For “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” South Africa is the destination.
In the action flick which follows Tom Cruise as he dashes frantically around the globe, Esai Morales returns as his nemesis Gabriel.
At 2 hours and 49 minutes, the mission this time for Cruise’s character Ethan Hunt is to save the world from annihilation. Tasked by the U.S. President Erika Sloane (played by Angela Bassett) to seek and destroy the villain, an artificial intelligence called the Entity, Ethan and his team of misfits: Luther (Ving Rhames), Benji (Simon Pegg), Grace (Hayley Atwell) and new recruits Degas (Greg Tarzan Davis) and Paris (Pom Klementieff), take on the mission which spans several countries.
The hunt ends in a spectacular showdown in South Africa where Cruise goes to battle with Gabriel (Morales) in an adrenaline-fueled helicopter chase.
“This was a great experience to see the different cultures. The native and the colonial cultures,” shares Morales. “Africa has got it all. To get to go on a safari was a bucket list.”
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the film is the culmination of everything taken to the extreme and it goes on a nostalgic trip through the prequels revisiting lots of memorable parts.
Intense, exciting and exhilarating, Cruise’s mission includes absurd, but impressive chases, stunts and an extremely dangerous submarine dive.
“This character is one that stays with you,” Morales continues. “Whether you watch him onscreen or have to perform him like I do, there’s something about Gabriel that is very satisfying and reuniting with Tom is always fun. You know you are going to work with the best.”
Samantha Ofole-Prince is a U.S. based journalist and movie critic who covers industry-specific news that includes television and film.
Images: courtesy of Paramount Pictures.