Don Shanahan
Fresh from its successful theatrical release, the franchise tentpole Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One has been transferred to disc for home media release. DVD, Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD, and 4K Ultra HD SteelBook editions arrived on store shelves on October 31st. Film Obsessive was granted an advance promotional copy for our Off the Shelf feature. Enjoy this quick look at what you’re buying from the movie we reviewed fully this past summer.
Fans and consumers who purchase the film on digital can go deeper into the mission with extensive, action-packed bonus content. The digital purchase has an inside look at how producer/star Tom Cruise and the filmmaking team pulled off multiple breathtaking stunts at their exotic filming locations. The physical discs carry the same features and spotless 4K video and sound tuning. For collectors, this is a nice edition, but let’s be honest. We’re all probably holding and waiting for a big, finishing series boxed set after the rumored franchise finale Dead Reckoning Part Two comes and goes.
Leading the menu is a full-length commentary by Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One director Christopher McQuarrie and editor Eddie Hamilton, who’s worked with the director three times previously. Their very clinical conversation speaks on the intricacies of the filmmaking process and a fair share of hero worship for their bankrolling leading man. The two are very sharp men who see things with technical prowess in mind. That expertise really comes through in a very solid commentary, which, honestly, has become hard to find in this digital and streaming era. It’s wonderful to see artists who still put diligence into a good commentary.
Three of the discs featurettes are titled to highlight specific filming locations. The first is “Abu Dhabi” exploring the desert locale and the ins-and-outs of the international airport being the setting for a chase and bomb scare. Secondly, the “Rome” featurette pulls back the curtain on the thrilling car chase through the Italian capital. Tom Cruise, naturally, shows off his legitimate driving skills, with the added difficulty of his co-star Hayley Atwell handcuffed to him. Lastly, the lush and picturesque “Venice” shows off the logistics of its waterways and bridges used for its own pursuit scenes. In each, McQuarrie is front-and-center as the lead creative voice next to his crew member chiefs.
The most well-advertised stunt in Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One was the big motorcycle jump that appears at the end of the movie. Portions of the behind-the-scenes work on the stunt appeared in the advance marketing. Here on the disc, the “Freefall” feature provides that extended peek into the practice and rigorous training up on those cliffs. The mini-doc gives the craziness of it all justice.
Combining the motorcycle start with the rest of the finale, the “Speed Flying” and “Train” featurettes explain the big climactic action even further. “Speed Flying” explains the various training techniques involved in pulling off the dangerous speed flying stunts. “Train” shows how the filmmakers built a train from chassis up and crashed it with practical effects. In this era of CGI, the use and appreciation for practical effects is greatly appreciated.
The final two pieces of the Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One disc are a montage version of the film’s deleted scenes and a small editorial featurette titled “The Sevastopol.” The latter reunites McQuarrie and Hamilton breaking down the intense opening scene while the former is a stitched-together take that is far too quick compared to presenting deleted or trimmed scenes that didn’t make the film. That one can be broken up and slowed down.
