The Best ‘Mission: Impossible’ Stunt Would Be Hard to Top for Tom Cruise

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  • A History of Gravity-Defying Action in ‘Mission: Impossible’

As a long-time fan of Tom Cruise and the Mission: Impossible franchise, I must say that the dedication and risk-taking of this man are simply astounding. Having watched every single movie from the series, I can confidently claim that each installment has consistently upped the ante in terms of action and thrills.

The grand finale, or “Final Reckoning,” is approaching. After close to three decades and an impressive seven films that showcase Tom Cruise as one of today’s finest action stars, the Mission: Impossible series is preparing for another perilous mission to save the world. However, after seven successful films filled with increasingly daring death-defying stunts for super-agent Ethan Hunt, one might wonder if Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning can surpass the most thrilling stunt in the franchise’s history yet?

In 2023’s follow-up titled “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning“, the story resumes where “Dead Reckoning” left off. This new installment finds super-agent Ethan Hunt and his squad persistently pursuing the Entity, an advanced AI system that possesses catastrophic potential for the world. They confront not only governments aiming to command the Entity but also the self-determining Entity itself, which has its own sinister objectives. With the weapon in question being too hazardous for any entity to wield, Ethan takes matters into his own hands and operates outside the law as he strives to locate and disarm it.

For Ethan Hunt, perilous global catastrophes are nothing new. Yet, with each movie, the Mission: Impossible franchise continually ups the ante, placing Final Reckoning on a precipice of eager anticipation. However, given the daring and exhilarating risks we’ve witnessed in Ethan’s previous world-saving escapades, it will be quite a challenge for Final Reckoning to surpass what has already been accomplished.

A History of Gravity-Defying Action in ‘Mission: Impossible’

When Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning hits the screens, it faces a challenging mission: surpassing the thrilling action sequences that audiences have come to anticipate. This isn’t new ground for the franchise. Ever since its inception, Mission: Impossible has consistently raised the bar by intensifying the action and the extraordinary feats Ethan Hunt must perform, including scaling, crawling, traversing, and leaping from dizzying heights with remarkable toughness. Gone are the days when Ethan merely rappelled from the ceiling in suspense or hung off a mountain side in precarious stretches; those days seem as innocent as the carefree summers of yesteryear. Now, if there isn’t a high-speed train to battle on top of or a helicopter chase over rugged landscapes, one might question whether the world was truly in peril at all.

In the movie Ghost Protocol, Tom Cruise’s character Ethan Hunt performed an exhilarating motorcycle chase amidst a sandstorm and notably scaled the world’s tallest skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Hanging by a wire, he swung, ran, and climbed a staggering 1,700 feet up the building’s exterior. In the film Rogue Nation, Cruise showcased two jaw-dropping stunts. At the outset of the movie, he clung to the outside of a flying plane. The film’s most breathtaking scene saw Cruise film an uncut underwater heist sequence that demanded him to hold his breath for more than six minutes.

In the sequel, Fallout, Tom Cruise astonishingly outdid himself by performing a HALO jump. This risky stunt was so perilous that he refused to let Henry Cavill attempt it too. It took more than 100 tries for Cruise to perfect the 25,000-foot freefall scene to his satisfaction. Besides the HALO jump, Fallout featured a series of car, helicopter, and rooftop chases, with Cruise even running and leaping across building tops. During one of these jumps, Cruise suffered a broken ankle, causing production to halt until he recovered. Remarkably, the scene where this occurred ended up in the final version of the movie.

A ‘Mission: Impossible’ Stunt That Was Years in the Making

In an impressive career filled with many daring feats, Tom Cruise’s most remarkable stunt remains the motorcycle jump in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning. This is when Ethan Hunt found himself in a tight spot while pursuing a train. As his path ran out, he was given the astonishing advice to leap his motorcycle off a cliff and parachute onto the moving train. It’s safe to say that Ethan’s response mirrored both ours and his character’s disbelief, making the scene all the more thrilling for viewers.

The powerful jump, stunning dive, and graceful flight through the sky is an impressive feat of skill that would be difficult to surpass. In the YouTube video ‘The Biggest Stunt in Cinema History’ on Paramount, Cruise shared that this stunt had been years in development and was a dream of his since childhood.

Tom Cruise is well-known for performing his own stunts, and for the movie Dead Reckoning, he had to execute a motorcycle leap from a cliff into a base jump. Professionals skilled in technical and base-jumping were brought in to manage the logistics. A motocross track was constructed to allow Cruise to practice hitting precise spots. During his training, Cruise undertook more than 500 skydives and 13,000 motocross jumps. This determination proved worthwhile as the final take showed Cruise flying off a mountain’s edge and gliding over the rugged landscape below in an awe-inspiring and exhilarating action scene.

It’s tough to envision how the Mission: Impossible crew could surpass this feat in the next movie, given the breathtaking stunts we’ve seen so far. Each film has escalated the danger and excitement, captivating audiences worldwide. Tom Cruise continues to amaze us with his unwavering commitment and innovative approach to action sequences. After the death-defying cliff jump in Dead Reckoning, it’s challenging to imagine what more Mission: Impossible could do that would top their past achievements.

Christopher McQuarrie, who co-wrote and directed the movie “Dead Reckoning”, often teams up with Tom Cruise. They have also collaborated in other series like “Edge of Tomorrow”, “Jack Reacher” and “Top Gun: Maverick”. During the filming of “Dead Reckoning”, McQuarrie stated, “This is, without a doubt, the riskiest thing we’ve ever undertaken. The only thing that terrifies me more is what we have in store for Mission 8.” Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning will be released in theaters on May 23, 2025. Catch Tom Cruise’s motocross stunt off a cliff from Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning on Paramount+.

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2024-12-08 04:09