Rated PG-13

MISSION: IMPOSSILBE – THE FINAL RECKONING picks up where DEAD RECKONING ended two summers ago. Ethan Hunt has to take down The Entity, a powerful AI bent on taking over – and eventually destroying – the world. Think of it as James Bond facing off against an overblown Grok.

The MISSION: IMPOSSILBE franchise always delivers on impressive stunt work and action sequences. However, these last two films were by cobbled hubris, amounting to a six-hour two-part movie that really could have been a single, shorter feature.

THE FINAL RECKONING takes time to build to its climax, paced more like a suspense film than a summer action. In a way, it feels like a streaming series where the punch comes only in the final episode.

The final action sequence is breathtaking and beautifully shot. Unfortunately, you have to wade through a lot of slow dialogue, reiterated plot points, complicated MacGuffins, and music crescendos to get there.

Still, it’s worth a watch, especially for the cinematic experience. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING gets three shirtless Tom Cruises out of five. I’m Kevin Carr, and that’s the way I see it.

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