Tom Cruise Gets Emotional At Cannes As Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning Earns Five-Minute Standing Ovation
Tom Cruise made a grand return to the Cannes Film Festival this year, bringing with him what is expected to be the final chapter of the long-running Mission Impossible saga.
Tom Cruise made a grand return to the Cannes Film Festival this year, bringing with him what is expected to be the final chapter of the long-running Mission Impossible saga. Titled 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning', the much-anticipated film premiered to a roaring reception, culminating in a five-minute standing ovation that left Cruise visibly moved during the screening.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning premiere at Cannes
The premiere was a full-blown cinematic celebration. A live orchestra of 40 musicians filled the air with the franchise’s iconic theme, setting the tone for a night that felt both nostalgic and momentous. As Cruise walked down the theatre aisle to a wave of cheers, he was joined by director Christopher McQuarrie and co-stars Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Hannah Waddingham, Angela Bassett, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, and Greg Tarzan Davis. Paramount Pictures captured and shared these moments on social media, giving fans around the world a glimpse of the electric atmosphere.
Standing ovation at @festivaldecannes for #MissionImpossible - The Final Reckoning! #Cannes2025 pic.twitter.com/bzBHLlSYQm
— Mission: Impossible (@MissionFilm) May 15, 2025
Tom Cruise on the audience reaction
After the screening, Cruise and McQuarrie addressed the audience with heartfelt speeches. Cruise, clearly touched by the outpouring of love, said, “This response is why we do it. You are why we do it. The big screen experience is why we do it.” He then turned to his long-time collaborator McQuarrie, adding, “Grateful for my friend every step of the way — what you’ve done, how you’ve expanded it, how we just went beyond our expectations. Your absolute care, your talent. You’re an amazing human being. It’s been a real privilege, a real pleasure, and I look forward to making a bunch of other kinds of movies with you.”
Here’s Tom Cruise taking in the (still going) MISSION IMPOSSIBLE standing ovation at Cannes pic.twitter.com/IiMkNFBdLV
— Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) May 14, 2025
McQuarrie, who has been instrumental in shaping the later Mission Impossible films, paid tribute to the perseverance of the cast and crew. “I want to thank this extraordinary cast. It wasn’t just showing up to work every day. This film was made during a pandemic and through two industry strikes. These two films were made over a period of seven years, amid great uncertainty and long gaps. Their faith, dedication, and unquestioning devotion made it possible. This is the most extraordinary cast in the world.”
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning early reviews
As the film heads toward its wider release, early reviews from international critics have started rolling in. The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw gave it a glowing five-star review, calling it “world-saving Tom Cruise signs off with a wildly entertaining adventure.” The New York Times hailed Cruise’s commitment with “Tom Cruise defies all,” while Variety described the film as “Tom Cruise flies high in a thrillingly doom-laden series grand finale.”
However, not all feedback has been positive. The BBC’s review dismissed the film as “a miserable, apocalyptic tract."
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