Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning brings the current series to a close and provides a rousing finish. Everything is ramped up to eleven and It pushes improbable to preposterous and remains overdriven throughout its entire 169 minute running time. It barely pauses for a breath. The main characters are firmly defined by now and show minimal growth. There is also a curious lack of humour shown as that break in intensity would have helped with the peak energy moments.

The story follows the worldwide threat of an AI-generated program called the Entity and it mirrors the current fascination and perceived danger and benefit of artificial intelligence. It doesn’t however expand much on the peril this program established in the series so far and focuses more on the human consequences. It also leans into the connection of its main players Cruise as Ethan Hunt, Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn, Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell and Hayley Atwell as Grace.

This is filmmaking at its most bombastic (and illogical) and deserves to be seen in its largest version, powered by its biggest and loudest sound system. Watching it at home will certainly be fun but will lack the impact and human interaction available in a public setting. Pure escapism takes precedence and is satisfying in the triumph of good over evil. Will this be the last time Cruise and company don the face masks and get the mission details from a smoking device? Only time and box office revenues will tell.
Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/ParamountPicturesAU/

When his beloved wife Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan) is tragically murdered, it brings something out in Heller that many never even imagined. Few saw the determination he possessed to avenge the death of his wife and he is allowed to train in the black arts. Even then he is still treated with a level of disdain that proves completely unwarranted.

Once in the field he uses this dismissal to his advantage. Being underestimated plays to his strengths and lacking the brawn only accentuates the power of his analytic brain. There are some bumps in the road and victims while not completely innocent are sweep up into the escalating violence.

In contrast to most stories of this ilk, he never loses his moral compass and the end when it does come is played out in an unexpected way. The underlying themes play to a healthy distrust of people in powerful positions and a few do get their comeuppance. The focus never leaves the thought that you can never judge a person by the obvious criteria and finding out the hidden depth of Heller is a satisfying adventure.
Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/20thCenturyStudiosAUNZ/

When his supervisors refuse to take action, he takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible, his intelligence serving as the ultimate weapon for eluding his pursuers and achieving his revenge.

The film also stars Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez, Danny Sapani, and Laurence Fishburne. “The Amateur” is directed by James Hawes. The screenplay is by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli based on the novel by Robert Littell. The film is produced by Hutch Parker, p.g.a., Dan Wilson, p.g.a., Rami Malek, Joel B. Michaels, with JJ Hook serving as executive producer.

“The Amateur” will be released in Australian cinemas April 10, 2025.
www.facebook.com/20thCenturyStudiosAUNZ/

Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.

Starring Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Mariela Garriga, Henry Czerny, Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, Nick Offerman, Hannah Waddingham, Angela Bassett, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Charles Parnell, Frederick Schmidt, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning will be released in Aussie cinemas May 2025!
www.facebook.com/ParamountPicturesAU/

The Patriarch of the family, Fritz Von Erich was a wrestler with a successful career, but it never reached the heights he thought due. This caused him to over-invest in his children’s lives and forced them to be myopic in seeing their future. This led to self-induced tragedy as well as accidental.

As horrific as the happenings in the film are, they are downplayed and the actual truth is even more sad. This kind of work places large demands on its actors and Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson and Zac Efron are fully invested. Efron is startling in his transformation and the rest of the cast put in exemplary work.

Equal parts powerful and devastating, The Iron Claw shines a light on the dynamics of parental overreach. In this case, the boys didn’t have a chance. The Von Erich family have been described as professional wrestling royalty but their lives still spun out of control and those events form a cautionary tale of incredible tragedy and sadness.
Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/roadshow/

The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s.

Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.

Starring Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, Stanley Simons, with Holt McCallany and Lily James. Only in cinemas from January 18.
www.facebook.com/roadshow/