MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: THE FINAL RECKONING

Ethan Hunt may have bit off more than he can chew

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE -- THE FINAL RECKONING (2025). Director: Christopher McQuarrie.

The sequel to Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning has Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) dealing with a malicious entity that has taken over the Internet and is well on the way to taking over the world. They need to find the original source code and a special key to destroy the entity, but killing it may also destroy cyberspace -- therefore the cabinet isn't crazy about Hunt's idea, although the president (Angela Bassett) eventually agrees. In the meantime Hunt and his team fly to various locations, deal with enemy agents in the employ of villain Gabriel (Esai Morales), and manage to wiggle their way out of assorted death traps, including a tense sequence on a submarine. Everyone winds up in an underground repository that is known as the Doomsday Chamber. 

Esai Morales makes a splendid antagonist for Hunt

While not quite as good as Part One -- the whole thing is almost exhausting and one has to take it all with a large grain of salt -- Final Reckoning is nevertheless exciting and entertaining, with the entire cast giving it their all. The stunt work is, as usual, excellent. I have often said that these MI movies remind me in many ways of old cliffhanger serials, and like those old flicks, Dead Reckoning may have you scratching your head in disbelief in certain sequences (such as Hunt being somehow gotten through yards of solid ice, but no matter.) Bassett and Morales and Tramell Tillman as sub captain Bledsoe give particular arresting performances.

Verdict: Typically absurd but fun. ***. 

WITH A MIND TO KILL

 WITH A MIND TO KILL. A James Bond Novel. Anthony Horowitz. 2022; Harper. 

This novel takes place directly after Ian Fleming's excellent final 007 adventure, The Man with the Golden Gun. In that story an amnesiac Bond had been captured by Russians, brainwashed, and sent to kill M, a plot which fortunately fails. Bond was then deprogrammed, and sent into action against assassin Scaramanga -- he proves that he still has the right stuff when he succeeds in his mission. So now M decides on a daring plan -- he will be supposedly assassinated by Bond, who will return to Russia as a fugitive, still brainwashed -- (or so it is hoped that the Russians will believe) -- to find out what's up with a new organization, Stalnaya Ruka (Steel Hand)  that is planning some deadly offensive action. 

Right away Bond falls under suspicion from Colonel Boris, the master of mind control. He also has to convince Boris' beautiful colleague, Katya Leonova -- another person who supervised his brainwashing -- that he is still under their influence. Bond has very mixed emotions about Katya, hating her for her part in what was done to him, but also feeling an undeniable attraction toward her, and coming to feel that she had no choice but to do what she did to him. She is a fascinating character.

Although Bond privately refers to the bullet wound given to him during his adventure with Scaramanga, it is somewhat improbable that M wouldn't have had this taken care of, as it indicates that Bond was somewhere where he shouldn't have been during those months he was supposedly in England. it is even more improbable that none of the Russians notice this wound and wonder or ask about it. 

As the novel progresses the suspense increases as Bond has to pass certain tests, including the elimination of a certain agent in the (architecturally-stunning) Komsomolskaya subway station. As Bond and Katya grow closer he wonders if he can truly trust her. Then Bond is given an assignment to assassinate a certain party in East Berlin at the state opera. Even if he's successful in his mission, will he be able to get out of East Berlin? 

Verdict: Despite some moments that might give the reader pause, this is an exciting and memorable Bond adventure. ***.