REVIEW. MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: THE FINAL RECKONING. Tom saves the world (again), and a good time is had by all...unless you're acrophobic.

SPOILER ALERT: There are a few references that may lessen the experience for diehard MI fans.

Years ago (2009, to be precise), I got tickets to see The Dark Knight in IMAX. About twenty minutes in, Batman (Christian Bale) appears on top of what looks like the Willis Tower (Chicago), surveying "Gotham City." I noticed my husband, who is Type I Diabetic and acrophobic, was curled up in the seat next to with a look of horror on his face. Thinking he might be having a low sugar episode, I leaned over and whispered, "Are you okay?"

"He's on the fucking Sears Tower!" he whispered back. Thankfully, no low sugar episode, just an acrophobic meltdown.

Got it. Lesson learned. Sort of. You can imagine my spouse's response when I told him I'd gotten tickets to Tom Cruise's latest installment of the Mission franchise. After a long, disbelieving stare, he muttered, "I'll go, but I'm not watching the (much hyped in trailers) aerial stuff." Good enough. And off we went on a sunny spring Saturday.

A couple of things: Any attempt to decipher the convulted plot or make sense of everything that's going on is probably a waste of time. Just go with it. The movie's plot - the conclusion from 2023's MI: Dead Reckoning - involves an advanced, self-aware rogue artificial intelligence (AI) called The Entity (first introduced in MI III as "The Rabbit Foot"), which is capable of penetrating all international cyber-security systems, threatening, at worst, an apocalyptic nuclear war, or even a global catastrophe (should Entity fall into the wrong controlling hands).

Consistently touted as Cruise's final MI film - he's made eight since 1996 - Final Reckoning brings together many threads from the previous movies, skillfully (if not completely) wrapping up a story arc that began with future Impossible Mission Force operative Ethan Hunt's (Cruise) mysterious past. Though Hunt's complete history has been carefully hidden, we do know that Ethan hails from Madison, WI, that he attended the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a double major in engineering and international relations.

From there, he joined the army and fought in the first Gulf War, from which he was honorably discharged. The next five years of Hunt's life are a little murkier, with suggestions that he fell into a life of crime and wound up in prison, which is where IMF agent Jim Phelps recruited him for the first Mission Impossible. It was during these unaccounted years that Ethan reportedly worked for Gabriel (Esai Morales), a dangerous mentor, but one who gave Ethan his drive to pursue good: Ethan had fallen in love with a beautiful woman named Marie whom Gabriel killed, establishing a pattern of loss for Ethan - and perhaps giving a warning to actresses hoping to co-star with Cruise in the MI franchise: don't expect a "happily ever after."

At any rate, the best advice I can offer to anyone buying a ticket to Final Reckoning, whether you've seen one or all of the previous MI installments: enjoy making the connections that tie the narrative together, no matter how loosely those links may sometimes seem. And if you know all the nuances of the backstory, that's fine, too. There is enough here to sustain even a first-time viewer, as writer Erik Jendresen and producer-writer-director Christopher McQuarrie make sure that key characters, themes, and relationships are identified (often through cut-quick flashbacks) and appropriately developed.

For me, the two most interesting relationships are the one Ethan has with longtime team member and computer technician Luther (Ving Rhames) and, the other, with his arch-nemisis, Gabriel. The only character besides Ethan who appears in all eight MI installments, Luther is Ethan's moral compass (assuming an IMF operative has one), reminding him why they continue to take on, well, impossible assignments: "We live and die in the shadows for those we hold close, and for those we never meet." Good stuff.

Rhames halting delivery, his resonant voice so precise emphasizing all the key words in any monologue, is in fine form here. You can see the possibilities of Marcellus Wallce (Rhames' iconic character from 1994's Pulp Fiction) had he opted for a different career path.

Unfortunately, Luther's technical skills mean he must sacrifice himself for the greater good this time round, and his death in the first act supplies the extra drive needed for Ethan's success. It also provides the touching voiceover (via MI's signature self-destructing recording) that sums up the franchise's message: that a hopeful future for planet earth and humankind is possible if we extend a hand rather than put up a fist. A bit schmaltzy, for some, after the movie's plethora of double-crossing, untrustworthy, power-hungry characters, but an attempt to raise up the idea of doing good for others, nonetheless.

The second relationship that helped bring the movie full circle is the return of Gabriel as Ethan's primary human antagonist. Going back to the franchise's roots, though little additional information about the two is given, Gabriel and Ethan clearly have a score that needs settling. It's a conflict that has lasted decades long and runs emotionally deep. Morales is Cruise's debonair, if diabolical, equal, and the two sexagenarians spar intellectually and physically throughout the movie's almost three-hour running time.

Most of the reviews I've read about Final Reckoning don't say much about the story or the acting. Much of the social media space has focused on Cruise, his determination to perform death-defying stunts, and the future of the MI franchise. Even the NYTimes' Manohla Dargis only concluded that she thoroughly enjoyed watching the film.

