Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning (2023) ✦ Full-Length Watchalong Reaction
Added 2025-10-20 08:00:09 +0000 UTCIt's bitter sweet now that I am at the last story in the series. Are the Reckonings actually the "finale" of this series, or will there be more? I might be treating this a little too much like it's the very end if they haven't actually confirmed that. 😅
I enjoyed this one for a number of reasons and I am very excited for the last half of this story = the reaction will come pretty soon! Looking forward to your comments, enjoy! [Direct link here.]
✦ KL
Comments
Aww Tom is so great. Agreed on Hayley and Pom, I really like both of them!
kaiielle
2025-10-27 16:25:30 +0000 UTCThis movie reminded me just how good of an actor Hayley Atwell is. Some of the facial expressions she does are so brilliant in the moment. Equally, Pom brings some brilliant mania with her facial expressions which I love. Watching this reminded me of the story about how Pom asked Tom where she could learn to Skydive when they wrapped filming. His response was to gift her a full course to get her license.
Paul Howard
2025-10-27 14:05:43 +0000 UTCShe looks so different when she's not Mantis, but yet still familiar haha. I def had to look that up in my review.
kaiielle
2025-10-23 02:05:57 +0000 UTCI definitely liked it more on the rewatch than the I did when it came out in theaters. I certainly like the final mission way more than this one. Btw that was Mantis from Guardians of the Galaxy that played the bad ass assassin that you liked so much!
HugoBoss435
2025-10-22 21:01:53 +0000 UTCTo be honest, I totally forgot to do that. 😂 My brain has been all over the place this month trying to balance everything, so it slipped my mind. It's funny, I had watched that whole video of C&C's DR premiere attendance and I also forgot that McQ told them that. But I didn't exactly need to remember either. The inspo from What's Up, Doc? was pretty obvious in that scene. I enjoyed it, but I do wonder how many people maybe feel like it didn't belong in a M:I movie, specifically. Yeah, I knew I recognized Pom's face but I def did not realize she was Mantis until after.
kaiielle
2025-10-22 16:29:06 +0000 UTCI had mentioned a couple of times it might be best to rewatch your first reaction or the trailer for the first movie. It was in the hopes that you would recognize Kittridge, which most people don't. They even call back to that conversation from the first movie in the Aquarium bar: Kittridge has accused Ethan of being the mole, and Ethan is fuming. Kittridge: "I can see you're very upset." Ethan: "Kittridge, you've never seen me very upset." When Ethan takes off the mask this time, Kittridge says the same thing, but this time Ethan says "I'm not upset." At the premiere, McQuarrie told Cassie and Carly that the chase through Rome was inspired by What's Up, Doc?, so your instincts are right on the money. My favorite gag is the one where Grace has forced Ethan into the driver's seat before they go down the stairs, and when the car rolls avoiding the baby carriage, when they land at the bottom, they've switched back. Based on the reaction, you don't seem to have noticed, but the blonde baddie Paris was played by Pom Klementieff, aka Mantis from the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. No surprise, given half her face is covered in makeup in those movies to give her the bug eyes, and she has different hair. She was so enthusiastic about doing stunts, the crew gave her the nickname "Pom Cruise." I think the heart of M:I's exploration of AI is about the movie industry. The party scene, where Grace is bringing the key to its buyer and they discover The Entity is watching on every screen in the club, feels like Cruise up against the people pushing to abandon personal artistry in favor of automated tech. (Here's something I already wrote about that: https://letterboxd.com/tylergfoster/film/mission-impossible-dead-reckoning/4/) As for the film's reception, to me it feels like it's emblematic of the conundrum that sequels are always in: threading the needle between new and old, risky and reliable, fresh and familiar. I like Dead Reckoning, and I think my estimation of it is creeping up, but I admit it doesn't feel quite as perfect as Rogue Nation or Fallout to me. The hallmarks and formula of the series are still enjoyable, but I do think the "big stunt" in this one is merely fine, and I don't know that Gabriel, as slimy as he is, distinguishes himself much as a villain. It's true that I would potentially watch another M:I movie in a heartbeat, but there's also a wisdom in quitting while you're ahead, especially if Cruise doesn't know how many unbelievable stunts he has left in him. Even if you're leaving some opportunities on the table in the form of people who would've continued to watch, that's also better than walking away with everyone saying, "yeah, they should have stopped with the last one."
Tyler Foster
2025-10-21 16:09:29 +0000 UTC
