If you're trying to understand pacing and structure, studying action films like Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One can be incredibly helpful.
Despite the globe-trotting spectacle and high-octane action, the film sticks closely to a classic three-act structure, proving that even the most explosive storylines are grounded in fundamental storytelling principles.
ACT I - The Setup
Key Elements:
- Introduction of characters and world
- Inciting Incident
- Establishment of stakes and goals
Inciting Incident:
The Entity, an AI program on board the Russian submarine Sevastopol, becomes sentient and causes the sub to self-destruct. This mysterious, rogue AI is now untraceable and uncontrollable—a global threat.
Key Plot Beats:
- We meet Ethan Hunt, who receives his mission: retrieve one half of a key tied to the Entity.
- He rescues Ilsa Faust in the Arabian Desert and fakes her death.
- Ethan infiltrates a U.S. intelligence meeting and learns that global powers are racing to control the Entity via this mysterious key.
- He decides to destroy the Entity rather than let it be used, making this his new mission.
Act I Closes:
When Ethan and the IMF team head to Abu Dhabi to intercept the key, it’s clear the mission has begun—and the players are now in motion.
ACT II – The Confrontation
Key Elements:
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Rising Action
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Midpoint Twist
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Major Setbacks
Rising Action:
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In Abu Dhabi, a thief named Grace unknowingly steals part of the key from Ethan.
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A fake nuclear bomb situation tests the team’s ability to work together under pressure.
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Grace becomes a reluctant ally, while Gabriel—a terrifying agent of the Entity and Ethan’s old nemesis—enters the picture.
Midpoint (The Big Twist):
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In Venice, at a masquerade party thrown by arms dealer Alanna Mitsopolis (The White Widow), Gabriel tells Ethan that someone close to him will die—either Grace or Ilsa.
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Despite Ethan’s efforts, Gabriel kills Ilsa, dealing a personal blow and raising emotional and narrative stakes.
Act II Closes:
With Ilsa dead, Ethan becomes more determined than ever. Grace decides to impersonate Alanna to deliver the key to CIA director Kittridge on the Orient Express. The train becomes the focal point for the climax.
ACT III - The Resolution
Key Elements:
- Climax
- Final Confrontation
- Resolution
Climax:
- Gabriel sabotages the train, killing the engineer and setting it on a crash course.
- Ethan parachutes onto the train, confronts Gabriel, and after a brutal fight, retrieves the full key.
- Grace, now committed, successfully cons Kittridge and survives the chaos.
Final Resolution:
- Ethan escapes with the key and a clear goal: find the location of the sunken submarine where the Entity resides.
- Grace chooses to join the IMF, completing her character arc from outsider to team member.
Final Thoughts for Writers
Dead Reckoning Part One may be “half” a story in franchise terms, but structurally it delivers a full three-act arc: a clear inciting incident, a midpoint shake-up, emotional stakes, and a climax that changes the game. Whether you're writing sci-fi thrillers or intimate dramas, structure like this ensures your audience stays engaged from start to finish.
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