Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter / Captain Carter in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Preview:
Hayley Atwell is reportedly headed back to the MCU for ‘Avengers: Doomsday.’
Joe and Anthony Russo are aboard to direct the movie.
Robert Downey Jr. will be playing Dr. Doom, and Chris Evans is also coming back in some capacity.
It appears that, while it has a newer crop of heroes who will be tackling a giant new threat, Marvel intends to get at least some of the old gang back together –– in both familiar and fresh roles.
While there has been chatter about Evans possibly playing a character other than Steve “Captain America” Rogers –– Nomad, a title that Rogers takes on after giving up the Cap mantle to Sam Wilson, it seems Atwell would be back as Peggy Carter, AKA the MI6 and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who is the great love of Steve’s life.
To say the road to the new ‘Avengers’ films has been problematic is to say ‘Kraven the Hunter’ had a slightly disappointing start at the box office this past weekend.
‘Secret Wars’ would draw from (through the usual Marvel movie filter where changes will be made) a pair of 1980s comic book series focused on an all-powerful antagonist known as the Beyonder, who in the first installment pitted Marvel’s heroes and villains against each other on a planet known as Battleworld.
In a 2015 revival by Jonathan Hickman, the resulting conflict left the multiverse collapsed, the survivors living on a single planet ruled by classic villain Doctor Doom.
The Russos have previously talked about their enthusiasm for ‘Secret Wars’, and they’re bringing along scripter Stephen McFeely, who co-wrote most of their previous Marvel output.
Carter’s return also makes sense for McFeely, who along with regular writer Christopher Markus, created the ‘Agent Carter’ series.
Alongside Evans in whatever capacity, we’ll of course see Downey plus the ‘Fantastic Four’ cast.
Mackie is very likely to show up as Cap, and Benedict Cumberbatch has been talked about to return as Doctor Strange. We’ll have to wait and see whether the likes of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man or any of the other stalwarts will be back.
There’s good money on Chris Hemsworth as Thor (since he’s still active) and hopefully the likes of Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes will report for duty.
What is Peggy Carter’s Marvel history?
Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter / Captain Carter in ‘Agent Carter’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Introduced (on screen, at least) in ‘Captain America: The First Avenger,’ Peggy Carter is a heroic British agent who met Evans’ Steve Rogers before the experiment that turned him into Captain America.
Believing Steve lost for decades at the end of that film, Peggy forged ahead with her own career, helping to build S.H.I.E.L.D. and appearing in her own TV series, ‘Agent Carter.’
By the time Rogers was discovered in the ice, Peggy was an old woman, and the pair had an emotional reunion. At the end of ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ Steve chose to go back in time and live a life with Peggy.
Where and when (and how) we’ll find Peggy this time around remains to be seen. Could it be a multiversal variant of the character? (We met an ill-fated version of Peggy, who got the Super Soldier Serum herself and became Captain Carter in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.’)
However she returns, we’ll be happy to see Peggy on screen again.
(L to R) Aneurin Barnard, Hayley Atwell and Jack Lowden to star in Duncan Jones’ ‘Rogue Tropper.’
Preview:
Aneurin Barnard, Hayley Atwell and Jack Lowden are starring in ‘Rogue Trooper’.
‘Moon’ filmmaker Duncan Jones has written and directed the new movie.
It adapts a character from British comic book title 2000AD.
Duncan Jones is a crafty one. Though it has been officially known that he’s been developing a new movie since at least 2018, he’s stayed mostly quiet about forward movement until some recent, teasing hints on his social media presence.
Yet today the news has broken that Jones has already finished shooting his project, an adaptation of cult British comic book character ‘Rogue Trooper’ and is already at the editing stage for the animated movie.
‘Rogue Trooper’ tells the story of 19, a “Genetic Infantryman”, who finds himself the sole-survivor of an invasion force. Desperate to track down the traitor who sold him and his comrades out, the super soldier is accompanied by three killed-in-action squad mates, whose personalities have been stored in his gun, helmet and rucksack.
The character was created by artist Dave Gibbons –– yes, the one who also collaborated on ‘Watchmen’ –– and writer Gerry Finley-Day. It was first published in British science fiction comic 2000AD (the home to the more famous ‘Judge Dredd’ character) in 1981.
Jones has written and directed the new movie, working with Rebellion and Liberty Films and utilizing Epic’s 3D tool Unreal Engine 5 to craft the animation.
Here’s what Duncan Jones has said about the new movie:
“2000AD offers a very different flavor of comic action: Political and brutal at times, but always with a Pythonesque twinkle in the eye. ‘Dredd’ was a taste of what 2000AD has to offer and now we get to show the world another side of the beast. It is a genuine privilege to be given the opportunity to make ‘Rogue Trooper.’”
