Since the franchise has produced several incredible films, there was a lot of pressure onMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoningto deliver a satisfying conclusion. Even though it may not end up being the last movie in the long-running franchise, audiences definitely seem quite satisfied with its ending. At theend ofMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, Ethan and his team manage to trap the Entity, saving the world from a potential nuclear annihilation. While the characters are on this mission, several great action sequences andstunts are included inMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.
Breathtaking sequences like the submarine escape and the biplane chase have led to mostly positivereviews forMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. However, it should be noted that Tom Cruise’s latest movie has gotten lower review scores than the last four films in the franchise. While there are amazing aspects ofMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, critics and fans have also pointed out some weaker aspects of the film. For example,many people have argued that Gabriel is a very underwhelming villain inMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, which is something I actually disagree with.
Gabriel Is A Great Villain In Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
Gabriel Once Again Haunts Ethan In Mission: Impossible 8
SinceMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoningcontinues the story of 2023’sDead Reckoning, audiences knew that Gabriel would be one of the main antagonists in the film. After being bested by Ethan at the end of the previous movie, Gabriel returns with a vengeance inThe Final Reckoning. While the AI program known as the Entity is undoubtedly the main villain of the new movie,Gabriel constantly sabotages Ethan and his team’s plans throughoutThe Final Reckoning.
Morales' performance is definitely more reminiscent of classic, more cartoony action movie villains than otherMission: Impossibleantagonists.
However,many have pointed out that Gabriel comes across as much sillier inThe Final Reckoningthan he did inDead Reckoning. Actor Esai Morales is definitely giving a campier performance in this film, which many critics have taken issue with. While Morales' performance is definitely more reminiscent of classic, more cartoony action movie villains than otherMission: Impossibleantagonists, I still think it’s great and surprisingly adds some fun to a movie that can be quite depressing and dull at times.
Gabriel May Not Be The Best Villain In The Mission: Impossible Franchise, But He’s Definitely Not The Worst
Even though I personally like Gabriel inMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, I can somewhat understand why other people think Morales' performance is too over-the-top. I wouldn’t go as far as claiming Gabriel is one of thebestMission: Impossiblevillains. After all,the franchise has featured many incredible villains, such as Owen Davian fromMission: Impossible IIIand Solomon Lane fromRogue NationandFallout.
However, I believe Gabriel is easily a better villain than some of Ethan Hunt’s less-memorable foes. In my opinion, the bestMission: Impossiblevillains challenge Ethan Hunt on a personal level, and oftentimes put his loved ones at risk. This is something that Gabriel absolutely does since he is the reasonLuther dies inMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. Therefore, even though Morales' somewhat silly performance can be distracting at times,moments like Luther’s death prove that Gabriel is one of the most dangerous villains in the entire franchise.
Gabriel Surprised Me In Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
Gabriel Fights For Himself In Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
Furthermore, I actually think Gabriel is much more interesting inThe Final Reckoningthan he was inDead Reckoning. InDead Reckoning, Gabriel was merely a servant of the Entity. However, after he fails to stop Ethan Hunt, the AI program casts him aside. Therefore,instead of working for Entity once again, Gabriel strives to control it inMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.
Since he was so loyal to the Entity in the previous movie, I was not expecting this character change inThe Final Reckoning. In my opinion,Gabriel’s new role inThe Final Reckoningmakes him a much more fascinating character, and also helps to put him in the same league as the franchise’s previous power-hungry villains. Therefore, while some criticisms about Gabriel are valid, I honestly loved watching him inMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.
