The Final Reckoning carries the weight of a meaningful farewell but lacks the courage to commit. The eighth film in the series begins with a sincere American president (Angela Bassett) entreating IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) to take one last mission to save the world.

That said, co-writer and director Christopher McQuarrie may have slightly overextended himself with what is meant to be the epic finale for the saga of the man called Ethan Hunt: not long after the release of the 2023 installment “Dead Reckoning — Part One,