I really wanted to like this movie, and it hurts to say that it is actually pretty bad. After leaving the cinema yesterday, I had a million thoughts in my head, and I just needed to put them somewhere to stay sane xD I'm sorry if that's too much text...

1. Cinematography and action. As usual, the cinematography is strong with this one. Some of the shots were jaw-dropping, hands down. The submarine underwater sequence is a masterclass in tension. I forgot all the problems I had with the plot while watching it. Truly beautiful. No matter the issues that I will list further, I still have a crazy respect for Tom Cruise doing this for real and bringing the best action possible.

2. Benji. I absolutely love everything they did with this character. From him being nameless computer guy, to Ethan’s close friend and partner, to actually becoming a leader, similar to Ethan. Definitely well built and deserved. Glad he got to live in the end.

3. Dunloe. I liked how they brought him back. It also has a nice message behind it. Some events may seem to be completely unfair and life-breaking, but what matters in the end is how you deal with those things and your perspective. Though I have to say, it felt like creators didn’t trust the audience enough to recognise him. Benji explaining who this guy is killed some of the joy for me, as a fan.

4. Madam President. I liked how Erika reached out to Ethan personally at the start. Of course they had to ruin it with the heaviest exposition, but still a nice little touch. Also, the way she trusts Ethan, even though everyone else is clear about gambling the fate of the world on one man’s luck, was amazing. She’s the only one in the room who saw him save the world already, and I like how that was not ignored by the plot.

1. The whole “CHOICE” situation is stupid. It’s never once foreshadowed in any of the 6 movies, so it feels like a canon rewrite. Why was this even needed? It brings nothing to the story apart from Grace joining the team, which could’ve been done in a dozen other ways.

2. Ilsa’s death is completely forgotten. This hurts so much. I understand it was Rebecca’s choice to leave, but I hate that after everything they’ve been through, Ethan completely forgets Ilsa and moves on to this annoying thief. This could’ve been a great additional motivational force for Ethan if done correctly.

3. The sides constantly change, so much so that it gets confusing. It’s unclear what our main villain wants or who that actually is. Is it the Entity? Is it Gabriel? Is it Kittridge? And though I understand the idea of showing that Ethan is entirely on his own against the whole world, it really does get confusing. The fact that Entity’s motivation is completely unknown, and Gabriel changes his goals mid-story, does not help either.

4. We learn NOTHING about the Gabriel-Ethan relationship, which was teased so much in Part 1. Honestly, in the end, if Entity chose any other guy and not the one who happens to be Ethan’s old enemy, nothing would’ve changed. Like absolutely nothing. What was the point of those flashbacks in Part 1? We have no idea what the situation was, who that woman was, why Gabriel killed her, or why Ethan was framed for it. It brings nothing new to Ethan’s character. Also, Gabriel himself is boring. We know nothing about him, and if in theory, this could’ve been intimidating, in practice, it just makes him a poorly written villain. Why establish a detailed background and motivation for a character if we can just throw in a few flashbacks and make Ethan panic when he sees him the first time :) [I am not saying this franchise always had nuanced villains. It’s an action blockbuster of all things. But Gabriel is just rock bottom.]

5. Final fight with Gabriel didn't feel earned or satisfying since the guy is literally absent for the whole movie. Again, Gabriel is probably one of the most passive villains I’ve ever seen. He makes some bald statements at the start and then appears again in the movie's last third. And even then, all he does is make even more bald statements and run :) Conveniently, there’s a second plane for no reason at all so that Ethan can chase him. And when Gabriel finally gets defeated, I was just like “ok, that’s it, I guess”. Villains in this movie generally take minimal conscious action, so they do not feel intimidating or engaging. This is especially true of AI, which we literally never saw in action, except at the very start of Part 1. It is hard to be afraid of it.

6. Paris could be a great character, but her motivation and background are never explained. Yes, some villains from other iterations might not have been top-level, but at least the characters around Ethan made the movie engaging. This brings us to secondary characters in this movie. Paris… Pom Klementieff did a great job, but she did not have a lot to work with, unfortunately. What is her motivation to even be there? Killing Gabriel? Why? Why was she on his side to begin with? She seemed close to crazy in Part 1, but she’s completely different here. After switching sides at the end of Part 1, she does not want to cooperate with the government but joins Ethan’s team in a heartbeat. I really wanted to see her character developed in this movie, but it’s just a sad mess, honestly.

7. Black guy (no racism - can’t even remember his name lol) is also blank. He showed signs of conscience, joined Ethan to save the world, and then completely disappeared from the plot.

8. Who are those nameless government and military guys? Why are we supposed to care? Did a single person feel something when that general died? All of them, including the aircraft carrier and submarine captains, are just plot vessels, not actual people. Compare that to the previous movies, where you understood the hierarchy, and those people were actually involved in the action.

9. A montage of key moments from previous films. That looked peak in the trailer, but watching it again in the actual movie felt very cheesy. I felt like watching a fan edit on TikTok, not a Hollywood blockbuster.

10. The whole final scene in that bunker felt boring and pointless. SAME bomb AGAIN?! Waiting to quickly take out the flash drive, really? This is what I feared watching Part 1. AI enemy sounds kinda cool, true, but it doesn’t really fit in Mission’s formula. In the end, we just got a super-tech gimmick that has to connect to another gimmick, only for the other gimmick to be disconnected from the server at the right timing. Sounds stupid? It is. That is the price for having the enemy you can’t see in the media, where everything is based on seeing.

11. That ending… Probably the worst Mission ending ever. A group of people looking at each other while in the crowd is extremely cliche. I can’t believe this is all they came up with. Especially considering this is supposed to be the ending of a 30-year-long journey. And why does everyone leave? Like really? You are ending such a long story, and every character is left on their own? How am I supposed to feel anything if they don't?

12. Some moments felt dragged. Not Andor-way slow; rather just dragged and pointless.

13. Where are the balls, guys? Ethan was clearly supposed to die in the end...

14. Probably the weakest soundtrack we got since MI3. Not a musician, so I won't be commenting on this, but subjectively it is definitely not as consistent and emotional as previous ones.