SPOILER WARNING for the latest podcast episode of "Sound Speed Action": Dead Reckoning came out two years ago, but The Final Reckoning just hit theaters a week ago. If you haven’t seen it yet, pause this episode and come back, because we’re diving deep into both films.

The final chapter of our Mission: Impossible recap covers Dead Reckoning (2023) and The Final Reckoning (2025).

It’s wild to think this series has been running nearly 30 years. This two-part climax, although not always even, aims to tie things up and will likely leave fans divided.

Though the films share villains, Gabriel (mysterious and cartoonish) and the all-knowing Entity, they feel completely different in tone. What is going on with these villains?

Both movies bring stunning set pieces: the runaway train finale in Dead Reckoning is a franchise standout, and the submarine sequence in The Final Reckoning kicks things off with serious intensity.

We get standout new characters: Grace (Hayley Atwell, whose arc around “the choice every IMF member faces” is a great addition), Paris (Pom Klementieff, who steals scenes), Briggs (Shea Whigham), and Dega (Greg Tarzan Davis). Returning favorites include Luther (Ving Rhames, whose appearances remain inconsistent), Benji (Simon Pegg, better than ever), and Kittredge (Henry Czerny), finally back.

Lorne Balfe returns with a strong score for Dead Reckoning after Fallout. He was set to score Final Reckoning, but was replaced by protégés Max Aruj and Alfie Godfrey. Whether their work holds up is still debatable.

Christopher McQuarrie directs both films while navigating COVID, strikes, and more. Not everything lands. Some of the retconning is rough, but he has earned the right to bring it home.

Dead Reckoning is streaming on Prime Video and Paramount+. The Final Reckoning is in theaters now.

2018’s “Mission Impossible: Fallout” is the focus of today’s episode of Sound Speed Action, and the question is not just whether it’s the best in the series—but is it one of the greatest action epics ever made?

It took six movies for the franchise (and two for director Christopher McQuarrie and Cruise) to find their groove, and this is the moment it all clicks. The action! The cast! The music! Even the dramatic and comedic beats land. And this movie fully leans into Ethan Hunt as the ultimate good guy—someone who won’t accept the idea that saving one life means losing millions.

It also has the best “light the fuse” intro of the series and the strongest callback to MI:1. For the first time, we get not just a returning villain, but two bad guys.

Of course, it’s still got some classic MI flaws: the villains still want to destroy the world to save it (seriously, we’re still doing that?). Ilsa Faust is a total badass but seems way too quick to risk it all for Ethan (everyone falls for this guy instantly?). And the Syndicate, Apostles, John Lark—it’s not always clear who’s who or what group is working with which.

Also, that helicopter chase? Cool… but it runs long.

Even with all that, this movie is a blast. The action set pieces (HALO jump, bathroom fight, BMW vs motorcycle, and more) are constant thrills. And the more we learn about Ethan’s ethos, the more charged those moments feel.

This is Mission: Impossible at its peak.

Streaming now on Paramount+. Also available to rent or buy.

“Sound Speed Action” is back with the newest episode in our countdown to Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning. Now we’re entering Christopher McQuarrie mode with the next film: Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015).

Writer and veteran Hollywood script doctor Christopher McQuarrie directs his first Mission Impossible and assembles a great team behind the camera to inject more energy into this thrill ride. Joe Kraemer delivers a pulsing orchestral score straight out of the original TV series. Eddie Hamilton joins as the wizard editor (Top Gun: Maverick, Kingsman), keeping everything moving at a fun clip.

We talk about what we really enjoyed. Cruise is great, but Simon Pegg’s Benji really steps up and commands his scenes. Rebecca Ferguson’s debut as MI6 agent Ilsa Faust is superb—she elevates the movie with charisma and badassery. Sean Harris is fun as our super creepy villain, though it’s tough to get too excited since the bar for villains hasn’t been set very high. Alec Baldwin as Hunley is fantastic, and McQuarrie uses him brilliantly as a way for the franchise to poke fun at itself (“Sir, Hunt is the living manifestation of destiny—and he has made you his mission”). The Vienna Opera House sequence is a unique thrill.

