Matriarchy Impossible

I’m a sucker for the summer movie blockbuster. I was there for E.T. in ’82. I sat wide-eyed at Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in ’89 and for Tim Burton’s Batman a month later. I remember the ground-breaking spectacle of the first Jurassic Park in ’93 and had my seat for the campy Jerry Bruckheimer action films through the ’90s. Then there was The Dark Knight masterpiece of 2008 and the cultural phenome of Endgame in 2019.

These movies aren’t highbrow or anything approaching “art house.” Their themes are pretty much good vs. evil delivered by means of car chases, lots of running, fighting, and big explosions. They are films designed to appeal to our basic moral sense that good should triumph over evil. The price of admission is your willingness to suspend disbelief for a couple hours of good old-fashioned implausible fun. I’m game for all of it and have been since I was a kid.

So when the movie trailers for Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning began appearing last year, I was ready to love this movie. I was ready to overlook all manner of silliness to revel in what is likely to be the final installment of a beloved franchise that began nearly 30 years ago. When Tom Cruise asked fans in the trailer to trust him “one more time,” I not only was all in. I think I also got a little something in my eye. “Of course, Tom ... (sniff, sniff) I’ll be there.”

I wish that I could say that Final Reckoning lived up to my overblown expectations, but alas it did not. In fact, of the eight films in the franchise, I would rank this one second to last (the second installment will always be a monstrosity in a category of terrible all its own). Films one through seven basically kept getting better and better, but something went sideways in this one.

It wasn’t the action scenes, the stunts, or the spectacle. Those items were all great and well-executed as usual. If all you’re looking for is some fast-paced action and explosions, this is your movie. It delivers on all that. But if you’re looking for a modicum of coherence in the storyline, this ain’t it. Indeed, it was the storyline and characterization that finally pushed me over the edge of my willingness to suspend disbelief. (Beware, minor spoilers to follow.)

While I appreciate the attempt to tie-in characters and storylines from previous movies and bring all the narrative arcs to a close, it was just too forced. I can accept the geeky agent from the first movie reappearing with a major role in this one. What a great callback to perhaps the most iconic scene from the franchise when Ethan Hunt was hanging spread-eagle from a wire hovering above the floor. But the idea that the CIA agent pursuing Ethan Hunt over the last two movies is [tada!] the son of John Voight’s character from the first movie? C’mon. I think the producers were hoping for a “Luke, I’m your father” twist. But it wasn’t that. It was just forced and weird.

The constant invoking of a matriarchy was a little over-the-top as well. This phenomenon is not unique to Final Reckoning (Gwenyth Paltrow in an Iron Man suit, anyone?), but for whatever reason it strained credulity in this film. It is like there is a narrative allergy to letting men be leaders. A female president, a female admiral, a female Navy diver saving Ethan’s life. We even get to see Madam President condescendingly dress down her male subordinates, not from any character defect on her part but—you know—from girl power.

Also, the total physical parity between men and women in fight scenes approaches the absurd. It’s like there’s no strength difference between men and women in the movie universe. What is the point of pretending that women and men are essentially interchangeable even as soldiers and fighters? It is not necessary to make this storyline work. I’m willing to suspend disbelief for a good popcorn flick, but this weird denial of natural reality comes across as ideological and grating.

I’m not a scold when it comes to campy summer fun. I really appreciate what Tom Cruise is doing in trying to create giant movie theater spectacles. His opening message to fans was a great fan service, letting us all know that he’s all in for us. He delivered a similar message in the theater version of Maverick a few years ago, and both messages give the films the feeling of a farewell tour. It’s like Cruise is saying a long goodbye to fans and to these beloved franchises. How could we not be in for that?

But this movie just doesn’t deliver what previous movies in the franchise gave us. I’m sorry to say that because I suspect that Final Reckoning is the last one, and I wish it could have finished better than it did. Nevertheless, if Cruise decides to give to this series what Stallone gave to the Rocky series in Balboa, I’ll be there.