Jones has also posted some teaser art for the movie:
Here’s the statement on the movie from Producer Stuart Fenegan:
“The advancements in Unreal Engine 5 and the inclusion of MetaHuman rigs mean that it is now possible to achieve a very high standard of animation within an indie budget. Working with our amazing partners at Rebellion, Epic and Treehouse Digital we are pioneering and developing a new creative pipeline that will enable independent production of CG animated films.”
When will ‘Rogue Trooper’ be in theaters?
There is no official release date yet, but the movie is currently targeting a 2025 launch.
(L to R) Aneurin Barnard, Hayley Atwell and Jack Lowden to star in Duncan Jones’ ‘Rogue Tropper.’
Landing on Disney+ daily across the next nine days, the second season of Marvel’s Disney+ animated series ‘What If…?’ has plenty of treats to deliver, including a smart, clever festive episode that is the highlight of the early run.
At a time when Marvel and Disney are feeling the pinch of superhero fatigue (witness the box office collapse of ‘The Marvels’ and complaints about the sheer amount of movies and shows one must have seen to keep up with the storyline), the return of ‘What If…?’ is a pleasant one, by design untethered from the complicated continuity (albeit often rewarding fans of the various movies).
Does ‘What If…?’ Season 2 work to keep expanding the MCU?
Whether the implications of this season will tie directly into any future live-action stories is not really worth worrying at this point (and not something we could talk about anyway given the embargoes in place): ‘What If…?’s second run is more about enjoying the parallel universe take on some familiar stories.
Once more, the peek at different versions of characters and encounters works well as wish-fulfilment entertainment, including a chance for supporting characters to get the spotlight.
And Marvel/Disney+ are certainly experimenting with the release schedule for this one, dropping one episode a day across the festive season between December 22 and 30. The best example? Putting the ‘Die Hard’-spoofing ‘What If… Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?’ on Christmas Eve.
With direction and writing from Bryan Andrews, Stephan Franck (directors), AC Bradley, Matthew Chauncey and Ryan Little (writer/producers), ‘What If…?’s new run will feel familiar to those who watched the first season. It’s a similar mix of different looks at characters and situations.
Disney provided press with all the episodes, but there are strict embargoes in place. What can we tell you? There is some stylish, witty writing to be found here –– if you ever wanted to see Karen Gillan’s Nebula as a member of the Nova Corps investigating a situation on Xandar that comes across as a Clint Eastwood cop story meets a hard-bitten private eye future noir that has some serious ‘Blade Runner’ overtones, you’ve come to the right place.
Is every story a winner? They’re not all to the quality of, say, the Happy Hogan festive episode, but there is a high watermark for Marvel fun here. And the various little references and touches (a cuddly raccoon toy here, a nod to Hawkeye there) are welcome color rather than overloaded easter eggs.
The animation style of the show will still get mixed responses from those who believe it’s not up to the levels of big-screen output, but it works well for the stories and has seen a slight upgrade from the first season, which itself was a perfectly solid style.
Employing the same mix of original MCU voice actors (it’s fun to hear the likes of Jon Favreau, Kat Dennings, Karen Gillan, Chris Hemsworth, Michael Douglas and more lend their vocal skills to versions of their characters) and replacements for those who chose not to return (or were perhaps too pricey), the show keeps the feel of Marvel’s sprawling universe intact.
This will be something of a repeating motif in the review, but the Happy Hogan episode is certainly among the highlights, though there’s certainly something to be said for hearing Douglas, Annette Bening, Kurt Russell and Sebastian Stan playing earlier versions of their characters in a story that pits a powered Peter Quill (as a child, rather than the grown-up Chris Pratt we know) against a version of the Avengers that hews closer to the comics than movie screens.
The vocal replacements are once again a mixed bag –– that’s certainly not Glenn Close in the Nebula episode –– but the likes of Mick Wingert and Lake Bell once again prove to be reasonable stand-ins for Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson without causing too much whiplash when their voices share the air with Mark Ruffalo and more.
‘What If…?’s second run is certainly worth checking out even if you are starting to feel the creep of superhero fatigue. It’s a fun, enjoyable dip into the MCU that doesn’t worry too much about the tapestry of everything weaving together –– it’s more a diverting dive into some fresh takes.
Comics fans will certainly appreciate the episodes that dive into versions of the characters more directly drawn from them as opposed to the adaptations (Douglas’ Hank Pym as Ant-Man, say), and of course the animated medium means that it can once more put on spectacles that even the healthily budgeted Marvel movies can only dream of.
Yet it doesn’t sacrifice character moments simply to blow stuff up or show off superpowers. While not every story works, there are enough winners (such as the big ‘Die Hard’ spoof) to make this a worthwhile watch.
