Everyone seems to complain that the plot in this film is too confusing, but just because you don't 'get' it doesn't mean it's a bad movie. I thought that the plot was superb; it may be a little difficult to follow, but with a little thought it isn't at all hard to understand. It is refreshing to have a big budget thriller with a clever plot, not just masses of pyrotechnics and gunplay.
583 Reviews
I like this film!
Rammstein-211 February 2000
I really liked this one. Not very much in common with the TV-series, and I can see why so many dislike it that way. But there are some REALLY good sequences here, and there is even one that I consider to be one of the very best and most suspenseful parts of any movie - the part where Cruise is in the vault. Beautiful and nerve-racking.
Not much else to say, though - it's an action movie, and it's a good one.
Not much else to say, though - it's an action movie, and it's a good one.
Confusing, But Still Fun To Watch
ccthemovieman-129 March 2006
Here's another film I watched when it came out and then later when the DVD was released and enjoyed both viewings, despite the fact I got "lost" several times. It's about time for another look because it's well-worth it and who knows....maybe I'll finally figure it out!
If you get a little confused trying to follow the plot, don't feel stupid. This isn't an easy story to follow but it gets high marks for keeping it interesting despite that problem.
The interesting characters, good cinematography, fun James Bond-like gadgets, just the right amount of action scenes and one very memorable heist scene with Tom Cruise dangling from a wire all make this an enjoyable two hours of entertainment. That scene with Cruise trying to break into this vault-like room remains as the one of the better tension-filled scenes I've ever witnessed on the big screen.
The final action scene with the speeding train and helicopter also is very memorable. John Voight, Emmanuelle Beart, Henry Czerny and Jean Reno make it a fun cast to watch, too. Note: stick with this film and forget the sequel. Despite the confusion, this film is still fun to view.
If you get a little confused trying to follow the plot, don't feel stupid. This isn't an easy story to follow but it gets high marks for keeping it interesting despite that problem.
The interesting characters, good cinematography, fun James Bond-like gadgets, just the right amount of action scenes and one very memorable heist scene with Tom Cruise dangling from a wire all make this an enjoyable two hours of entertainment. That scene with Cruise trying to break into this vault-like room remains as the one of the better tension-filled scenes I've ever witnessed on the big screen.
The final action scene with the speeding train and helicopter also is very memorable. John Voight, Emmanuelle Beart, Henry Czerny and Jean Reno make it a fun cast to watch, too. Note: stick with this film and forget the sequel. Despite the confusion, this film is still fun to view.
Exploding Bubblegum
tieman6427 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
"Fashions fade, style is eternal." - Yves Laurent
Filled with super-slick visuals and impeccable compositions, this big-budget thriller looks better with each passing year. While the 90's action movies of Cameron, Spielberg, Donner, Harlin, the Wachowskis and the Scotts have started to lose their shine, De Palma's exercise in mainstream mayhem ages like fine wine (or maybe just good grape juice).
It's all about style, of course. Gloriously wide compositions, extreme close ups, canted angles, split-diopters, whip-pans, point of view shots and four slick set pieces...watching this film is like attending a masterclass in camera movement.
De Palma's not just good with surfaces, he's obsessed with them. Villains are dressed in 1950's PI/spy coats, the heist scenes outdo Dassin's "Riffi" and Melville's "Bob The Gambler", the film is shot in luxurious black and whites and all the while De Palma's camera glides from one perfect composition to the next. To get this kind of fluid camera work, this seamlessness, you'd have to turn to Pixar and their virtual cameras.
Of course, the irony is that for a director so obsessed with achieving perfect images, De Palma is constantly reminding us how fallible images are. All his tics and themes are here, albeit in a condensed fashion: truth needing to be reassembled, the unreliability of the image, the camera that lies, voyeurs (the first shot is a close up of a digital screen), conspiracies, false identities, doppelgangers, the need to reconstruct the film's opening murder etc.
