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An overly long franchise sendoff (maybe) that is saved by solid performances and a few strong set pieces. Despite the change to the title, this film is still a direct sequel to “Dead Reckoning,” and while this chapter gets you up to speed in case you didn’t see the last film, it focuses mostly on the continuing plotlines and not on the characters. As far as the plot specific to this film, it’s somehow both straightforward and a cluttered mess. The pacing is all over the place for the first hour of the film and it takes a while for things to get going. The middle portion has a strong, tension filled sequences that works despite the fact you know things have to work out for the hero because this isn’t that type of franchise. The final act is a bit overstuffed, but there’s another fun action sequences that features Tom Cruise putting his life on the line and doing his own stunts. Normally, there’s plenty of humor in these films, usually from the interaction of the IMF team, but here there’s shockingly little of that. The runtime is nearly three hours, and there’s easily a half hour of material that could be cut from the film. And while there’s a ton of flashbacks, callbacks (and a few retcons) to make this feel like it’s truly the end of the franchise, the ending leaves enough room to continue on.
**1/2 out of *****