‘What If…?’ Season 2 receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.
Season 2 continues the journey as The Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) guides viewers through the vast Multiverse, introducing brand-new and familiar faces from the MCU.
The series questions, revisits and twists classic Marvel Cinematic Universe moments with an incredible voice cast that includes a host of stars who reprise their iconic roles.
This new season features fan-favorite characters this season like Nebula, Hela and Happy Hogan.
Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
Ethan Hunt and his IMF team are back for another dangerous mission – to track down and prevent a new weapon known as “The Entity” from destroying humanity if it were to fall into the wrong hands. While hunting down the new weapon, Ethan’s dark past catches up with him and threatens the lives of those close to him.
This is the seventh installment in the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise, with the first film premiering in 1996. With each ‘Mission: Impossible’ film, stunts are wilder, and the missions more precarious. Tom Cruise continues to elevate each movie by performing the incredible stunts himself, from executing the Halo jump in ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ in 2018, to the deathy-defying motorcycle jump off the cliff in the latest film – a scene that render the audience speechless.
As a part of an extremely successful franchise, ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ was a highly anticipated film, garnering a 96% scores from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and 94% score from the audience.
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The official synopsis for ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ is below:
“In Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission — not even the lives of those he cares about most.”
Who Is In The Cast of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’?
(L to R) Hayley Atwell and Esai Morales in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
It’s clear that ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ was a must-watch for fans of the franchise. Having played Ethan Hunt for 25 years, audience can always expect Tom Cruise to deliver – from acting to action. The film has a production cost of $300 million, due to its large cast and extravagant stunt sequences. Despite the anticipation, the film opened to $54.6 million domestically, which falls short of its predecessors. 2018’s ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ opened to $61.2 million domistically and has grossed $220.1million, and 2015’s ‘Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation’ opened to $55.5 million.
Box office powerhouse films ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ may have affected the box office earning for ‘Dead Reckoning Part One’ as both films were released on July 21, 2023, setting the “Barbieheimer” trend amongst moviegoers as they plan a double feature.
When Will ‘Mission – Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One’ Come To Streaming?
Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
The spy thriller premiered in Rome on June 19, 2023, and was released in theaters domestically on July 12, 2023. It was released in formats such as Dolby Cinema, IMAX, ScreenX, and 4DX. The film is still playing in theaters, and due to its extraordinary stunt sequences, best experienced on the big screen.
‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning’ has a total runtime of 2 hour and 43 minutes.
Watch the official trailers for ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ below:
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The movie is released by Paramount Pictures, which means it’s likely to end up on its streaming service Paramount+ when it is ready to go to streaming. For VOD release, no date has confirmed though pre-order is available for platforms such as Prime Video, Google Play, Apple TV, YouTube, and Vudu.
(L to R) Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames and Rebecca Ferguson in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
Other Movies Similar to ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One:’
To watch our exclusive interviews with director Christopher McQuarrie and the cast of ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One, please click on the video player below.
What is the plot of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’?
In ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.
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Who is in the cast of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’?
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with writer and director Christopher McQuarrie about his work on ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ keeping the franchise fresh, creating the incredible stunts with Tom Cruise, practical effects vs. CGI, the most difficult scene to shoot, and what audiences should know to prepare them for this film experience?
Christopher McQuarrie, writer and director of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.’
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with McQuarrie, Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham, and Greg Tarzan Davis.
Moviefone: To begin with, this is the third ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie you’ve directed and you have a fourth, ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two’ coming out next year. How do you keep each story fresh?
Christopher McQuarrie: Tom and I simply take everything that we’ve learned on every film we do and apply it to the next one. So what you’re looking at with ‘Dead Reckoning Part One’ is everything we learned not only from the previous ‘Mission Impossible’ movies, but also from ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and ‘Edge of Tomorrow.’ All the films that we’ve worked on together and separately, and we’re always just trying to take everything we’ve learned and take it to the next level. Push it a little bit beyond.
(L to R) Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie on the set of ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
MF: What is it like working with Tom Cruise to design the amazing action sequences in these movies?
CM: We will be talking about stunts. For example, when we were shooting ‘Fallout’ and doing the halo jump out of the C-17, we were already talking about how cool it would be to drive a motorcycle off a cliff. There’s motorcycle stunts, and there’s skydiving stunts in our previous movies. So it was taking what we learned about motorcycles, taking what we learned about skydiving and putting them together, and then what would you get? We had talked about base jumping previously and all of that coalesced in this movie, into that stunt. We’d been talking about a train sequence for a long time, and a desert sequence for a long time. I’ve always been obsessed with submarines, trains, and the Arctic. They were all environments that I was fascinated with. The nice thing about these movies, and especially doing multiple installments of them, is that I get to make every movie that I never had the opportunity to make elsewhere. It’s just a great playground and a great opportunity.
Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One ‘from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
MF: Can you talk about why you prefer using practical effects over VFX, especially in this series?
CM: CGI would be in a lot of ways easier. Here’s what the challenge is for CGI. First of all, I use it quite a bit and it’s an extremely valuable tool. If everything is CGI, you get everything that you want. You’ll get exactly the shot the way you designed it. What you will not really get is chaos and unpredictability. And that’s what these movies are really about. So when you’re doing it practically, you’re making discoveries that you might not ever otherwise have made. That’s where the reality is truly coming from, it’s not something I made up, and it’s not something Tom made up. It’s chaos. It’s the randomness of what’s happening in those shots, the things that you never could have imagined. That’s what truly makes it feel real. That’s what makes it immersive. What’s most important to Tom and I, it’s not so much the spectacle. It’s that whatever’s happening, it’s happening to you. You’re experiencing it with those characters. That’s something that I’ve yet to be able to create using only CGI.
(L to R) Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie on the set of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
MF: What was the most difficult sequence in this movie to shoot?
CM: Every sequence was difficult in its own way. There were a lot of challenges in production itself, but also in the standard to which we held ourself. We created a pretty specific outline for how we wanted to shoot the movie and never deviated from it. Then we designed that sequence and a lot of that sequence, we designed virtually. As much as you might design something virtually, it can never prepare you for the sheer physics of what you’re about to do practically. That sequence was extraordinarily challenging and very difficult to do. More than anything, it’s just extremely physically taxing on the actors. When you are seeing Tom and Hayley going through that environment, they’re really doing it and it’s quite physically challenging. There are times when they’re on a set that starts horizontally and goes a full 90 degrees vertical while they’re running up. It’s as tough as any obstacle course you’ve ever seen anybody run in their life, and they’re really doing it. It’s quite extraordinary what they achieved.
MF: Finally, what would you tell audiences sitting down to watch this movie to prepare them for the cinematic experience they are about to have?
CM: Get ready to watch the biggest, boldest ‘Mission: Impossible’ yet.
(L to R) Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie on the set of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
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‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ is produced by Paramount, Skydance Media, New Republic Pictures, and TC Productions. The movie is scheduled to release in theaters on July 12th, 2023.
What is the plot of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’?
In ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.
Who is in the cast of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’?
‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ delivers exactly what we’ve come to expect from director Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise’s ‘Mission: Impossible’ movies. The film is fun, exciting, action-packed, and features some of the craziest stunts you’ve ever seen on the big screen. Cruise is commanding once again as Ethan Hunt, and Hayley Atwell is a fantastic addition to the franchise.
Story and Direction
(L to R) Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie on the set of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
Unlike the last few ‘Mission’ movies, ‘Dead Reckoning Part One’ does not begin with a one-off scene of Tom Cruise hanging off a mountain or the wing of a moving plane, instead focusing on a Russian submarine malfunction that sets off the plot of the movie. We soon discover that a new self-aware AI is threatening to throw the world into chaos, and it’s up to Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his IMF team to track down a key (the film’s McGuffin) that can control the AI. But first, they’ll need to discover what the key actually unlocks, and who is working with the AI, also known as the Entity.
Things get more complicated for Hunt when he is labeled a terrorist by his old boss, Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny) after refusing to give half of the key to the US government, as Hunt believes it is too dangerous to exist and must be destroyed. Hunt secured his half of the key from his alley Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), and goes to meet a buyer who has the other half of the key, planning to follow them to the Entity.
However, when a pickpocket named Grace (Hayley Atwell) steals both halves of the key, Ethan has no choice but to recruit her for his team and train her to help him. Meanwhile, Hunt discovers that a man from his past before joining the IMF, Gabriel (Esai Morales), is working with the entity and has a personal vendetta against him.
(L to R) Tom Cruise and Henry Czerny in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
In my opinion, the ‘Mission’ franchise was on shaky ground until director Christopher McQuarrie joined the series. Brian De Palma’s ‘Mission: Impossible’ was a decent adaption of the classic TV series, but was not without its issues. John Woo’s ‘Mission: Impossible II’ was a huge disappointment, and the worst film in the series. Director J.J. Abrams feature film debut, ‘Mission: Impossible III’ is criminally underrated and one of the better films in the series, but failed to have the box office numbers of its predecessors.
While the film runs well over 2 and a half hours, McQuarrie does an excellent job of pacing the movie and keeping the “Mission” tone intact. This film, and in turn next year’s ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two’ are a much bigger story than we’ve seen in past installments, which is why it will take two movies to tell the entire story. But with that said, McQuarrie still manages to craft a satisfying ending to ‘Part One,’ even if it is not the conclusion of this particular story.
