Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning's Train Scene Draws Comparisons to Uncharted 2

By Cade Onder

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One's big train stunt is drawing comparisons to Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. The Mission: Impossible franchise has become well-renowned for its use of stunts. While there was no shortage of spectacle in the first couple movies, the series really took off with Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol when there were a number of unbelievable practical stunts such as Tom Cruise running on the sides of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. It has only continued to escalate with each and every movie with the latest culminating in a series of incredible stunts such as Tom Cruise jumping a motorcycle off of a cliff and a real train being derailed off of a bridge.

If you don't want to know anything about the finale of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, click off this article now. We won't include any plot spoilers, but details of the big final action sequence will be mentioned.

At the end of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Ethan Hunt and his allies have to board a speeding train to stop the baddies from completing the next step in their master plan. It's quite a spectacle and ends with the a bridge being blown up, sending the train over the edge. Ethan and Grace (Hayley Atwell) end up near the front of the train as it starts to go over, causing a mad dash to race to the back of the train. Ultimately, they end up in a car that is completely dangling off the edge of the bridge. They're then forced to climb seats and other objects that are bolted into the floor of the train as things fall down toward them. The piece of the train car that couples it with the rest of the train is also giving way, meaning they only have limited time to get to the top of the car before it disconnects and falls. 

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Anyone who has played even five minutes of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is very familiar with that game's big set piece: A sequence where Nathan Drake has to climb up a train that is dangling over the side of a cliff. Many have pointed out how similar Dead Reckoning is to Uncharted 2 and it may not be a coincidence. Director Christopher McQuarrie previously cited Uncharted 3 as an inspiration for the big plane stunt in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, so the director is very aware of the games. While it's clear the entire train scene is inspired by old school movies like Buster Keaton's The General, it wouldn't be surprising if Cruise and McQuarrie lifted from Naughty Dog's acclaimed adventure game for the beat where Ethan Hunt has to climb the train.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One opens in theaters today. You can click here to read our review of the film. What do you think of the Uncharted 2 comparisons? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @Cade_Onder.

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