Mission: Impossible — Dead Rockoning: Part 1 (2022) Teaser Trailer

“Your days fighting for the so called ‘good’, are over.”

Writer/Director Christopher McQuarrie took over the Mission: Impossible franchise after its fifth entry at the behest of actor/producer Tom Cruise. Previously each entry was tackled by a different director, so every film could feel fresh while maintaining the core cast intact.

I was excited for the Jack Reacher director to tackle the franchise, but he didn’t quite deliver with “Rogue Nation”. Something he may have known for himself because he outdid himself when it came to the next entry, “Fall Out”. Which renewed my faith in the director to return for the next two installments.

I’m not a huge fan of the sub-title, Dead Reckoning. Previous sub-titles have been fitting and clever, while this one seems out of place — like it belongs in another franchise. But I trust McQuarrie to deliver nonetheless, maybe the title will grow on me.

This is the first footage we’ve seen of the project after its delays caused by the pandemic. It is an amalgamation of moments, played with an isolated score track from Lorne Balfe who returns as the film’s composer. Another tradition that has been broken during McQuarrie’s tenure.

The story is massive if it is being split in two, and it makes me wonder if Ethan Hunt’s journey is coming to an end or if there will be room for just one more entry to round out the third and final trilogy. The teaser alludes to a lot of imagery from previous films, bringing back an adversary from the first entry implies this is the end. Time will tell if Tom Cruise will choose to accept one final mission after this reckoning.