A week before the release of the eighth installment of the «Mission Impossible» series with Tom Cruise, specialized publications published their first reviews and scores — they are not perfect, but rather average, given the previous scores of the franchise.
Currently, the «Mission: Impossible 8» 86% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 99 reviews — higher than in the first three parts of the series, but significantly lower than in the others.
Critics praised Cruise’s stunts and suspenseful plot, but some expressed mixed feelings about the strange balance between nostalgia and lack of closure — the film, we recall, was promoted as the final installment of Ethan Hunt’s adventures. Here are some direct quotes:
- «The movie deserves to be included in the list of the best action movies of all time. And although this is not the best part, it is a worthy tribute to the entire series», — Ross Bonaime, Collider.
- «If this is the last time we see one of Hollywood’s most exciting franchises of the past few decades, it will be a disappointing farewell with a few highlights thanks to a tireless lead actor», — David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter.
- «Final Destination has some controversial moments, but I think it’s the most exciting movie in the series since «Phantom Protocol» because it finds a new way to make the impossible inspiring. Instead of fooling us with rubber masks and digital illusion, the movie is about strange situations where Ethan has to act in a split second», — Owen Gleiberman, Variety
- «My biggest takeaway from the eighth and obviously not the last movie with Cruise as the lucky guy chosen by fate is that he is extremely sober. “The Final Reckoning turns into a melodrama whenever there is a story to tell. The cast, which consists of familiar faces from the franchise and cameo roles from newcomers, whisper their way through the tension levels typical of soap operas. Almost every bit of dialog is devoted to nothing less than the end of all life on planet», — Clint Gage, IGN.
- «”Final Destination” does not look like a grand finale at all. Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise fail to achieve their ambitions, falling into the traps of nostalgia and an extremely ridiculous plot», — James Preston Poole, Discussing Film.
Ratings for all movies in the series «Mission impossible»
| Movie title | Critics’ assessment | Viewers’ assessment |
| «Mission impossible: Foul» | 98% | 88% |
| «Mission impossible: Reckoning. Part one» | 96% | 94% |
| «Mission impossible: A nation of outcasts» | 94% | 87% |
| «Mission impossible: Phantom Protocol» | 94% | 76% |
| «Mission impossible: Final reckoning» | 86% | None |
| «Mission impossible 3» | 71% | 69% |
| «Mission impossible» | 65% | 71% |
| «Mission impossible 2» | 57% | 42% |
The eighth installment of the Ethan Hunt series has been officially titled «Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning» / Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning and a premiere date set for May 22, 2025. In the story, Hunt is expected to save the world: this time from a dangerous AI program called The Entity, which seems to predict the protagonist’s every move and can lead to disaster if it falls into the wrong hands. The character also encounters an old enemy from the past named Gabriel (Esai Morales).
In addition to Cruise and Morales, the cast of «Mission Impossible 8» includes Simon Pegg, Vianne Reames, Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Pom Clementieff, Shay Wiggum, Henry Cerny, Greg Tarzan Davis, Mariela Garriga, and Indira Varma. Among the newcomers: Hannah Weddingham, Janet McTeer, Holt McCullaney, Katie O’Brien, Nick Offerman and Tramell Tillman.