3 Reasons Why You Need To Buy Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1

Mission Impossible has become one of the most bankable franchises in Hollywood, which can be attributed to its star and producer, Tom Cruise, who has starred in all seven films now as Ethan Hunt. Cruise’s dedication to his craft is why he and the Mission Impossible franchise has spanned over 25 years and seven films. Cruise does his own stunts, thinking up insane situations to put himself into, for the benefit of the audience. Cruise’s ability to continue to entertain audiences is why he is one of the last remaining movie stars. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1, is as its title suggests, the first part of the concluding chapter of the franchise. Cruise is 61 years old now and whilst it looks like he could go forever, he knows his limitations and understands, as he gets older, the harder it will be to do these death-defying stunts.

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1, once again follows Ethan Hunt (played by Cruise) and his IMF team Luther Stickell (played by Ving Rhames), Benji Dunn (played by Benji Dunn) and Ilsa Faust (played by Rebecca Fergusson), as they must track down a dangerous weapon before it falls into the wrong hands. We’ve seen this plot before, seven times in fact, but we’re not here for the plot, we’re here for the amazing action and stunts and ohh boy, does Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 deliver. To celebrate Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1, release on DVD, Blu-Ray and 4K Ultra HD, I will be breaking down three reasons why you need to check this one out and add it to your movie collection! So, without further ado, let’s get stuck into it!

“We live and die in the shadows” – the action set pieces –

Each of the Mission Impossible films have memorable sequences that you can attribute to each film. Mission Impossible has the classic Langley heist, Mission Impossible II has the Motorcycle chase, beach fight, Mission Impossible III has the Vatican Extraction, Mission Impossible IV: Ghost Protocol has the Burj Khalifa sequence, Mission Impossible V: Rogue Nation has the underwater chip exchange, Mission Impossible: Fallout has the halo jump and helicopter chase and Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 has the amazing train sequence that concludes the film. This train set piece is all in camera, with slight digital effects adjustments and digital smoothing, but the stunt work here is all so incredible as well as the dedication to practical effects. The train in this sequence is real, and if you watch the Blu-Ray special features, you can see how much time, effort and dedication goes into creating sequences like this. On a side note, this is another reason to support physical media, so you can watch all of these fantastic featurettes and behind the scenes bonus features! There’s amazing hand-to-hand combat sequences here, a parachute jumps from a descending motorcycle off a cliff and of course car chases!

“Our lives are the sum of our choices” – The supporting characters –

Over the course of the Mission Impossible franchise, we have been introduced to a number of characters that we have grown to love. The main stars are of course our core group, team Luther Stickell (played by Ving Rhames), Benji Dunn (played by Benji Dunn) and Ilsa Faust (played by Rebecca Fergusson). I love the camaraderie between these characters. They all have their own reasons for doing what they're doing, but their connection to Ethan Hunt and the greater good is what makes them all so damn likeable. Each member has their own skillset, Ethan Hunt is our every man, Benji Dunn is our comms and tech expert, Luther Stickell also has strengths in these areas as well as adding a bit of muscle to the group and Ilsa Faust is also our guns and weapons expert, with some kickass fighting skills. They all compliment each other and when they're in a terrible situation that looks like they might not get out alive, we obviously care and it raises the stakes. These characters are a huge reason why we are coming back to the franchise after all these years and seven instalments.

“Your life will always matter more to me than my own” – Tom Cruise –

As mentioned, Tom Cruise’s dedication to his craft is what makes his films so memorable. He has given his body to the role of Ethan Hunt over the years, putting himself in absurd situations to make sure audiences get the best experience in the cinema possible. The quote used above is fitting, it's really how Tom Cruise views his work and the stunts he performs. In 2017 when making Mission Impossible: Fallout, Cruise performed a stunt that saw him break his ankle and pause production whilst he recovered. If you watch the footage, he continued the scene and waited for director Christopher McQuarrie to call cut before anyone knew there was something wrong. This moment speaks volumes of Cruise’s character and integrity. He clearly loves what he does and is willing to do whatever it takes to finish the movie. Ethan Hunt is a loveable character as well, that has over twenty-five years of history with fans. We can all hum the Mission Impossible theme, and we all know that Ethan Hunt likes to run. It’s a testament to Cruise, his team and the legacy they have built with this character and the franchise as a whole.  

‘Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1’ is one of the best action films, since the release of Mission impossible: Fallout in 2018. It's full of amazing stunt work, incredible visuals, Tom Cruise’s dedication to his craft and the character of Ethan Hunt and all the spy thrills the franchise is known for. Less than 2 years and we get to do it all over again with Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 2 in July 2025.

Make sure you pick-up your copy from Sanity today on DVD, Blu-Ray or 4K UHD, you won’t want to miss it, and for all things Mission Impossible, shop Sanity’s wide range which includes Mission impossible Monopoly and each of the other films!

Long live physical media!

Buy all Mission Impossible Movies here, including Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 on DVD, Blu-ray or 4K UHD here

Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here