 

This is the eighth film in which Hunt (played by Tom Cruise) is fighting tooth and nail against the clock to avoid the world’s destruction. This time, the stakes are high; Hunt is saving the world from dangerous AI. It’s a fictional plotline that feels especially relevant (and even potentially realistic). The film is a non-stop thrills affair, with heart-stopping moments that will have you bracing yourself for what comes next. Cruise’s death-defying stunts are incredible to behold, whether you’re an action film fan or not. Genre aside, there’s no denying greatness. And this film – and its star – are truly great. 

With a run time of nearly three hours, it would be easy for a film of this size and scope to drag on, but drag it did not. In Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Hunt’s mission takes him all over the globe, from London to Austria, to the deepest depths of the ocean, and to the mountains of South Africa. The U.S. president, played with perfection by Angela Bassett, tells Hunt he has 72 hours to complete his mission. Blockbusters need big casts, and this one was stocked with talent, like Bassett, who commanded attention even alongside Cruise: Simon Pegg (a longtime Mission: Impossible staple), Nick Offerman, and Hannah Waddingham.

Famously, Tom Cruise, 62, performs all his own stunts for the Mission: Impossible movies, making him an anomaly in the industry, and not to mention, a bold daredevil. The insurance costs for these films are exceedingly high, in part due to Cruise’s stunt work. Cruise’s physical prowess and stunts in the film are worth taking a beat for, not only because his age makes it even more impressive, but also given the level of risk involved with each film. This is no ordinary movie star. Personal life aside, Cruise deserves to be celebrated for being an enduring and commanding presence in Hollywood who knows how to draw crowds and push the limits of what’s possible in cinema.

Speaking to a crowd at Cannes, director Christopher McQuarri hailed Cruise for his commitment to the film, despite harrowing circumstances. He told the crowd, “There was a moment where Tom had pushed himself to the point that he was so physically exhausted, he couldn’t get back up off the [plane] wing,” said the director, who spoke alongside Cruise during an interview. “He was lying on the wing of the plane; his arms were hanging over the front. We could not tell if he was conscious or not.” 

Cruise added, addressing the crowd at Cannes, “I don’t mind encountering the unknown. It’s just an emotion for me, and it’s something that is not paralyzing.” After the film’s premiere along the Croisette, Cruise will continue on with a robust promotional tour for the film, through London, Korea, and Japan.

The dangerous “wing-walking” stunt performed by Cruise was one of many grip-your-seat moments in the film; the kind that make you forget you’re just watching a movie. This is a movie that’s meant to be seen in theaters and meant to immerse the viewer completely. The wild chase scenes, propeller plane fights, deep-sea submarine dive, and more, all deserve to be seen the way the film was intended: on a large silver screen in the dark, sans distractions, and with nothing but awe and enjoyment at the transformative power of film.