Some odd choices pop up—the snakeskin shirt (you’ll know it when you see it), and a bad CGI car flip. But honestly, there’s not much to knock.

McQuarrie’s been hyped up a lot on this show already, and now that we’re here at his first Mission as director… what do you think? Enough action for you? We haven’t even begun yet.

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is available to stream now on Prime Video and Paramount Plus. It’s also available to rent and buy now on all platforms.

We’re back with a new episode of Sound Speed Action as we continue our countdown to Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning. Up next is what feels like an amazing reset for the series — Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011).

This is where the franchise really starts to take off. The quality of action and entertainment jumps several levels in this installment. You get the brilliant work of director Brad Bird (The Iron Giant) as well as the first steps of writer Christopher McQuarrie stepping into the Mission world (be on the lookout for more from him soon…), making this an explosive (if sometimes uneven) hit of a movie!

The cast brings a lot of fun: Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt, raising both his action and comedy game. Simon Pegg’s Benji is no longer just the computer guy behind the desk — he’s out in the field as a great agent, delivering some fantastic moments. That includes hilarious scenes alongside Cruise and newcomer Jeremy Renner. On the podcast, we debate whether Renner fully fits the mold of these films — what do you think? Paula Patton as Agent Carter (not that Marvel Agent Carter) kicks ass and is a blast to watch as part of the IMF team. Even the smaller roles are memorable, including Tom Wilkinson as the IMF Secretary, Léa Seydoux as assassin Sabine Moreau, and Ving Rhames (he’s in it for only 39 seconds, but listen for a great bit about what Rhames pulled off in this movie).

Of course, the movie has its flaws: a pretty thin villain character (okay, maybe these movies really aren’t about their villains…) and a major tonal shift once the action moves to India.

But ultimately, this chapter reignites the series with a much-needed burst of energy, setting the stage for what promises to be a thrilling new era for the back half of the franchise. Let’s go! We’ll be back soon with more to share — enjoy this one, and let us know your thoughts.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is available to stream now on Prime Video and Paramount Plus. It’s also available to rent or buy on all major platforms.

For this episode of Sound Speed Action, we're continuing our countdown to Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning. We’re joined by returning guest and friend of the pod, Chris Cheng, to break down the franchise’s third installment — Mission Impossible III (2006).

It’s a movie of firsts: JJ Abrams (of Lost and Alias fame) makes his feature film directorial debut, Simon Pegg arrives as tech whiz Benji, and it’s the only Mission film ever co-produced with China. Oh — and it dropped right in the middle of the Tom Cruise Turbulence Era: the Oprah couch jump, the Matt Lauer meltdown, the Paramount fallout, and an infamous episode of South Park.

Our conversation starts with the highs, but quickly uncovers some shared frustrations:

* Abrams overindulging in his signature moves (lens flares, violin overload, blown-out colors, endless close-ups)

* Wasting powerhouse talents like Philip Seymour Hoffman and Michelle Monaghan

* Failing to make the part of the movie that is in China a meaningful, fun, colorful, vibrant part and character of the story

* Skipping the iconic “light the fuse” title sequence

* A very long rooftop scene of “I need you to trust me” (you’ll know it when you see it)

* The fulcrum scene that really tests your ability to suspend your disbelief

Still, the movie isn’t without its charms:

* The mystery box tool of “the rabbits foot” here is mysterious and fun

* New characters played by Keri Russell, Maggie Q, Billy Crudup, and Laurence Fishburne

* Set piece standouts like the Vatican heist and Davian’s bridge escape

* Philip Seymour Hoffman channeling straight menace in one of the creepiest villain performances of the series (but we have some issues with this too…)

This entry in the franchise is a very divisive one. It marks the halfway point for us in this franchise countdown. But get ready and hold onto your butts because this latter half of the franchise consistently kicks things up a few gears. Back with more soon!

Mission Impossible III is streaming now on Prime Video and Paramount+. It’s also available to rent or buy on all major platforms.