The only thing missing are some operatic sex scenes, which were actually filmed but deleted when producer Tom Cruise, not wanting to chase away the teen audience, had all romantic scenes with super-lush French actress Emmanuelle Béart removed.
Author James Ellroy (sometimes he feels like the only other person on the planet who actually loves De Palma's "Black Dahlia") perfectly describes De Palma's style when commenting on the director's adaptation of his novel: "De Palma's films circumscribe worlds of obsession. They are rigorously and suffocatingly formed. No outer world exists during their time frame. Colors flare oddly. Movement arrests you. You forfeit control and see only what he wants you to see. He manipulates you in the sole name of passion. He understands relinquishment. The film-goer needs to succumb. His films are authoritative. He controls response firmly. His hold tightens as his stories veer into chaos. He stands and falls, coheres and decoheres, succeeds and errs behind passion. He was the ideal artist to film The Black Dahlia."
Later he says: "Bucky Bleichert is a fictional cop and a doppelganger/writer-filmmaker. He's the man writing out the great adventure of his life and the voyeur viewing sex with a camera. Bleichert is me. Bleichert is De Palma. He's standing outside momentous events. He's lost in scrutiny. He wants to control. He wants to capitulate. His inner life is near chaotic. He needs to impose external order to countermand his mental state. It's Homicide Investigation as Art. He needs to take malignancy and render it something his own."
And then: "The Black Dahlia spins off the axis of De Palma and Hartnett. It's a three-mode constellation: thriller/noir/historical romance. The design is near-German Expressionist. It's L.A./it's not L.A./it's L.A. seen by Dahlia fiends in extremis. The film commands you to savour every scene and revel in your visual entrapment. This textual richness symbolises the Dahlia's hold on us. We can never look away. She won't let us."
8/10 – While "Casualties of War's" camera shifted stance with each vertical plane (underground, plateau, hill, bridge), here De Palma's camera changes stance when we jump from Prague to London to the Channel Crossing that links them. Complaints about silly plots and actors are valid but inconsequential. This is about De Palma's camera, Tom Cruise a prop that need only turn up and look appropriately intense.
Worth three viewings.
Filled with super-slick visuals and impeccable compositions, this big-budget thriller looks better with each passing year. While the 90's action movies of Cameron, Spielberg, Donner, Harlin, the Wachowskis and the Scotts have started to lose their shine, De Palma's exercise in mainstream mayhem ages like fine wine (or maybe just good grape juice).
It's all about style, of course. Gloriously wide compositions, extreme close ups, canted angles, split-diopters, whip-pans, point of view shots and four slick set pieces...watching this film is like attending a masterclass in camera movement.
De Palma's not just good with surfaces, he's obsessed with them. Villains are dressed in 1950's PI/spy coats, the heist scenes outdo Dassin's "Riffi" and Melville's "Bob The Gambler", the film is shot in luxurious black and whites and all the while De Palma's camera glides from one perfect composition to the next. To get this kind of fluid camera work, this seamlessness, you'd have to turn to Pixar and their virtual cameras.
Of course, the irony is that for a director so obsessed with achieving perfect images, De Palma is constantly reminding us how fallible images are. All his tics and themes are here, albeit in a condensed fashion: truth needing to be reassembled, the unreliability of the image, the camera that lies, voyeurs (the first shot is a close up of a digital screen), conspiracies, false identities, doppelgangers, the need to reconstruct the film's opening murder etc.
The only thing missing are some operatic sex scenes, which were actually filmed but deleted when producer Tom Cruise, not wanting to chase away the teen audience, had all romantic scenes with super-lush French actress Emmanuelle Béart removed.
Author James Ellroy (sometimes he feels like the only other person on the planet who actually loves De Palma's "Black Dahlia") perfectly describes De Palma's style when commenting on the director's adaptation of his novel: "De Palma's films circumscribe worlds of obsession. They are rigorously and suffocatingly formed. No outer world exists during their time frame. Colors flare oddly. Movement arrests you. You forfeit control and see only what he wants you to see. He manipulates you in the sole name of passion. He understands relinquishment. The film-goer needs to succumb. His films are authoritative. He controls response firmly. His hold tightens as his stories veer into chaos. He stands and falls, coheres and decoheres, succeeds and errs behind passion. He was the ideal artist to film The Black Dahlia."
