Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie have delivered yet another enjoyable entry to the “Mission: Impossible” franchise. At two hours and forty-three minutes, this is the longest installment. I thought the runtime was warranted. The film maintained a great sense of energy throughout and held my intrigue. However, I do have a lot of criticisms this time around.

The film harkens back to the first “Mission Impossible” in many aspects, most obviously by bringing back cast members. There is a more complicated plot with double crossings and government conspiracy. The first film had an overreliance on the use of face masks, while here there is an overreliance on sleight of hand. There is also an overabundance of Dutch angles. If I had to take a shot for each time one popped up, I would have been dead within the first hour.

The use of AI gives the film a timely feel and makes it more unique…until the main villain makes his plans of world domination clear. The MacGuffin this time around is a literal key that will unlock the code to a complicated supercomputer. Where else is that computer stored but a nuclear submarine. The setup for the plot reminded me a lot of “The Spy Who Loved Me.” The character of Paris is essentially a nod to classic Bond villain henchmen, but sadly the character is one-dimensional and lacks any memorable characteristics. There are more Bond influences here – the yellow Fiat is a clear nod to “For Your Eyes Only,” and the handcuffing that is part of the Rome car chase is a nod to “Tomorrow Never Dies.”

Esai Morales plays a villain that is almost as weak as the generic nuclear strategist from “Ghost Protocol.” Technology is the real villain here, but the filmmakers felt the need to still have a primary human antagonist with hazy ties to Ethan’s past. These ties are shown in brief flashbacks but are never explored in any competent fashion.

There are tons of action movie cliches which were rather irritating. Characters pause when shooting or making decisions to allow other characters to catch up. A character’s hand is held over a button to build suspense, but the hand is motionless for so long that it just comes off as a hokey plot trick. A piano hangs from a hook for too long. The camera keeps cutting back to the hook to show it slowly giving out, but we know there’s no actual peril involved. Abrupt cuts are made at the end of action sequences to avoid having to show how characters escape situations or change locations.

The cinematography is uninspired. Beyond the overuse of Dutch angles, the locations are not well captured. All of the awkward angles and constant closeups definitely played a role in that. It seemed like the cinematography crew was going for a noir look in Venice, but smoke at nighttime just looks hazy and dull. The club scene was not nearly as effective as the one in “Fallout” or anything in the “John Wick” franchise. The production design of the train, however, is fantastic. It seemed like the majority of effort and money went towards the last third of the film, and it definitely shows. The scenes from the Orient Express sum up to one of the best train fights captured in all of cinema.

With all of those criticisms out of the way, there is plenty to love in “Dead Reckoning.” The stunts remain incredibly impressive, Cruise and the rest of the cast are clearly committed in their performances, and the film is just an immensely fun time at the cinema. The action scenes escalate in a way that feels organic to the story. The motorcycle scene is still awe-striking despite how many times it was shown in all of the marketing. However, I do wish McQuarrie would just linger a little bit longer on those silent moments amidst all of the loud action.

Hayley Atwell steals the show with her charismatic and clever turn as Grace. This is an example of a female foil done correctly. That being said, the character of Ilsa Faust (perhaps my favorite character in the whole franchise) is treated with less respect than she deserves. While I understand the choice the writers made in order to build emotional stakes, I hope there can be proper closure for her and Ethan’s relationship in part two. Ethan’s affections switching from Ilsa to Grace so quickly puts a bad taste in my mouth.

“Fallout” remains the best entry in the franchise, with “Rogue Nation” coming in second and “Ghost Protocol” not far behind. In “Fallout,” Ethan’s moral code was put to the test, and the involvement of Julia provided personal stakes that made the story feel grounded. That film was a lot more interesting from a character perspective. The team dynamic is also just not as strong in “Dead Reckoning.” It seems like the bonds between these characters are taken for granted at this point. Perhaps that is a sign that it is good this franchise is wrapping up. “Dead Reckoning” feels like it should have some philosophical quandaries or poignant moral questions to pose, yet it never goes in that direction. This is a nuts and bolts Hollywood spy thriller with a huge budget and a pleasing aesthetic palette. It’ll be interesting to see if my perspective on part one changes with the release of part two.