Okay. Those topics are all worthy of discussion.

But why is the movie entertaining, worth seeing? What, if anything, does Final Reckoning have that merits giving up most of an afternoon or evening at the theater?

Well, for one, this is pretty spectacular film making. Even though I would argue that the movie is a bit long (you could have easily edited 20-30 minutes of the second hour and tightened up the narrative flow), and not the kind of cinema that is a game-changer in terms of innovative storytelling, controversial themes, or provocative subject matter, Final Reckoning is what I would call an "elevated popcorn flick." And I say that as a compliment. It is a thrill ride, an adrenaline rush done to perfection.

Given the number of characters, backstory elements, plot and subplots, director McQuarrie does a masterful juggling act that creates immense tension as the story builds to a climax. Using quick cuts that move back and forth between multiple actions - Ethan and Gabriel fighting on the wing of a WWJI biplane while Ethan's team works to set up the nuclear module so that Luther's Poison Pill can be uploaded to it -- McQuarrie and editor Eddie Hamilton create an edge-of-your-seat experience that is hard to beat in terms of entertainment values and a satisfying pay-off.

Too, the movie, is visually stunning. Everything - from deep sea nuclear submarines to high-tech visuals - is carefully crafted to transport the viewer into a dangerous world of political intrigue where one mistake could trigger a variety of apocalyptic consequences. It's a fast-paced, wild ride that never relents on action, intensity or gravitas (well, the kind only an IMF assignment could imagine).

The supporting cast, including role reprisals by Rhames and Morales, along with Angela Bassett (now elevated from CIA Director to President of the United States), Hayley Atwell as Ethan's team member and love interest Grace, and Simon John Pegg as Ethan's loyal team member and tech agent Benji, as well as newcomer Hannah Waddingham (Rebecca of Ted Lasso fame) - all manage to turn the franchise's formula into something fresh and watchable. Even though we kinda know how the story will end, we're left in suspense about who will survive - and how.

As a prelude to the movie, Tom Cruise appeared on screen, thanking the cast and crew for their awesome work making Final Reckoning, and thanking the audience for coming out to the theater to see it. It's clear that Cruise is dedicated to keeping cinema as the art form it was intended: big, larger-than-life stories told on a silver screen. Back in 2022, as the world was emerging from the pandemic and Hollywood was struggling to entice viewers back to the theater, it was Cruise's Top Gun: Maverick that almost single-handedly revived the box office, setting the stage for subsequent summer blockbusters like Barbenheimer the following year.

And, though I realize that many people don't venture out as much to the theater for a variety of reasons, including health and proximity to'local theaters, I hope that the ritual of experiencing movies in the theater as they were meant to be, remains a part of American and global culture. Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning goes a long way making its case for getting out of the house and into a theater: it is a thoroughly entertaining, visually stunning, over-the-top spy thriller, and Cruise is in full throttle driving this vehicle past the finish line.

Besides, Cruise is that rarest of 21st century creatures: a genuine "movie star," a term that used to suggest a kind of vapid, supreme attractiveness over acting talent. That's not the case here, as Tom Cruise has demonstated over and over again that he is both a box office force and a fine actor. Check out Rain Man, Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry McGuire, Magnolia, or even Rock of Ages to see the range of his thespian skills. Watching him do the late-night talk show circuit this week in advance of MI's theatrical release, I couldn't help but gain respect for his dedication to craft: the precision and attention to detail choreographing those unbelievable stunts, along with his unabashed love of making movies. He is a cinephile of the highest order, a traditionalist in terms of making good movies with integrity and panache.

This is the first Tom Cruise movie I've reviewed here, and I feel the need to make one additional comment. Over the years, I've often felt that Cruise could be a kind of lightening rod for movie goers, some of whom think he's more of a pretty face that a fine actor. Others who dislike him for more personal reasons. I have a friend who, because of Cruise's association w/the Church of Scientology, will not go to see one of his films, always saying that Tom gives him the "creeps." That may be true, depending on personal philosophies and so, in some cases, Mission Impossible may not make your list of "must-see" movies. So be it. I'm not here to judge Tom Cruise's spiritual beliefs. I'm here to assess his films, and this one is definitely worth a look.

As the familiar notes to Lalo Schifrin's "Mission Impossible Theme" punctuated the final fade-to-black, I turned to my husband and said, "Now that was fucking amazing." He gave me a look and said, "Yeah, except I didn't see most of the last hour."

Guess the sight of two men hanging off the wings of a biplane midair was too much and he covered his eyes until the sequence ended. And I thought I was a wuss during extended shootouts and graphic gunplay.

Oh, well.

Maybe next time. But that last hour is pure, exhilerating, not-to-be-missed fun, if you're up for it.

This review may self-destruct if enough people don't read it.

Enough now.

And cue the music: bum bum ba da bum bum ba da bum.....

*******

Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning opened in theaters May 23. It is on track to break box office records for the Memorial Day weekend. Catch it, if you can, before it moves to streaming.