Critics React to Tom Cruise’s Final ‘Mission: Impossible’ Film with Mixed Reviews

Early reviews are in for ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’, the eighth and final installment of the long-running franchise starring Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt. Premiering at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, the film continues the story from 2023’s ‘Dead Reckoning’, as Hunt and his IMF team work to stop a rogue AI known as The Entity. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the film features a star-studded cast including Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Angela Bassett, and others.

Critics have generally praised the film’s scale and entertainment value. It currently holds an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus describing it as “gargantuan in action, runtime, and scope” and a “sentimental sendoff” for Cruise’s character. Notable positive reviews mention the film’s polished production and engaging spectacle, despite acknowledging its excesses and implausibility.

However, not all feedback has been glowing. Some critics from outlets like The Hollywood Reporter and the BBC found the movie underwhelming as a finale, citing over-the-top execution and a lack of narrative clarity. These mixed reactions suggest that while the movie delivers thrills, its reception is tempered by high expectations for a franchise closer. The film will officially release in theaters on May 24, 2025.