A new episode (the 50th episode! 🥳) of Sound Speed Action is out, and we continue our Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning countdown series — and today we’re covering the standout (for better and worse) of this franchise: Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)!

Wow, yeah — the sequel to the first Mission: Impossible is very much its own unique thing. Let’s take the first Mission: Impossible movie — a cerebral, slow-burn, spy action mystery… and for the follow-up, throw that all out the window. Enter director John Woo! We have action dialed up to an 11. Slow motion. Doves! Fireballs! Barrel rolls! Choreographed fighting mixed with WWE moves! Long flowing hair! The full nine is here.

This movie is so different. It’s a completely different swing that they went for. Some of it doesn’t work — like the special effects at times that didn’t age well. But overall, the takeaways are mostly positive. It has fantastic, true-to-John-Woo action.

If you look at this movie purely through the lens of being a Mission: Impossible movie, you may leave feeling disappointed and that this installment largely missed the mark. But if you look at it purely as a top-tier, over-stylized action movie (think Face/Off — same director), then you’ll absolutely have a blast with this one.

Thandie Newton is great. She and Tom Cruise look their smokin’ best in this movie. I think they’re both competing for who has the best flowing hair. Seriously, they look like something out of a Vidal Sassoon shampoo commercial.

Dougray Scott makes for an okay villain here, but what’s really crazy is what other gigantic movie opportunity he sacrificed to be in this film… You won’t believe it. It would’ve changed everything for that other franchise.

This movie, again, is an enjoyable romp — but it's suuuch a deviation that what it really brings to this franchise is the course correction that follows. We would not have the Mission: Impossible franchise we know today (from the 3rd through 7th installments) — the one that found its voice, style, and identity — without this epic flick!

Mission: Impossible 2 is available to stream now on Prime Video and Paramount+. It’s also available to rent and buy on all major platforms.

A new podcast episode of "Sound Speed Action" is out now — and with it we start at the beginning with the 1996 thriller “Mission Impossible” to kick off this series.

Brian DePalma (Scarface, Carlito’s Way) adapts the beloved thriller series for the big screen in a way that no one else can. He has a style all to himself. A really fun thing with this movie is that there is always so much detail and information to be taken from any scene you are watching in this movie. In every viewing you will definitely have a moment of “oh I didn’t notice that before!”

The action set pieces from the initial embassy job, to the Langley break-in scene, to the TGV helicopter chase — this movie set the bar high for action!

Did we mention this movie also has a crazy fun cast? Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ving Rhames, Jean Reno and Vanessa Redgrave!

Danny Elfman makes this movie a thrill with his exciting and dramatic soundtrack which is made only better by Lalo Schifrin’s original Mission Impossible theme track and a sneaky inclusion of music too by The Cranberries and U2 members Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.

The gadgets that don’t always work, the tension created by ultra-silent moments during missions (Langley), the stunts, the fights — this movie is an absolute ride.

One area that we were a little split on with this movie is that DePalma does a great job at trusting his audience to pay attention, read between the lines, and figure things out themselves. The other side of that is that this movie has been critiqued by some saying that the plot at times can feel a little overly complicated. Still, whatever view you have there, it's hard to deny how fun and original this movie was (and still is), at the time it was released.

“Mission Impossible” is streaming now on Paramount Plus and Prime Video and is available to rent and buy on all platforms too.

May 23 is just around the corner! That means the eighth installment ("The Final Reckoning") to the Mission Impossible franchise is almost here. Here we preview a special series of episodes of the podcast coming soon where we are going to revisit the Mission Impossible franchise and recap each of these entertaining movies that are so WILDLY different from each other and yet are endless entertaining. This franchise has something everyone and every time brings you along the ride for some thrilling movie magic.

Over the next 7 episodes, we are going to go over the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between the following installments:

Mission Impossible

Mission Impossible II

MIssion Impossile III

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocal (so much better without the numbers)

Mission impossible: Rogue Nation

Mission Impossible: Fallout

Mission Impossinle: Dead Reckoning

all of this leading us up to the next chapter: The Final Reckoning.