Later he says: "Bucky Bleichert is a fictional cop and a doppelganger/writer-filmmaker. He's the man writing out the great adventure of his life and the voyeur viewing sex with a camera. Bleichert is me. Bleichert is De Palma. He's standing outside momentous events. He's lost in scrutiny. He wants to control. He wants to capitulate. His inner life is near chaotic. He needs to impose external order to countermand his mental state. It's Homicide Investigation as Art. He needs to take malignancy and render it something his own."
And then: "The Black Dahlia spins off the axis of De Palma and Hartnett. It's a three-mode constellation: thriller/noir/historical romance. The design is near-German Expressionist. It's L.A./it's not L.A./it's L.A. seen by Dahlia fiends in extremis. The film commands you to savour every scene and revel in your visual entrapment. This textual richness symbolises the Dahlia's hold on us. We can never look away. She won't let us."
8/10 – While "Casualties of War's" camera shifted stance with each vertical plane (underground, plateau, hill, bridge), here De Palma's camera changes stance when we jump from Prague to London to the Channel Crossing that links them. Complaints about silly plots and actors are valid but inconsequential. This is about De Palma's camera, Tom Cruise a prop that need only turn up and look appropriately intense.
Worth three viewings.
call it a guilty pleasure
TheUnknown837-113 December 2008
Every now and again, you will come upon a film that you know really isn't the best movie in the world, or even a particularly good movie on its own. And yet, despite its glaring flaws and imperfectness and lack of completion, you do find yourself strangely attached to it because it has a charm to itself that keeps you interested. Call it a guilty pleasure.
Mission: Impossible is my guilty pleasure. It's based on a 1960s television series created by Bruce Geller and the movie with Tom Cruise is kind of like a mash-up between The Bourne Identity and the James Bond pictures. Basically, the standard spy movie. Tom Cruise plays a spy who is falsely accused of betrayal to his organization and finds himself working with some unlikely partners to track down the real mole in the system and expose him and clear his name. Now, this is a plot as old as the hills and Mission: Impossible works with it just as well as the others. Not enormously well, but on an acceptable level.
Tom Cruise is great as the film's action hero lead, unfortunately his supporting cast is quite uninteresting. Another defect worth noting is the film's convoluted plot, which sometimes is hard to follow. This is caused by a screenplay in need of revisions. That's one of the film's major weaknesses and really the reason why it's just a standard spy movie with lots of cool gadgets instead of something special.
But that's really my only significant complaint about Mission: Impossible. Those rather small, unimportant defects left aside, and leaving the movie to its own devices, it works out well especially in its action sequences. Again, it's all been done before, sometimes better sometimes worse, but that doesn't meant it's boring or overdrawn. In fact, sometimes it's very primal. There is one scene in particular that I found intense and suspenseful on a hair-raising level. The scene goes on for an unremittingly long time, keeping us on the edges of our seats, and the best thing of all is that it's silent. The filmmakers could have chosen to go along with some dark, heavy music or some ominous heartbeat sound effects to put us in the same shoes with the characters, but the fact that it's quiettoo quiet for our likingmakes it so much more compelling. I only wish the rest of the movie was like this scene. Then it really would have been special.
Nevertheless, De Palma's Mission: Impossible works out well for what it is and unless you're not a fan of the standard spy movies or action pictures in particular, of if you have your standards and hopes up too high, I imagine you will enjoy it. Again, it is kind of a guilty pleasure, but hey, it was a lot of fun.
Mission: Impossible is my guilty pleasure. It's based on a 1960s television series created by Bruce Geller and the movie with Tom Cruise is kind of like a mash-up between The Bourne Identity and the James Bond pictures. Basically, the standard spy movie. Tom Cruise plays a spy who is falsely accused of betrayal to his organization and finds himself working with some unlikely partners to track down the real mole in the system and expose him and clear his name. Now, this is a plot as old as the hills and Mission: Impossible works with it just as well as the others. Not enormously well, but on an acceptable level.
