John Powers

And then there's Mission Impossible, which began in 1966 as a tautly unpretentious hour-long TV series with a fantastic theme by Lalo Schifrin. In 1996, it became a 110-minute movie with a megastar actor, Tom Cruise, and an auteur director, Brian De Palma, who larded its silly story with big, gaudy action scenes.

And then there's Mission Impossible, which began in 1966 as a tautly unpretentious hour-long TV series with a fantastic theme by Lalo Schifrin. In 1996, it became a 110-minute movie with a megastar actor, Tom Cruise, and an auteur director, Brian De Palma, who larded its silly story with big, gaudy action scenes.

And then there's Mission Impossible, which began in 1966 as a tautly unpretentious hour-long TV series with a fantastic theme by Lalo Schifrin. In 1996, it became a 110-minute movie with a megastar actor, Tom Cruise, and an auteur director, Brian De Palma, who larded its silly story with big, gaudy action scenes.

Now, seven sequels and three decades later, we have Mission Impossible The Final Reckoning, the two-hour and 49-minute conclusion to the nearly as long Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1. Pictures so grandiose, they require a colon and an em dash just to write their titles.

Now, seven sequels and three decades later, we have Mission Impossible The Final Reckoning, the two-hour and 49-minute conclusion to the nearly as long Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1. Pictures so grandiose, they require a colon and an em dash just to write their titles.

Now, seven sequels and three decades later, we have Mission Impossible The Final Reckoning, the two-hour and 49-minute conclusion to the nearly as long Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1. Pictures so grandiose, they require a colon and an em dash just to write their titles.

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.

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.