Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning first reactions are mixed, and that’s disappointing

By Dan Girolamo Published May 13, 2025

In the trailer for Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt asks someone to trust him one last time. Judging by the first reactions on social media, Cruise is now asking the audience to trust him that he still delivered an action spectacle.

The social media embargo lifted for Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning on May 12. The initial reactions are mixed, which comes as a surprise considering how much praise the last few entries have received.

Erik Davis of Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes said Cruise takes The Final Reckoning to the next level. “It’s the biggest, wildest, and most consequential Mission movie yet,” Davis wrote on X.

Good Day’s Chicago Jake Hamilton called the plane sequence “one of cinema’s greatest stunts.” Hamilton wrote, “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning is a love letter to fans who just rewatched the entire series.”

Indiewire’s David Ehrlich had a more negative reaction, calling it “dull and dysfunctional.” Despite praising the set pieces, Ehrlich was ultimately disappointed by The Final Reckoning, calling it a “massive heartbreaker.”

Griffin Schiller compared Final Reckoning to The Rise of Skywalker, saying it “plays like an egregious franchise greatest hits.”

Mission: Impossible is the gold standard for action franchises, so it’s disappointing to read about the mixed reactions. Cruise’s action sequences, including the death-defying plane stunt, will certainly be a highlight. However, the conflicting reception is not ideal, especially for a franchise that might have to disappear for the foreseeable future before Cruise returns or another actor steps in as the new lead.

Cruise headlines The Final Reckoning as Ethan Hun, the IMF agent who must race to find the Entity and destroy it before it gets into the wrong hands. The ensemble includes Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Henry Czerny, Mariela Garriga, Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, Nick Offerman, Hannah Waddingham, Tramell Tillman, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Charles Parnell, Mark Gatiss, Rolf Saxon, Lucy Tulugarjuk and Angela Bassett.

Christopher McQuarrie directs from a screenplay he co-wrote with Erik Jendresen.

Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning opens in theaters on May 23.