Tom Cruise’s Performance and his Amazing Stunts
Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One ‘from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
By now, half of the fun of a ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie is seeing what absolutely bonkers stunts McQuarrie, Cruise and their stunt team come up with, and ‘Dead Reckoning’ does not disappoint. Cruise released a video last year that demonstrated one of the stunts that he would be performing in the new film, which saw him driving a motorcycle off a mountain and then parachuting to the ground. Many fans thought that it would be the signature stunt of the film, and while it is certainly impressive, the movie has even more incredible stunts than that. There is a fantastic chase scene in Rome, but the real attraction is an unbelievable train sequence that is the centerpiece of the ending and one of the best action sequences I’ve ever seen. It will truly keep you on the edge of your seat.
Cruise has been playing Ethan Hunt for over twenty-five years, and while some might say Maverick from ‘Top Gun’ is his signature character, at this point its’ got to be Hunt, who Cruise has portrayed more than any other character. The evolution of the character, and Cruise as an actor, can be witnessed over these seven movies. In the first ‘Mission: Impossible,’ Ethan Hunt was a fresh-faced IMF member betrayed by his boss, Jim Phelps (Jon Voight). He would later become IMF’s greatest team leader, creating deep friendships with Luther, Benji, and Elsa. Watching those relationships grow and seeing how they’ve changed Ethan from who he was when we first met him, is one of the joys of ‘Dead Reckoning.’
Cruise gives another powerhouse performance and is absolutely commanding as Hunt. It’s hard sometimes to tell the difference between Tom Cruise and Ethan Hunt, but the character is so charming, it doesn’t really matter if you are rooting for him or the actor playing him. We’ve grown up with Ethan Hunt, and Tom Cruise for that matter, and part of his power as an actor is that he is just so likable. ‘Top Gun’ aside, ‘Mission: Impossible’ is Cruise’s best franchise overall and Ethan Hunt is definitely the character he will be best remembered for most. Cruise has great chemistry with Rhames, Pegg, and especially Ferguson, but is also great aside new co-star Hayley Atwell. As for the action sequences, no one does it like Tom Cruise, and the actor has pushed the boundaries for our entertainment one more time.
Returning Characters
(L to R) Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
Ving Rhames has been a part of the franchise since the beginning, just like Cruise, and it just wouldn’t be a ‘Mission’ movie without him. The actor has some very nice emotional scenes with Cruise and Atwell, and as always a funny rapport with Simon Pegg. For his part, Benji has also become a vital element of the ‘Mission’ formula, joining the series in the third installment, and Pegg has grown into the role well bringing his own charm and humor to the franchise. A more recent but equally important addition to the series is Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust. The movie explores her deep connection to Hunt, and her scenes with Cruise are some of the most emotionally packed of the film.
Vanessa Kirby also returns as the “White Widow,” daughter of “Max” (Vanessa Redgrave) from the first movie. She has a funny exchange with Cruise, but is mostly used in the third act. I won’t spoil her role, but as an actor she has a challenging scene to play and really made it work. But the most surprising returning face belongs to actor Henry Czerny, who plays former director of the IMF, Eugene Kittridge, last seen in the very first ‘Mission: Impossible.’ Kittridge was always a foil for Hunt, and their respectful yet antagonistic attitude towards each other is fun to watch on screen. Czerny is great in the role and it nice to see him back in the franchise.
Hayley Atwell in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
Hayley Atwell plays Ethan Hunt’s latest recruit, a thief named Grace, and is absolutely mesmerizing in the role. If it’s possible to steal a scene from Tom Cruise, then Atwell succeeds with her charming and street-smart yet sophisticated character. Best known for playing Captain America’s girlfriend Peggy Carter in several different MCU projects, it’s nice to see the actress finally get a chance to show off her talents. Atwell totally holds her own against Cruise, and the two have a very nice chemistry together. Grace is a complex character, you never really know who’s side she’s on, and Atwell navigates that with confidence.
Also new to the franchise is ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3’s Pom Klementieff who plays Paris, one of Gabriel’s assassins. The actress is obviously having a blast in the role and its super fun watching her smash cars and shoot machine guns while smiling and laughing in-character. Klementieff is great in the action sequences and creates an interesting and appealing character, one that I hope we see more of from the franchise in the future.
