If Mission: Impossible series is considered to be one of the best action franchises of all time, with the Tom Cruise movies managing to maintain a shocking level of quality since it started in 1996. This makes The Final Reckoning's Rotten Tomatoes performance more disappointing, with it coming in below some of the franchise's recent entries.
The Final Reckoning is the direct continuation of 2023's Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (subsequently retitled to excise "Part One"), with it expected to be Tom Cruise's final outing as Ethan Hunt. After the critical successes of the previous films, especially those directed by Christopher McQuarrie, fans of the franchise were hoping for an excellent conclusion to the series. First reactions to Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning are out now, and while they don't favorably compare to the previous films, they highlight one of the franchise's greatest strengths.
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning's Rotten Tomatoes Score Is The Lowest Of Tom Cruise & Christopher McQuarrie's Installments
They've Set Too High A Bar
One of the oddest things about the Mission: Impossible series is that the later films are typically considered far better than the originals. The first four movies were directed by Brian De Palma, John Woo, J.J. Abrams, and Brad Bird respectively, establishing the franchise as a directorial showcase. After working with Tom Cruise on Jack Reacher, Christopher McQuarrie was brought on to direct Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. The film was such a critical success that McQuarrie returned for the sixth Mission: Impossible film. Then the seventh. Then the eighth.
Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning Cast & Character Guide
It's the Final Reckoning for Ethan Hunt and the Mission: Impossible crew, but who else is coming back for the sequel, and who is being introduced?
After four Mission: Impossible films, The Final Reckoning is unfortunately the lowest-rated of McQuarrie's installments on Rotten Tomatoes. The eighth Mission: Impossible movie has 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, falling behind Rogue Nation, Fallout, and Dead Reckoning, all of which had scores in the 90s. Interestingly, Mission: Impossible 8 also falls below Brad Bird's outing, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, which has 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Mission: Impossible Movie |
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score |
|---|---|
Mission: Impossible |
65% |
Mission: Impossible II |
57% |
Mission: Impossible III |
71% |
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol |
94% |
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation |
94% |
Mission: Impossible - Fallout |
98% |
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning |
96% |
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning |
81% |
Why Mission: Impossible 8's Rotten Tomatoes Score Is Lower Than Cruise & McQuarrie's Previous Films
What The Critics Have Said So Far
While The Final Reckoning's 81% is still impressive, it does have more negative reviews than its predecessor. Some critics are calling the film clunkier than the others, with NYC Movie Guru's Avi Offer saying it is "Clunky, bloated and meandering with lazy, excessive exposition and ephemeral thrills." Joonatan Itkonen of Toisto.net points out that the film is "nearly three hours in length," with this being a sentiment echoed in many of the movie's negative reviews.
ScreenRant's Mary Kassel was positive, rating it 8/10 overall. But it seems to be a bit too bloated for the tastes of its detractors.
The Final Reckoning's Rotten Tomatoes Score Continues Cruise & McQuarrie's Franchise Hot Streak
It Is Still Rated Higher Than The Original Trilogy
Although Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning's Rotten Tomatoes score is comparatively low, it proves that Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie are still continuing their streak of successes. The eighth film's 81% still results in it being Certified Fresh. This is a trait shared by all of McQuarrie's films, meaning that Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning is still better than most action movies.
Every Mission: Impossible Opening Action Sequence, Ranked Worst To Best
The Mission: Impossible franchise has made a habit of placing its most daring and eye-catching stunts right at the beginning of the film.
McQuarrie's latest movie still has a higher score than the first three Mission: Impossible movies, which have 65%, 57%, and 71% respectively. According to critics, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning still reaches heights far beyond the franchise's beginnings. Even if the golden run of Mission movies is over, this may still be a successful end to Tom Cruise's time as Ethan Hunt.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
- Release Date
- May 23, 2025
- Runtime
- 169 Minutes
- Director
- Christopher McQuarrie
- Writers
- Christopher McQuarrie, Erik Jendresen
- Prequel(s)
- Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning
Cast
Ethan Hunt
Luther Stickell
- Franchise(s)
- Mission: Impossible
