Tom Cruise, a man who more likely is made of steel and adrenaline than bones and blood, has made it his mission for the last 30 years to be the king of movies, putting his body through endurance tests that could destroy the strongest and fastest creatures on earth. It’s unbelievable to watch him and yet there he is, hanging on the wing of a bi-plane or riding a motorcycle off of a cliff or flying dueling helicopters or climbing the world’s tallest building. Watching Mission: Impossible films is no different than watching the Olympics, an event that Cruise, one of multiplex’s most recognizable faces, wouldn’t be out of place competing in. While the stunts of these films, and the impeccable craftmanship in capturing them on camera has been the most marketed element of each film (since at least Ghost Protocol) and the IMAXification of going bigger and better in the hopes of causing near-heart attacks in the audience, that was never the appeal of the original 1960s series for which (many often may forget) this eight-film run is based on.

Mission: Impossible was always about assembling a team to collaborate on solving missions, should they choose to accept it. That collaboration is what gives this franchise its heart and soul and while only the second film seemed to disregard that in favor of an Americanized faux-James Bond blockbuster, these films have still relied heavily on the presence of one Mr. Cruise. But, that’s what sells the ticket. Since the original became an explosive hit (wink), Cruise has carried with him the character of Ethan Hunt, and in essence, made him indestructible and godlike. Yet, the stunts being performed on camera really are done by Cruise, proving that while Ethan Hunt seems to survive everything thrown at him, his missions can be possible. Having to top each stunt for every film has led us to a final entry (within a giant two-part epic) that both feels immensely satisfying and stomach-filling and exhausting.

Continuing where 2023’s Dead Reckoning left off, The Final Reckoning finds Ethan and his team in possession of a key that will unlock a source code to a planet-threatening AI called The Entity, which was enabled by tech villain Gabriel (Esai Morales). Benji, Grace, and Luther (Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell, and Ving Rhames) return joined by returning members Theo Degas (Greg Tarzan Davis) and Paris (Pom Klementieff) who have flipped sides since the previous film. This simple premise leads Ethan down (yes) seemingly impossible challenges such as diving meters into the ocean to retrieve the source code device hidden in a drowned submarine and deactivating world-ending nuclear bombs. Oh yeah, and on the run from the men and women trying to track him down (returning cast members Henry Czerny, Shea Whigham, and Angela Bassett), even though he has clearly done nothing but help them the last eight films.

The final two hours (of three!) of the film are breathless and stunning, with director Christopher McQuarrie returning yet again to defy logic in delivering all the insane thrills of a Mission: Impossible film while making sure to keep that team dynamic alive and full of heart and suspense. As much as Ethan Hunt refuses to die, he also refuses to let anyone else die as well. Cruise’s emotional bonds with his cast feels as authentic onscreen as his fellow cast members have praised about him in interviews.

At the film’s detriment, though, is that first hour, which likely due to production issues, unfortunate box office results for Dead Reckoning, and a required feeling of finality in tying the entire film series together from first entry to the last, is riddled with over-explaining the plot, catching up the audience on every detail, flashbacks galore, unnecessary callbacks, and retcons. Rushed, cobbled editing intends to condense so much information to the viewer, yet with its pace feels like it doesn’t want you to lose attention either. Certain plot threads are brought up in the beginning and some don’t get enough time to digest or even materialize as important. Certain flashbacks even introduced in Dead Reckoning are revisited here for only brief moments, making you wonder why they are even there in the first place. Missing is that deft and air-tight freshness of Rogue Nation and Fallout.

But just when you feel like the film has shockingly fell on its face after such an incredible run, the next two acts do nearly everything right and then some. A rough beginning can be salvageable if you end strong and The Final Reckoning makes it its mission to end on as strong a note as possible. If this is the end of Ethan Hunt and his team, we’ve left with full bellies and enough great memories bound to revisit for the inevitable years to come. You can rest now, Tom. Seriously, please. Go find a beach somewhere and sleep!