IMAX
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING – Our Favorite Highlights From Tom Cruise And Director Christopher McQuarrie’s Movie
“There is never an easy day on Mission: Impossible. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Cruise’s legendary superspy Ethan Hunt has by now made both their names synonymous with achieving the unimaginable. But in The Final Reckoning, an eighth entry that is the jaw-dropping, satisfying arc to a now 30-year story, the pair of them are facing their most dangerous and narratively complex challenge ever. Simply put the film is EPIC!
The 9th movie is the culmination of Hunt’s journey, bringing back characters and plot threads from the franchise’s very beginning while delivering the spectacular action fans have come to expect.
Read Cate Marquis’s review: https://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2025/05/mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning/
Here are a few of the brilliant highlights from MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING.
Tom Cruise’s Unmissable Theatrical Experience: This is why we go to the movies! As always with “Mission: Impossible,” the film is designed for the big screen. The scale of the stunts and the immersive nature of the filmmaking demand a theatrical viewing. Cruise is truly a global cultural icon who has made an immeasurable impact on cinema by creating some of the most memorable characters of all time. The star issued this statement on Tuesday morning.
The “Mission: Impossible” franchise is renowned for its practical and breathtaking stunts. The previous installment, “Dead Reckoning Part One,” featured a highly publicized motorcycle jump off a cliff and a massive train sequence. The new film has some of the most daring set pieces in cinema.
The aerial sequence against Gabriel: The basis of the story in the aerial sequence in The Final Reckoning finds Esai Morales’ Gabriel has just flown off in a classic Stearman biplane, forcing Ethan to give chase in a second one, transfer to its undercarriage and climb onto the wing of Gabriel’s plane, to fight him. In the real world, this staggering sequence was filmed at 10,000 feet above sea level, with Cruise battling hurricane-force winds, and a pilot trying his very best to throw him off. Co-star Henry Czerny probably says it simplest. “What Tom does up there is something you’ll never forget, for the rest of your life.”
Diving The Sevastopol: For Cruise, shooting The Sevastopol sequence was physically exhausting, to a level that he could only really discover by getting in the tank and finding out firsthand. McQuarrie says, “Despite their best-laid plans, the sequence proved to be a scheduling nightmare, with them able to set aside ten days to shoot. For the director and star and producer, that number wasn’tnearly enough to put what they knew they were truly capable of up on screen. “The accepted limit for shooting underwater was six shots per day. So, I designed a sequence that would comprise twenty shots total. This ensured that ten days was more than enough time. It also ensured Tom would have to work much harder and hold his breath longer to get the shots required. Such is Mission.”
Historic Box Office: “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” had a strong opening, and “The Final Reckoning” is the conclusion of Ethan Hunt’s story. THR reported that the film opened to a series-best $79 million domestically and a franchise-high $191 million globally, according to weekend actuals (M:I’s final domestic tally was up from Sunday’s estimate of $77.5 million). The numbers include a three-day weekend gross of $64 million for Final Reckoning. “
Music Score: The music for “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning (and by extension, “The Final Reckoning” as it’s a two-part story) was composed by Lorne Balfe. Max Aruj, after providing additional music for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, and Alfie Godfrey took the baton for The Final Reckoning and made it even more thrilling! Their powerful and propulsive score incorporates Lalo Schifrin’s classic theme. Listen to the score here: https://missionimpossible.lnk.to/thefinalreckoningAY
Actress Hannah Waddingham as Admiral Neely: Hannah Waddingham is indeed a new addition to “The Final Reckoning” cast, playing the character of Admiral Neely, in charge of the USS George H.W. Bush. She is very much patterned after the first woman to command a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier – Captain Amy Bauernschmidt – who took command of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in August 2021. https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2023-05-24/abraham-lincoln-change-command-10221945.html
Shea Whigham as Jim Phelps, Jr.: This is a confirmed and significant reveal in “The Final Reckoning.” Shea Whigham’s character, Jasper Briggs, is revealed to be Jim Phelps Jr., the son of Jon Voight’s villainous character from the original 1996 “Mission: Impossible” film. This adds a deeply personal layer to Briggs’ pursuit of Ethan Hunt.
The Return of William Donloe: Yes, Rolf Saxon reprises his role as William Donloe, the CIA analyst from the first “Mission: Impossible” movie. His return connects directly to the events of the original film and provides an unexpected and important supporting role in The Final Reckoning.
Read the NY Times interview with Saxon: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/25/movies/mission-impossible-the-final-reckoning-william-donloe-rolf-saxon.html
“When Saxon, 69, first got wind that McQuarrie wanted to meet with him on a video call, he thought that a friend was playing an elaborate prank. “In fact, when Chris told me that, I thought it was a way of getting me to do it,” he said. “I thought he was being nice and generous.”
In the summer of 2023, after he shot his initial scenes, Saxon got a call from McQuarrie and braced for the worst. But the director was not getting in touch about axed scenes. Instead, he was informing him that they wanted him to come back to work. They had added him into the last section of the movie.
“We wrote a small part for him, and we just kept expanding, it kept growing,” McQuarrie said. “I called Tom and I said, ‘You know, I think we’re doing ourselves a disservice if we let this character leave the movie midway through.’ Tom said, ‘I completely agree; he should be there in the third act.’”
Saxon was nervous when he first got to set, but he said Cruise, whom he had interacted with only briefly during the first movie, quickly put him at ease.”
By Michelle McCue and Melissa Thompson
0 comments