'Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning' movie review: Mission barely successful

Tom Cruise returned as Ethan Hunt, in perhaps the last movie of the Mission Impossible franchise, which in itself raised the expectations higher. Did the ever charismatic and persistent Ethan Hunt deliver though? Well, the answer is yes, albeit barely.

The movie begins with what feels like a montage of all the great things Hunt achieved over the years, perhaps aimed at building nostalgia among fans.

When ‘The Entity’ starts infiltrating government installations and whitewashing minds, it is up to Hunt and team to restore order, as they face off against Gabriel (Esai Morales) who wishes to gain control of the Entity and thereby the world.

While Ethan has possession of the key which can stop the Entity, he now needs to locate the original source code and destroy it, even as the Entity takes control of nuclear establishments globally.

Sounds simple, right? But then add in a secure server, a sunk submarine which houses the original source code, countries ready to go to war with each other, a virus to trap the Entity, and a battle of human heart vs machine learning. What we get is a mashup which feels prolonged and tedious at times.

The plot could have been crisper, with the action sequences dragging on longer than needed. The supporting cast does a good job, even as Hunt steals the show. Fans of the franchise will feel happy, and while we can say that the mission was accomplished, it reached there after multiple hiccups, bruised and battered.