‘M:I-7’ First Reactions: The Most a ‘Part 1 of 2’ Has ‘Felt Like Its Own Film,’ but It’s No ‘Fallout’

You’ve all seen Tom Cruise drive a motorcycle off a cliff in the first trailer, and the second, for ‘Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One.’ Now, the first reactions from critics are here and they are strong, if not quite as strong as they were for “Mission: Impossible — Fallout,” the beloved most recent installment from 2018. But they are mostly shouting their praise as if they were Cruise himself yelling (rightly) on set about the importance of Covid safety.

IndieWire’s own Executive Editor of Film, Kate Erbland, said it did the “best job yet of recent ‘part 1 of 2!!’ features in feeling like its own film while setting up for the next half.” That alone is worthy of praise because many of these films have struggled with this, ever since “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1” inaugurated the form in 2011.

This appears to be a slightly more plot-oriented “Mission: Impossible” film, but the action scenes within, though fewer in number than the past, are massive. “Huge variety of action and a final set piece that ranks 2-3 all-time for the franchise,” said Germain Lussier, while noting “it gets a little dense at times.”

Uproxx’s Mike Ryan shared a little bit of its plot, that apparently “Dead Reckoning” is an “ambitious examination of/meditation on AI and the dangerous path we might be on.” He noted, however, that it’s “not as satisfying as FALLOUT.”

Fandango’s Erik Davis also praised how it feels like a standalone film: “I had the absolute best time watching #MissionImpossible… it both felt complete and left you dying for what comes next.”

People’s Nigel Smith might be the most enthusiastic of all: “It reinvigorated my love for the summer blockbuster.”

TheWrap’s Scott Mendelson was the most negative, though, saying the film was “a big letdown. Wonky dialogue, oddly broad acting, and narrative contrivances/shortcuts that (being generous) seemed like COVID-related issues. Felt “off” in a way akin to ‘Saw 3-D’ after ‘Saw VI’. For the sake of the industry, I hope I’m in the minority.”