“Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part One” is a neverending thrill ride full of big ideas, stunning action stunts, and pure blockbuster spectacle, but it is also a movie with a rather messy script that does a disservice to one of its best characters, Ilsa. When she was first introduced in the game-changer “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation,” she was a strong, charming, alluring character who was as skilled and as smart as Ethan, and the two grew closer together in the time since.
In “Dead Reckoning – Part One,” however, Ilsa is all but tossed aside in favor of a new character. Her lines are heavily reduced, and the skill and resilience she had shown in previous films are nowhere to be seen. Maybe they could have spent a bit more time thinking of the characters and the script before thinking of just cool stunts.
This is only part one of the latest installment of the franchise, which may continue for decades, if Tom Cruise gets his wish. Whether the box office shows this to be a successful mission or not, we’ll find out when “Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part One” is released on July 12, 2023.