MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING PART 1 *No Spoilers Review* (2023)

The written companion

Draft companion · Awaiting editorial review

Dead Reckoning Part One: Still a Thrill, with Fallout Setting the Bar

Matt's spoiler-free reaction to Dead Reckoning Part One starts with a rare kind of franchise confidence. Mission: Impossible has repeatedly given him reasons to come back, and Fallout has become the standard against which the next installment must compete. He does not think this one quite reaches it, but that is a high bar rather than a dismissal.

Tom Cruise remains the central attraction. Matt is fascinated by the combination of movie-star presence and physical commitment, and by a series that keeps finding new ways to make its action feel like an event. The returning ensemble and elaborate spectacle give him the kind of theatrical experience he is looking for.

His main reservation is the opening. He feels the early setup takes too long before the movie finds its momentum. Once it does, he is firmly on board, but he thinks a tighter route into the story could have preserved what the exposition needs to establish while improving the pace.

Matt gives it four stars and places it behind Fallout among his franchise favorites at the time of the review. His praise does not depend on calling each new entry the best. For him, being a little below the peak still leaves room for an excellent night at the movies.

Did the opening build anticipation for you, or delay the excitement? Is Fallout still the benchmark, and what would a Mission: Impossible film need to do to move past it?

Watch Matt's spoiler-free Dead Reckoning review ↗

Based on auto-generated captions. This companion preserves the source video's spoiler-free approach and its perspective at the time of recording.