There’s a scene in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning when Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise, Top Gun: Maverick) launches himself out of an airplane into the vast ocean with only a wetsuit between him and certain death. It’s not just another impressively staged stunt—it’s a declaration and a perfect metaphor for this film and this franchise. This long-awaited movie, like its lead, has no interest in half-measures. It’s all in, hurtling forward with bold, reckless confidence and enough committed cinematic nerve to make your palms sweat and your jaw drop.

Thirty years ago, Brian De Palma’s original Mission: Impossible dropped into theaters with its sleekly stylish European espionage, sharp Cold War puzzles, tight double-crosses, and that famous CIA vault sequence that still induces heart palpitations. Now, with the release of its eighth entry, De Palma’s paranoid vision of a cool cat thriller feels almost quaint compared to the vertigo-inducing juggernaut writer/director Christopher McQuarrie (Jack Reacher) delivers with this supposed final chapter. Nobody really believes Cruise is ready to hang up the harness just yet, but if he were, what a suspenseful example of old-school showmanship way to go out.

Picking up two months after the dangerous events of Dead Reckoning Part One, The Final Reckoning finds Hunt again on the run from just about every global agency with a badge or a vendetta. At the center of the chaos is Gabriel (Esai Morales, The Wall of Mexico), a ghost from Hunt’s past and the human avatar of “the Entity,” an all-powerful AI system that’s rapidly wormed its way into the critical infrastructure of the modern world and is now targeting the nuclear weapons of each country. The mission? Secure two components needed to neutralize this superintelligent digital menace, both linked to the sunken Russian submarine Sevastopol. It’s all a bit convoluted, of course, but Oscar-winner McQuarrie and co-writer Erik Jendresen keep the tension in a tight knot. There’s little time to question logic when you’re white-knuckling your armrest.

Grace (Hayley Atwell, Captain America: The First Avenger) returns as the world-class pick-pocket reluctantly swept into the orbit of Hunt and the IMF. Atwell’s arc across the last two films has nicely reshaped the dynamic Cruise usually gets with female co-leads. There’s some flirtation here, but their chemistry is sharply tuned, with the sparring more on the moral side and synced to the survival instincts of both. As Luther, Ving Rhames (The Garfield Movie) brings surprising emotional heft, while Simon Pegg (Star Trek) evolves Benji from comic relief into a strategic lynchpin. Watching them all rally behind Hunt feels appropriately like a team that functions as one.

Shot with IMAX-certified digital cameras, The Final Reckoning demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible, with over 45 minutes of footage formatted specifically for the expanded aspect ratio. You don’t simply watch this film—you experience the full force of it. There’s no gimmickry here, just carefully constructed spectacle engineered to overwhelm in the most awesome way. A twenty-minute underwater sequence filmed without dialogue ranks among the franchise’s most impressive achievements, while an aerial chase through winding canyons had me tensing stomach muscles I forgot I had. McQuarrie directs these sequences with a relentless focus on believability, and cinematographer Fraser Taggart turns this chaos into cinematic art. There’s no blurry CGI fog or facial replacement here. Everything’s tactile, kinetic, and intensely real.

At 62, Cruise still runs like he’s being chased by time itself…or irrelevance. Either way, he’s more than winning the race. That signature Cruise charge has never looked more determined, and this might be his most physically demanding Mission yet. What’s more striking is how emotionally weighted this chapter feels, and you start to understand that he’s not only outrunning death but chasing a deeper purpose. That hangs heavy in the air, and even familiar characters carry a sense of finality in their scenes.

Casting has always been a strength of this series, and McQuarrie doesn’t need to call in any big guns to step in for a quality team that has already assembled. Rhames, the only other actor to appear in every installment, receives a surprisingly moving journey that showcases his dramatic range, which is often overlooked in favor of his stoic presence. Morales, underwhelming in Part One, finally finds his footing here, channeling menace that finally feels worthy of Hunt’s pursuit. While I still wonder what a more interesting actor like Nicholas Hoult (originally cast in the role) might’ve done with Gabriel, Morales holds his own.

The extended ensemble, including Pom Klementieff’s Paris (still underutilized despite her magnetic screen presence), Holt McCallany’s Defense Secretary, and Hannah Waddingham’s wary admiral, adds value even in their brief appearances. The MVP of the newcomers is surely Tramell Tillman as a courteous, bemused submarine captain. Most surprising is how the film brings back characters from every previous installment, sometimes fleeting, sometimes pivotal, creating a “franchise flashback” that rewards longtime fans. Even Rolf Saxon’s William Donloe from the first film gets his moment, plus we are introduced to his wife Tapeesa, played by Lucy Tulugarjuk, giving a performance that provides a pleasant surprise amid a sky-high thriller.

Taggart’s cinematography transforms practical locations into arresting old-school set-pieces, whether capturing an underground car chase or an eerie rebirth below a frozen ice cap. New to the franchise, composers Max Aruj and Alfie Godfrey’s score honors Lalo Schifrin’s iconic theme while injecting fresh, lush orchestral urgency. Jill Taylor’s costume design wisely prioritizes function over flash, while Gary Freeman’s production design never lets you forget where you are, even as the film pinballs across continents.

Beyond the bombs and mid-air flips, there’s a surprisingly grounded conversation about artificial intelligence and the dangers of knee-jerk retaliation. Unlike spy thrillers that lean into combative paranoia, The Final Reckoning suggests a more deliberate approach to emerging digital threats. Given the complexity of current global tensions, the film’s nuclear disarmament themes and commentary on reactive governance feel particularly resonant. Watching European allies collaborate rather than compete offers a refreshing optimism in our fractured world. McQuarrie weaves these larger ideas through character moments without sacrificing momentum and, in the process, suggests that the boldest move is restraint.

At 169 minutes, The Final Reckoning maintains breathless pacing that makes its runtime evaporate. It’s a masterclass in escalating tension that had me seriously contemplating whether or not I had to leave my seat and watch the movie while pacing in the hallway. Is it the best of the series? Fallout still holds the crown because it struck a cleaner balance between narrative intricacy and moving the dial forward on these characters. But The Final Reckoning isn’t far behind because it delivers everything franchise fans demand: practical stunts defying physics, callbacks rewarding longtime viewers, and genuine stakes that keep outcomes unpredictable until the credits roll.

Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie have again set a new bar for action filmmaking, and they’ve done it not with cynicism, but with a clear-eyed belief in the power of cinema to blow your hair back and leave you wondering how they pulled it off. Whether this truly marks Cruise’s farewell as Hunt remains uncertain, but if it is, he’s chosen the perfect exit. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it: see this in IMAX immediately when it releases on May 23. Trust me, your nervous system will thank you later… after it recovers.