Tom Cruise is great as the film's action hero lead, unfortunately his supporting cast is quite uninteresting. Another defect worth noting is the film's convoluted plot, which sometimes is hard to follow. This is caused by a screenplay in need of revisions. That's one of the film's major weaknesses and really the reason why it's just a standard spy movie with lots of cool gadgets instead of something special.
But that's really my only significant complaint about Mission: Impossible. Those rather small, unimportant defects left aside, and leaving the movie to its own devices, it works out well especially in its action sequences. Again, it's all been done before, sometimes better sometimes worse, but that doesn't meant it's boring or overdrawn. In fact, sometimes it's very primal. There is one scene in particular that I found intense and suspenseful on a hair-raising level. The scene goes on for an unremittingly long time, keeping us on the edges of our seats, and the best thing of all is that it's silent. The filmmakers could have chosen to go along with some dark, heavy music or some ominous heartbeat sound effects to put us in the same shoes with the characters, but the fact that it's quiettoo quiet for our likingmakes it so much more compelling. I only wish the rest of the movie was like this scene. Then it really would have been special.
Nevertheless, De Palma's Mission: Impossible works out well for what it is and unless you're not a fan of the standard spy movies or action pictures in particular, of if you have your standards and hopes up too high, I imagine you will enjoy it. Again, it is kind of a guilty pleasure, but hey, it was a lot of fun.
A pretty decent thriller that launched a long-running franchise
Horst_In_Translation18 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
My brief review from 2017:
"Mission: Impossible" is an American 110-minute movie from 1996, so this one is already over 20 years old. The director is Brian De Palma and the lead actor is Tom Cruise, possibly the biggest movie star back then when this film came out and still among the very biggest today, over 2 decades later. This film is based on a television series from several decades earlier, but of course most people don't know about that one, let alone have seen it (or episodes of it) and the movies are much more famous today. I said "movies" and this already tells you that several sequels were made and the franchise is still alive today because it keeps getting large crowds into theaters. As for this one here, the cast includes several known names, such as Cruise of course, but also Reno and Rhames are fun to watch. From the older generation, Jon Voight and Vanessa Redgrave are on board. Béart and Scott Thomas (in a pretty small role) play attractive women and Emilio Estevez has an okay cameo too. But all in all, it is really all about Cruise. The film does not offer too much in terms of performances and range really, but it does not have to do so in order to be a success.
I think the film manages a good balance overall here. It starts with a real boom that is a crucial event linked to everything that happens afterward, the entire movie, so our attention is right there where it needs to be from the very start. This film is about a lot more than just dealing with the question: Who is the traitor? It is also interesting to follow Cruise's path to finding out the man's identity and that was the real challenge. But still, it was nice to see the coat and the suspense at the end. The train scene (more what happened inside than outside) was truly a highlight here, also with Max and Hunt's aides etc. But it is only the second-best scene. The absolute highlight is of course the scene in which they steal all the data, really nerve-racking stuff and so tense that it will inevitable have you at the edge of your seat in its entirety. Certainly a contender for best movie scene of 2016 and I also think the writing there was very good with the temperature, sound sensors etc. This is thriller genre at its very best and judging from this scene alone, the film would have deserved an 8/10 at the very least. But sadly there were also some weaker moments such as the way Reno exits eventually or the plot twist at the end with Béart's character who was not half as memorable as she could have been. And there are others too. But nothing is so grave or bad to a level where it keeps this film from being a really good viewing experience. I highly recommend to check it out, if you are one of the few who haven't already. I myself will check out the sequels at some point in the future as well. Guaranteed. I give this one here, how it all started, a thumbs-up. Go see it.
