John Powers

Predictably, this new movie is overblown, inanely plotted, clotted with expository dialogue, and boundlessly self-congratulatory. But you know, it's also fun to watch. Flaunting its big budget, we zoot from tourist London to Norwegian snowscapes to sun-blasted South Africa, this souped-up thriller offers the irresponsible escape that most of us want from Hollywood blockbusters.

Predictably, this new movie is overblown, inanely plotted, clotted with expository dialogue, and boundlessly self-congratulatory. But you know, it's also fun to watch. Flaunting its big budget, we zoot from tourist London to Norwegian snowscapes to sun-blasted South Africa, this souped-up thriller offers the irresponsible escape that most of us want from Hollywood blockbusters.

As the action begins, the world is being threatened by the Entity, a nasty piece of AI that's going to annihilate humanity in four days' time. Naturally, our hero Ethan Hunt, that's Cruise, wants to stop both the entity and the velvety villain Gabriel, played by Isai Morales, who seeks to control it. Ethan enlists his impossible mission team.

As the action begins, the world is being threatened by the Entity, a nasty piece of AI that's going to annihilate humanity in four days' time. Naturally, our hero Ethan Hunt, that's Cruise, wants to stop both the entity and the velvety villain Gabriel, played by Isai Morales, who seeks to control it. Ethan enlists his impossible mission team.

As the action begins, the world is being threatened by the Entity, a nasty piece of AI that's going to annihilate humanity in four days' time. Naturally, our hero Ethan Hunt, that's Cruise, wants to stop both the entity and the velvety villain Gabriel, played by Isai Morales, who seeks to control it. Ethan enlists his impossible mission team.

There's tech whiz Luther, that's Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg's jokey field agent Benji... and the recent addition Grace, a one-time thief played by Hayley Atwell, who joins the stream of talented B-list actresses that Cruise seems comfortable with. The story is mainly racing around, toward a gizmo hidden in a submarine, away from the CIA, which foolishly wants to stop Ethan.

There's tech whiz Luther, that's Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg's jokey field agent Benji... and the recent addition Grace, a one-time thief played by Hayley Atwell, who joins the stream of talented B-list actresses that Cruise seems comfortable with. The story is mainly racing around, toward a gizmo hidden in a submarine, away from the CIA, which foolishly wants to stop Ethan.

There's tech whiz Luther, that's Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg's jokey field agent Benji... and the recent addition Grace, a one-time thief played by Hayley Atwell, who joins the stream of talented B-list actresses that Cruise seems comfortable with. The story is mainly racing around, toward a gizmo hidden in a submarine, away from the CIA, which foolishly wants to stop Ethan.

Still, there's plenty of time for bombastic dialogue. Here, the righteous Luther reassures Ethan that he's doing good work. Not that Ethan needs reassuring. Reporting directly to President Angela Bassett, he's confident as ever. I need you to trust me. One last time.

Still, there's plenty of time for bombastic dialogue. Here, the righteous Luther reassures Ethan that he's doing good work. Not that Ethan needs reassuring. Reporting directly to President Angela Bassett, he's confident as ever. I need you to trust me. One last time.

Still, there's plenty of time for bombastic dialogue. Here, the righteous Luther reassures Ethan that he's doing good work. Not that Ethan needs reassuring. Reporting directly to President Angela Bassett, he's confident as ever. I need you to trust me. One last time.

Because this is purportedly the last installment, unless it makes a fortune, of course, the final reckoning works hard to make the whole series cohere and give it emotional heft. We see flashbacks to stunts from earlier movies, Cruise looks so young, and callbacks to deaths of characters who've been lost along the way.

Because this is purportedly the last installment, unless it makes a fortune, of course, the final reckoning works hard to make the whole series cohere and give it emotional heft. We see flashbacks to stunts from earlier movies, Cruise looks so young, and callbacks to deaths of characters who've been lost along the way.

Because this is purportedly the last installment, unless it makes a fortune, of course, the final reckoning works hard to make the whole series cohere and give it emotional heft. We see flashbacks to stunts from earlier movies, Cruise looks so young, and callbacks to deaths of characters who've been lost along the way.

Yet because Mission Impossible storylines have always been unabashedly harebrained, such stabs at depth ring hollow. This isn't like the second season of Andor, in which we feel the weight of characters dying because they're sacrificing themselves for a cause. Nor does the Mission Impossible series possess any perceptible cultural resonance.

Yet because Mission Impossible storylines have always been unabashedly harebrained, such stabs at depth ring hollow. This isn't like the second season of Andor, in which we feel the weight of characters dying because they're sacrificing themselves for a cause. Nor does the Mission Impossible series possess any perceptible cultural resonance.

Yet because Mission Impossible storylines have always been unabashedly harebrained, such stabs at depth ring hollow. This isn't like the second season of Andor, in which we feel the weight of characters dying because they're sacrificing themselves for a cause. Nor does the Mission Impossible series possess any perceptible cultural resonance.

James Bond was an icon of both the British Empire and a certain dated brand of masculinity. He helped shape our culture. Not so Ethan. Although Bond had no real inner life, sorry Daniel Craig, compared to Ethan, he's positively Dostoevskian. We at least knew 007's snobberies, cruelties, and pleasures. Gambling in Monaco, drinking martinis shaken not stirred, sleeping with women, then killing them.

James Bond was an icon of both the British Empire and a certain dated brand of masculinity. He helped shape our culture. Not so Ethan. Although Bond had no real inner life, sorry Daniel Craig, compared to Ethan, he's positively Dostoevskian. We at least knew 007's snobberies, cruelties, and pleasures. Gambling in Monaco, drinking martinis shaken not stirred, sleeping with women, then killing them.

James Bond was an icon of both the British Empire and a certain dated brand of masculinity. He helped shape our culture. Not so Ethan. Although Bond had no real inner life, sorry Daniel Craig, compared to Ethan, he's positively Dostoevskian. We at least knew 007's snobberies, cruelties, and pleasures. Gambling in Monaco, drinking martinis shaken not stirred, sleeping with women, then killing them.