Tom Cruise doesn’t stop. He has shown countless times that for him, the public always comes first, no matter the cost. Much has been said about how he risks his life to deliver the best action scenes. However, it is extremely reductionist to base the success of his most recent works solely on that aspect. This becomes clear when watching the movie Mission Impossible 7: Deadly Judgment – Part Onewhich triumphs because it maintains fidelity to an extremely well-armed concept, which is that of blockbusters craft. Honoring the filmmaking techniques of yesteryear while injecting them with a contemporary freshness.
This formula is already proven. The actor, director Christopher McQuarrie and the rest of the production team set out to do what they’ve done for years. In other words, turning extremely simple elements –which would normally be unattractive after repeating themselves over and over again– into amazing trips that have to be seen at all costs.
As an example, what happened with the highly celebrated Top Gun Maverick (2022). It is not a complex or indecipherable story, but something else classic. Haven’t we already seen the story of the heroic pilot who lives with his colleagues at the academy and goes through training to overcome life and death obstacles? Yes, but never with such a level of execution. Those large-format aerial shots, those stunt analogues, that daring attitude that crossed the screen.
Here, the same thing happens. Plain and simple, the conflict this time is that a powerful artificial intelligence has emerged that infiltrates digital systems of international defense. Soon, he will begin to reveal priceless secrets and truths. Obviously, all of the world’s elites seek to gain control of said intelligence, known as The Entity. But they don’t count on the unbeatable Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team in the Impossible Missions Force.
The most evident proof that the film worked under the maxim of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is that the script by McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen at no time denies the influences of its traditional narrative structure. Wow, they even brag about it by including, on several occasions, the phrase “world domination”. In the same way, they replicate, almost point by point, the best-known formulas of many spy films, and even pay homage to the first installment of the saga, which was directed by Brian De Palma. There are the sequences that, with neat compositions, show the battlefield of the characters, the precisely calculated camera movements, or the sensuality in the atmospheres, in which the style to portray action and suspense is never lost. Nothing is missing to keep the viewer in a state of pure trance.
Movie review Mission Impossible 7: Deadly Judgment – Part One
This is also noticeable in the performances. Tom Cruise combines his eternal charisma with a sentimental touch rarely present in his reckless characters. In a way that had never happened before, a deep emotional connection to him is created, especially because of the exploration of Hunt’s past. But those who stand out are Hayley Atwell as Grace and Pom Klementieff as Paris.
Atwell shows charm and security in each of his scenes, touching the characterization of femme fatale, but balancing it effectively with a carefree personality. Otherwise it is that of Klementieff. Being one of the villains on duty, she opts for an intense performance that, thanks to the presence and commitment of the actress, cannot be described as overacting. She fits very well with the tone of the tape. It is a delight to see the French interpreter let out macabre laughter while she carries out sadistic orders. An antagonist in every sense of the word.
If the structure made up of each of the previous elements was already quite striking, what happens when these tropes are combined with current technical tools is fascinating. Suddenly, we are facing something completely new.
The journey of a train under a tunnel can be adrenaline and dizzying when you have an enveloping sound design. A car chase through Italy can be invigorating and beautiful when photographed by Fraser Taggart and precisely edited by Eddie Hamilton. Everything is under control, running like finely tuned machinery.
And now, when all the pieces are in place thanks to the work of many people, Ethan Hunt, riding a motorcycle, jumps off a cliff. He is under the spotlight. In the instant when the entire room loses its breath and there is an overwhelming silence, the purpose of the craft is revealed.
The movie mission impossible 7, in effect, is about Cruise fighting technology. However, it is also showing us how it can be synchronized with the skills of the human being to create something exciting. It’s quite a complicated undertaking, but the payoff is huge for the audience and for the creative team. Everything becomes greater than the sum of its parts.
Jose Roberto Landaverde I love writing, listening, reading and commenting on everything related to cinema. I love music and am a fan of The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac and Paramore. My favorite movies are Rocky and Back to the Future and obviously one day I’ll climb the “Philly Steps” and drive a DeLorean. Faithful believer that cinema is the best teleportation machine, and also that on the big screen we can all see ourselves represented.