My thoughts from 2024: "Mission: Impossible" is an American movie almost exclusively in the English language and this is from 1996, so almost 30 years old now. Actually, the period between this film and the 1960s series with the same name is the same like the period between this film and the now in 2024. This film launched the franchise of course that has been going on with many movies to this day and the director in charge of this beginning was Brian De Palma, a man successful enough that retrospectives are released that bring his most known films back to the big screen in countries far away from America. The man was in his 50s back then and it was not uncommon for him to write screenplays for his films, but maybe only around 50% of the time. So it is no surprise that for this film here there are three other writers credited. First is Bruce Geller, who died at a relatively young age long before the shooting of this film and developed the original "Mission: Impossible". Second is David Koepp who was quite young at that point still and this film is definitely a contender for his most known work and finally Steven Zaillian, who just won an Oscar for penning "Schindler's List" before working on this one here. The cast includes big names and two more Oscar winners.
As for the actors, this film and franchise helped a lot in turning Oscar nominee Tom Cruise into the biggest movie star on the planet although Brad Pitt fans may disagree. It came out the same time like "Jerry Maguire", which brought Cruise his second Academy Award nomination. This was also when Kristin Scott Thomas scored her only Oscar nomination so far. Her screen time here, however, is limited. Emmanuelle Béart is featured way more. Jean Reno, right after "Léon", is easy to identify. His character is definitely not best buddies with Cruise's. But you can see who the boss is in the scene when Reno's character is struggling to make sure Cruise's will not fall. Or also during the scene when we see how Reno's character was ready to kill, but is stopped. Props to you btw. If you made the connection that he was the unseen stabber at the beginning. If we keep looking at the younger folks, Ving Rhames is also on board as one of the good guys. The two aforementioned Oscar winners in this film are now in 2024 deep into their 80s: Jon Voight and Vanessa Redgrave. With the latter, I am not sure what her character contributed to this film. I like her as an actress, but the role was not half as impactful as they wanted her to be. Voight disappears early from the film, but reappears eventually. It was an interesting scene when we understand his character is the main antagonist, even if he tries to put the blame on somebody else. We see him give Cruise's character the information on what happened and we see the reality in flashbacks. At that point we do now know yet that Hunt (Cruise's character) was very well aware of Voight's character being the villain, but we find out later and this concludes then basically that Voight's character's story was what was going on in Cruise's head.
Overall, I would say these 110 minutes have aged alright. Some decent scenes, but also some mediocrity. It will come down to personal taste what stays memorable for you in this film. The one thing most will agree on is the scene when Hunt steals the files. The inclusions of temperature, weight and noise are easy to remember. The way this scene was shot was absolutely haunting, especially when Cruise almost hits the ground. The vomiting agent was comedy, just like him seeing the knife and the mention of his future in Alaska. The knife moment by the way was another mishap from Reno's character that showed us how he is not as much of a professional as Hunt. What I also liked was the red-green bubblegum explosive. A touch of 007 there. Locations are also fine: The film starts in Kiev, then moves to Prague before the United States and United Kingdom get included. What I did not like was the rushed-in inclusion of Hunt's family, the magic trick scene and also stuff related to Béart's character. You could feel that by then Hunt had grown on her and she did not want to kill him anymore. Maybe even fell for him. The final helicopter sequence also did not do much for me. Oh yeah and everything linked to Job. I guess it was an alias then for Voight's character. I would have preferred it to be left out. Felt too written for my liking, but could very well be that you like and dislike completely different segments. Initially, I had a feeling that Voight's character could indeed be the criminal, but my mind wandered away from him towards Kristin Scott Thomas and I thought it could be her to return from the dead in the end. Somebody would. That much was safe. What really happened then also made an interesting connection to Voight's character jokingly asking Hunt a question during the final meeting before the operation. Maybe he himself is the one who cannot trust his wife although it was not like in 007 films where the girl really sided with the good guy eventually.
