The plot continues seamlessly from the end of part 7. For the first time in the history of the series, two films tell a coherent story. "Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1" ended with Ethan and his team going on the hunt for the sunken Russian submarine Sevastopol. The antagonist Gabriel is also after it, as he works for the Entity - an artificial intelligence that could influence the fate of the entire world. Ethan managed to get hold of the crucial key at the end of the previous movie. The race continues: Ethan wants to destroy the Entity, Gabriel strives to enforce its will, while everyone else involved tries to win over the powerful network.