The Villains
(L to R) Esai Morales and Pom Klementieff in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
Esai Morales plays the main villain, Gabriel and while it’s great to see the veteran actor get such a large role in a big franchise, his character doesn’t quite work. We’re told he’s from Ethan’s past and responsible for some tragedy, but except for a few quick flashbacks, this is not really explored or resolved in this movie. It will probably be addressed in ‘Part Two,’ but more clarification in this film who have helped the audience to better understand Gabriel’s motivations. Morales is fine for the most part, and very impressive in his action sequences, but overall, the character wasn’t believable as Ethan’s archrival.
The other villain related disappointment comes from the fact that the Entity is really the big bad of the movie. That’s right … a computer! I really hope that an actual human being is revealed as the true villain in the next movie, because as realistic as it might be n 2023, I just can’t buy artificial intelligence as the ultimate villain of the movie. Sorry, but I don’t want to see ‘Ethan Hunt v. Skynet.’ I know that there are inherently sci-fi elements baked into ‘Mission: Impossible’ going all the way back to the original series, but for me this is a spy series first, like an American version of James Bond (which arguably also had sci-fi elements) and should stick to its lane because it does spy thrillers really well.
Too Much Joking Around
(L to R) Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
The ‘Mission: Impossible’ series has always been fun and had a certain amount of humor to it. But for some reason, about half way through ‘Dead Reckoning,’ there are several bad jokes injected into the action. For example, in Rome, Hunt and Grace steal a Fiat while being chased. When Hunt tries to start the car, it won’t start, and he begins apologizing to Grace saying, “I don’t know what happened. This never happens to me.” First of all, Ethan Hunt should never apologize for anything … he’s Ethan Hunt! Secondly, it seemed like an awkward attempt at some kind of weird sexual innuendo and it’s just out of place for the franchise and off brand for Tom Cruise.
Only Half of the Story
Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
I’ll give ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ credit for at least explaining in the title that this movie will be continued. I know a lot of people that went to see both ‘Fast X’ and ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ and were disappointed to find that those movies didn’t really end, and they’ll have to wait to see the conclusion of those stories. While I’m sure the ‘Part One’ in the title will help with audience’s expectations of the ending, the truth is that this movie only tells half of a story. Again, McQuarrie did a great job with the ending, it feels satisfying and doesn’t end on a huge cliffhanger, even if we will have to wait till next year’s ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two’ to see the actual conclusion of the story.
But I do wonder if this story couldn’t have been told in one movie, as a lot of the action sequences go on longer than needed. If you cut some of the action, you could fit in more of the story, but with a franchise like this where the action is so important, I guess it’s better to tell a story over two films so you can afford the luxury of more action without sacrificing the character development and plot.
Final Thoughts
In the end, ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ is a solid entry to the franchise and on par with Christopher McQuarrie’s previous contributions to the series. Tom Cruise is at the height of his power, returning to his signature character and a series of groundbreaking and death-defying stunts, while Hayley Atwell is delightful as the newest addition to the franchise.
‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.
‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ will be in theaters on July 14th, 2023.
Other Movies Similar to ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One:’
‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ is produced by Paramount, Skydance Media, New Republic Pictures, and TC Productions. The movie is scheduled to release in theaters on July 12th, 2023.
What is the plot of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’?
In ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.
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Who is in the cast of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’?
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Hayley Atwell about her work on ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ her mysterious character, her relationship to Ethan Hunt, and working with Tom Cruise.
Hayley Atwell in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Pegg, Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan, and director Christopher McQuarrie.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your mysterious characters, Grace, and your approach to playing her?
Hayley Atwell: Great question. Because it was a collaborative one over a long period of time. There was a lot of time in filming where she didn’t even have a name. So, we tried lots of different things and different kinds of qualities to see what kind of thing felt most exciting on camera and, Tom and McQuarrie, I’d met several times before. McQuarrie had come to see me in a play in London’s West End about 10 years ago and said, “I want to work with you. I just don’t know what the character is yet.” So when I came in for the screen test for this, they both said, “We’re looking for the actor we want to work with and then we will build the character with them in real time as filming commences.” So I loved that. I found that very liberating because I trusted that I was in safe hands with them. They were not going to allow me to do something that ended up on a screen that I wouldn’t be proud of. So it allowed me the freedom to try lots of different things. So, the five months of preparation of stunt training for it was also about studying films from ‘Paper Moon’ to ‘The Sting’ to ‘Broadcast News’ to ‘What’s Up Doc?,’ to try and find a levity that I could take and build with Tom as a new kind of chemistry than you’ve seen before in this kind of franchise.
(L to R) Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
MF: What is Tom Cruise like as a scene partner, especially in the action sequences?