Some final thoughts: The reenactment at the beginning was pretty awesome, also with the mask and how nothing was what it seemed. The second mask inclusion when we see Hunt pose as Voight's character was maybe one too many. But speaking of putting stuff on your face, I did like the glasses moment when Hunt makes sure people know that Voight's character is alive. The most gruesome scene was when another male field agent is killed early on. Not super graphic, but still. I liked all that happened early on quite a bit. I am talking everything before Hunt is hunted himself. Or well, he is still on the hunt for the mole himself. Also interesting that two henchmen were French (Ta gueule!) or at least the actors who portrayed them. Alright, this is pretty much it then. I want to end the review by saying that what stays most memorable from this film, except the data theft sequence, is the music. The tune from the franchise is so incredibly catchy that it was clear they would reuse it not only for every sequel, but also for every trailer. Everybody associates it with this franchise immediately. The music is the franchise and so is Cruise. He makes it work here too, but here and there a little less alpha male would not have been a poor decision, like of course Hunt was also romantically connected to KST's character. No woman can resist him. Thinking about it, maybe I should have known that she would not be the villain and would, from a perspective that they could not have discredited Hunt as the best guy (for any woman) on the planet, never go against the man she so dearly loved. If we look at the last scene, apparently being asked in a plane if you want to see a movie from a certain region of the planet is a code for the next mission taking place in this country. So they already had plans for a sequel and of course it happened after this film was a huge commercial success. Critics today maybe like it more than they did back then, even if not many will say that it is the best film from the franchise.
"Mission: Impossible" is an American 110-minute movie from 1996, so this one is already over 20 years old. The director is Brian De Palma and the lead actor is Tom Cruise, possibly the biggest movie star back then when this film came out and still among the very biggest today, over 2 decades later. This film is based on a television series from several decades earlier, but of course most people don't know about that one, let alone have seen it (or episodes of it) and the movies are much more famous today. I said "movies" and this already tells you that several sequels were made and the franchise is still alive today because it keeps getting large crowds into theaters. As for this one here, the cast includes several known names, such as Cruise of course, but also Reno and Rhames are fun to watch. From the older generation, Jon Voight and Vanessa Redgrave are on board. Béart and Scott Thomas (in a pretty small role) play attractive women and Emilio Estevez has an okay cameo too. But all in all, it is really all about Cruise. The film does not offer too much in terms of performances and range really, but it does not have to do so in order to be a success.
I think the film manages a good balance overall here. It starts with a real boom that is a crucial event linked to everything that happens afterward, the entire movie, so our attention is right there where it needs to be from the very start. This film is about a lot more than just dealing with the question: Who is the traitor? It is also interesting to follow Cruise's path to finding out the man's identity and that was the real challenge. But still, it was nice to see the coat and the suspense at the end. The train scene (more what happened inside than outside) was truly a highlight here, also with Max and Hunt's aides etc. But it is only the second-best scene. The absolute highlight is of course the scene in which they steal all the data, really nerve-racking stuff and so tense that it will inevitable have you at the edge of your seat in its entirety. Certainly a contender for best movie scene of 2016 and I also think the writing there was very good with the temperature, sound sensors etc. This is thriller genre at its very best and judging from this scene alone, the film would have deserved an 8/10 at the very least. But sadly there were also some weaker moments such as the way Reno exits eventually or the plot twist at the end with Béart's character who was not half as memorable as she could have been. And there are others too. But nothing is so grave or bad to a level where it keeps this film from being a really good viewing experience. I highly recommend to check it out, if you are one of the few who haven't already. I myself will check out the sequels at some point in the future as well. Guaranteed. I give this one here, how it all started, a thumbs-up. Go see it.
My thoughts from 2024: "Mission: Impossible" is an American movie almost exclusively in the English language and this is from 1996, so almost 30 years old now. Actually, the period between this film and the 1960s series with the same name is the same like the period between this film and the now in 2024. This film launched the franchise of course that has been going on with many movies to this day and the director in charge of this beginning was Brian De Palma, a man successful enough that retrospectives are released that bring his most known films back to the big screen in countries far away from America. The man was in his 50s back then and it was not uncommon for him to write screenplays for his films, but maybe only around 50% of the time. So it is no surprise that for this film here there are three other writers credited. First is Bruce Geller, who died at a relatively young age long before the shooting of this film and developed the original "Mission: Impossible". Second is David Koepp who was quite young at that point still and this film is definitely a contender for his most known work and finally Steven Zaillian, who just won an Oscar for penning "Schindler's List" before working on this one here. The cast includes big names and two more Oscar winners.
