With this concluding installment in the popular Mission: Impossible film series, writer/director Christopher McQuarrie and his co-scribe Erik Jendresen seem hellbent on testing the limits of how much story they can pack into 170 minutes, and this is dovetailing off the almost-as-long setup of 2023’s Dead Reckoning.

In addition to a pair of massive exposition dumps early in the tale, each new roadblock needs to be set up in its immediate terms and then how it fits into the greater narrative. And what a narrative it is, as the rogue artificial intelligence known as The Entity–which was unleashed in the previous Mission, Dead Reckoning–has spread unchecked, wreaking havoc on a world that’s ignored the warnings for too long. Agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team (but mostly Ethan) have only four days until it’s too late to stop The Entity from taking control of the entire planet, and the extinction of the human race is a strong possibility. Hang on for twists, revelations, callbacks and resolutions we never saw coming.

On the subject of packing in that almost three-hour runtime, props to Paramount for choosing a BD-100 platter to carry Final Reckoning at a generous bitrate with zero compression issues. About a quarter of the movie shifts from its basic 2.39:1 to the IMAX-format 1.9:1 aspect ratio for the setpiece sequences, maintaining effortlessly precise detail. The high-stakes drama employs ample actor closeups that reproduce with all their nuance intact, while certain shots–such as the abundant minutiae displayed when we see the enormity of The Entity–make me wish that I had in fact made the trip to the cinema to see this one on a giant screen.

The image is frequently dark, punctuated by bright accents, and it all works without ever distracting the viewer. Even the scenes of Tom sloshing around inside the shadowy confines of a long-wrecked submarine on the ocean floor supply ample information so we never need to guess what’s happening. The visual effects don’t look like VFX, often called upon to expand realistic locations in a very credible way.

The Missions routinely take us to places we’ve never been, and the sound design masterfully transports us to great heights, depths, and everywhere in between. The Dolby Atmos mix proffers no shortage of jarring shootouts and explosions of course, and as the box art reveals, an insane biplane pursuit that is a masterclass in object-based audio soaring and buzzing around the home theater, all depicted with a palpable sonic fervor. As a more unusual and distinctive counterpoint, the godlike voice of The Entity seems to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Truly, this track has something for everyone.

The 4K and HD movie discs both carry a solid complement of audio-only extras. In the Ultra HD settings menu, we find a commentary from McQuarrie and Cruise; another with McQuarrie, his editor and first A.D.; a third with the composers and the score producer; and then the isolated musical score itself in Dolby Digital 5.1. The HD disc contains all of those options except the composer/producer commentary. Disc Three has the video extras, all rather brief, most exploring the expected aspects of the production, some with optional McQuarrie narration and additional Cruise commentary here and there, plus a still-frame gallery.

My wife noted more than once that the stunts have just gotten wilder and wilder with each film, and I would certainly hope so, because by this point Tom certainly knew what he was doing with the franchise. It’s almost a pity that it has to end, but after 29 years of loyal service, I think Ethan Hunt has earned his retirement.

Chris Chiarella