HA: He is dedicated, he is a consummate professional, and a gentleman. He’s very concerned with people’s health and safety as well as his own. So, he’s meticulous in his preparation for any stunt that he does, which also means that his resources or an education for myself coming into this is so huge that I too felt like I could learn so much about what’s going to keep me safe, what’s going to keep me dynamic and mobile, and able to do a stunt several times from different directions, different takes with different performance notes, and how to sustain that over months and months. You feel very much in safe hands because he’s like a boxing coach that’s on your side. When you do something or land something, he is your greatest fan because he wants to see everyone around him thrive, which means his encouragement is contagious. I think everyone says that about him, that have worked with him in this way close up with him in terms of stunts that there’s no one quite like him.
(L to R) Hayley Atwell and Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
MF: Finally, can you talk about Grace’s alliance with Ethan Hunt?
HA: That was so fun to discover. It’s going, how are they cat and mouse or sort of sibling, how can they play with each other but in a way that didn’t seem to be too calculating? That they both needed each other in some way or both looking for the same thing, and how could they get their own needs met, but by using each other? To work with him in scenes, he’s incredibly present. Anything that you offer up, he will have seen it, taken it on board and reacted to it. He’s very alive to the other actor. Even when he’s off-screen and he’s standing behind the monitor or the camera and it’s your closeup, he is right there with you giving exactly the same amount of energy and focus as he would be if he was in front of the camera too. So, you have a scene partner, you have someone that’s in your corner and someone that’s opposite you, that’s holding the space for you to the best work you can possibly do in that moment.
Hayley Atwell stars in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
Other Movies Similar to ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One:’
‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ is produced by Paramount, Skydance Media, New Republic Pictures, and TC Productions. The movie is scheduled to release in theaters on July 12th, 2023.
What is the plot of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’?
In ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.
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Who is in the cast of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’?
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Simon Pegg about his work on ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,’ his reaction to the screenplay, working with Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie, the franchise’s signature rubber masks, and what he would say to moviegoers to prepare them for the upcoming sequel.
Simon Pegg in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to the screenplay for ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’?
Simon Pegg: I didn’t expect to ever do another ‘Mission: Impossible’ after ‘Mission: Impossible III.’ Then I got the call from J.J. Abrams who was producing the next movie, who said, “Hey, how would you feel if Benji was an agent?” I was like, “What?” And in true Benji fashion, I accepted the mission, obviously. Then here we are five films in and the character’s still alive and kicking. I always get very excited when I hear we’re going to do another one. It means that I get to hang out with the guys and work with McQuarrie and Tom, which I love to do, and see Rebecca, Ving, and now this whole new group of friends that we have because of the new characters. It’s a real treat.
MF: What’s it like working on set with director Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise?
SP: It’s an adventure. It’s a genuine adventure because the way that they work, they have such a specific creative process, which involves really feeling the film out as we go. So, it’s not that we have a script that we shoot, we invent as we go. It sounds crazy, but it really works. The stuff that’s really figured out at first are the big stunts, the big set pieces, the chases, and that’s all very rigorously put together. Then the connective tissue that joins them all together, that comes organically out of our filmmaking process. It’s a wild ride.
(L to R) Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie on the set of ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
MF: What has your experience been like acting opposite Tom Cruise in this series of films?
SP: I love working with Tom. He’s such a professional, and obviously he’s been in the business a really long time. We often shoot stuff very technically, so we’ll get the chance to go over lines again and just really focus in on specific lines. We’ve learned each other’s rhythms, so I might say a line, and then I know when Tom wants to say a line again. If he didn’t nail it, I can see it in his eyes, so I just won’t say anything. Then he’ll say it again. Then Chris says, “Continue,” and we keep going. We’ve got a rhythm going now. It’s like a well-oiled machine.
MF: Will we see more of the franchise’s signature rubber masks in the new movie?
SP: I mean, of course. It wouldn’t be ‘Mission: Impossible’ without a mask gag. I love the fact that we’ve never really made fun of that particular device in these films. It’s one of the most outlandish and unlikely things that you could literally just change your face. But that was always a thing in the TV show and you just bought it because this is fantasy. There’s a science fiction edge to it, I guess, in that respect. No one’s ever made a wry joke about, “Hey, how does this work?” or that kind of thing. There’s been a few comments about Halloween masks, but we always commit to it. The masks are a real important part of ‘Mission.’ There’s a very good performance by one of the actors in our film when they play one of the other characters in the film beautifully. It’s a great moment.
(L to R) Tom Cruise and Simon Pegg in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
MF: Finally, what would you say to moviegoers to prepare them for the cinematic experience they are going to have when watching ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’?
