Sat May 17 04:00:00 UTC 2025: ## “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” Divides Critics Despite Cannes Ovation
**Cannes, France** – “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” the highly anticipated culmination of the blockbuster franchise starring Tom Cruise, premiered at the 78th Cannes Film Festival to a five-minute standing ovation. However, early reviews indicate a divided critical reception, a departure from the series’ consistently high ratings.
The film, which sees Ethan Hunt facing a world in chaos against a powerful artificial intelligence known as “The Entity,” initially debuted with an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but has since dropped to 81%. This is a significant dip compared to previous installments, including “Ghost Protocol” (94%), “Rogue Nation” (94%), and “Fallout” (98%). Even the previous 2023 film pulled in a 96% rating scorecard.
Some critics lauded Cruise’s death-defying stunts and the film’s epic scale, with one review stating it “…largely measures up to the epic blockbuster sense the filmmakers intended.” However, others criticized the plot as being “more style than substance,” with one reviewer claiming the film “self-destructed” despite Cruise’s efforts. One critic described it as a “bad summer” film.
The lukewarm reception contrasts sharply with the praise garnered by earlier “Mission: Impossible” films, which were hailed as franchise revivals and some of the best action movies of all time.
“The Final Reckoning” sees Hunt taking on a nuclear threat, featuring sequences including hanging from a biplane and a spooky underwater mission in a submarine. The film opens in theaters Friday, May 23rd.
First Piper 