The actor behind Benji Dunn sums up two decades' worth of challenges making these movies: "Every 'Mission: Impossible' I've ever done has had a parallel 'Mission: Impossible' running alongside it, which is making 'Mission: Impossible.

In “ Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning ” (henceforth “M:I-TFR”), director Christopher McQuarrie attempts to stitch the entire series together through these montages. This is in addition to the mountain of exposition to remind us that we’re watching the second half of the prior film, “ Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One .”

The 2 hour, 49-minute film has a couple of nifty stunts but not much else; and the story line makes no darn sense.

The Mission: Impossible series has never been one for subtlety, but The Final Reckoning takes the cake as the most grandiose and self-indulgent movie of the lot. Its story is muddled and melodramatic, yet when the plot makes way for stunts and spectacle, the sheer dedication of Tom Cruise and co. is hard to resist.

Director Christopher McQuarrie recalls the challenges of filming the biggest stunts in "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning." (May 19)

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma criticises Indian cinema for underestimating audiences while praising Hollywoods Mission: Impossible franchise for its intelligence.