SP: Well, we’re all back in the cinema now. We’re all back at the theater and we’re watching movies again, and just in time for this, which I think is a truly cinematic experience. It’s vast in its scale and scope, and it’s incredibly exciting. One of the things I love about the theatrical experience isn’t necessarily the size of the screen. It’s the size of the audience. When you’re with people, but you don’t know anybody else there. You’re with your little group, but there are strangers in front of you, strangers behind, and you’re all sharing this moment. Cinema really democratizes groups of people, and in this day and age, everyone’s fighting about something. Everyone’s arguing and lying about something. Everyone’s got a beef with something. When you sit in a cinematic audience, all of you are having the same experience. Whatever you think about anything else, you’re in that moment together. It’s so important for us as humans to have that experience. This film, it’ll make you your heart rate accelerate, and it’ll make you gasp. It’s just one of those experiences you must have at the theater.
Simon Pegg stars in ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
Other Movies Similar to ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One:’
‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ is produced by Paramount, Skydance Media, New Republic Pictures, and TC Productions. The movie is scheduled to release in theaters on July 12th, 2023.
Long gone are the days when we had to wait for home entertainment to see “Making Of” videos explaining how filmmakers pulled off amazing stunts or effects sequences.
These days, they’re out before the film itself arrives.
And if you’re Tom Cruise, you don’t have the patience to hold off until the year the movie lands, let alone the month or week. Hence a new look online at the extensive preparation behind one of the keynote stunts of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’, which will see his character, daredevil agent Ethan Hunt, sailing over a cliff on a motorbike and launching himself into the sky for a BASE jump.
‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ will be in theaters on July 14th, 2023.
He might not have the patience to wait and show off the team behind the stunt, but Cruise certainly has it to make sure the sequence goes flawlessly––and with good reason, because no one wants to see him pancaked on the ground.
Least of all writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, who can be seen in the video visibly aging as Cruise pulls off his latest wild activity.
Which means we’re treated to an extensive exploration of what goes into a sequence such as this––in this case, much stunt bike training, test jumps and even microchip-linked drones which accurately record his distance, velocity, and angles so all involved can make sure it’s worked out properly.
And the ‘Mission: Impossible’ movies could certainly use the good publicity after a couple of years that have seen them hit with pandemic filming delays and all sorts of issues as the mammoth shoot continued (and continues).
(L to R) Holt McCallany, Henry Czerny, and Nick Offerman in Paramount’s ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two.’
We still don’t know exactly what the story will be this time (besides the obvious opportunities for Ethan Hunt to run/drive/jump off/into/out of things), besides hints that his past will be coming back to haunt him––particularly since old enemy Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny) is back from the original ‘M:I’ movie way back in 1996.
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Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
In related Cruise news, he also took time out from flying around to thank fans who showed up in droves and helped make ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ one of the biggest hits of the year.
But far from simply standing in front of a poster of the film (or in front of some pretty location where he’s still currently filming the two new ‘Mission’ movies), he chose to do it in his inimitable style––jumping out of a plane. Seems fitting, we suppose…
Tom Cruise in Paramount Pictures’ ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout.’
Given that between them, the next two ‘Mission: Impossible’ movies might – heavy emphasis on might – represent the end for the venerable action franchise, the biggest takeaway from this first teaser for the seventh outing suggests that it has legacy on the brain.
But even beyond the presence of Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny), who hasn’t been seen since the first ‘M:I’ movie back in 1996, there are little nods here and there towards that original film. Not the least of which is Cruise once more battling baddies on a train (though it’s a much more old-school steamer than the sleek Channel Tunnel vehicles seen in the original).
Yet it’s far from just The Tom Cruise Show – we’re treated to footage of franchise veterans Simon Pegg (back as Benji) and Ving Rhames (Luther), plus more recent recruits including Rebecca Ferguson’s Isla Faust and Vanessa Kirby’s White Widow.
‘Dead Reckoning’ represents possibly the biggest challenge yet for Cruise and writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, who have collaborated on the last few ‘Mission: Impossible’ movies. They had to navigate a tricky, ever-changing shooting plan because the pandemic either cancelled or interrupted production. And then there’s wrangling with their own achievements – how do you top the level of stunts that they and their team have collectively pulled off in the past? The answer for Cruise, at least, appears to be even more derring-do, jumping off a bike that is itself falling off a huge cliff. Letting a train speed off another cliff. And breaking the story across two movies? That’ll lead to a more narrative cliff-hanger. These two like cliffs, is what we’re saying.
Story-wise, there’s not much to go on yet, though Kittridge certainly looks to be giving strong villain vibes, telling Ethan Hunt he’s effectively on the wrong side of history and that the “ideals” he’s been fighting for don’t exist. There are shots of people being gassed with a mysterious green substance, explosions and all manner of chases. Hunt, in his encounter with his old nuisance, mostly looks like he wants to blow up another fish tank…
‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ will be in theaters on July 14th, 2023.
‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ will be in theaters on July 14th, 2023.
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