As for the actors, this film and franchise helped a lot in turning Oscar nominee Tom Cruise into the biggest movie star on the planet although Brad Pitt fans may disagree. It came out the same time like "Jerry Maguire", which brought Cruise his second Academy Award nomination. This was also when Kristin Scott Thomas scored her only Oscar nomination so far. Her screen time here, however, is limited. Emmanuelle Béart is featured way more. Jean Reno, right after "Léon", is easy to identify. His character is definitely not best buddies with Cruise's. But you can see who the boss is in the scene when Reno's character is struggling to make sure Cruise's will not fall. Or also during the scene when we see how Reno's character was ready to kill, but is stopped. Props to you btw. If you made the connection that he was the unseen stabber at the beginning. If we keep looking at the younger folks, Ving Rhames is also on board as one of the good guys. The two aforementioned Oscar winners in this film are now in 2024 deep into their 80s: Jon Voight and Vanessa Redgrave. With the latter, I am not sure what her character contributed to this film. I like her as an actress, but the role was not half as impactful as they wanted her to be. Voight disappears early from the film, but reappears eventually. It was an interesting scene when we understand his character is the main antagonist, even if he tries to put the blame on somebody else. We see him give Cruise's character the information on what happened and we see the reality in flashbacks. At that point we do now know yet that Hunt (Cruise's character) was very well aware of Voight's character being the villain, but we find out later and this concludes then basically that Voight's character's story was what was going on in Cruise's head.
Overall, I would say these 110 minutes have aged alright. Some decent scenes, but also some mediocrity. It will come down to personal taste what stays memorable for you in this film. The one thing most will agree on is the scene when Hunt steals the files. The inclusions of temperature, weight and noise are easy to remember. The way this scene was shot was absolutely haunting, especially when Cruise almost hits the ground. The vomiting agent was comedy, just like him seeing the knife and the mention of his future in Alaska. The knife moment by the way was another mishap from Reno's character that showed us how he is not as much of a professional as Hunt. What I also liked was the red-green bubblegum explosive. A touch of 007 there. Locations are also fine: The film starts in Kiev, then moves to Prague before the United States and United Kingdom get included. What I did not like was the rushed-in inclusion of Hunt's family, the magic trick scene and also stuff related to Béart's character. You could feel that by then Hunt had grown on her and she did not want to kill him anymore. Maybe even fell for him. The final helicopter sequence also did not do much for me. Oh yeah and everything linked to Job. I guess it was an alias then for Voight's character. I would have preferred it to be left out. Felt too written for my liking, but could very well be that you like and dislike completely different segments. Initially, I had a feeling that Voight's character could indeed be the criminal, but my mind wandered away from him towards Kristin Scott Thomas and I thought it could be her to return from the dead in the end. Somebody would. That much was safe. What really happened then also made an interesting connection to Voight's character jokingly asking Hunt a question during the final meeting before the operation. Maybe he himself is the one who cannot trust his wife although it was not like in 007 films where the girl really sided with the good guy eventually.
Some final thoughts: The reenactment at the beginning was pretty awesome, also with the mask and how nothing was what it seemed. The second mask inclusion when we see Hunt pose as Voight's character was maybe one too many. But speaking of putting stuff on your face, I did like the glasses moment when Hunt makes sure people know that Voight's character is alive. The most gruesome scene was when another male field agent is killed early on. Not super graphic, but still. I liked all that happened early on quite a bit. I am talking everything before Hunt is hunted himself. Or well, he is still on the hunt for the mole himself. Also interesting that two henchmen were French (Ta gueule!) or at least the actors who portrayed them. Alright, this is pretty much it then. I want to end the review by saying that what stays most memorable from this film, except the data theft sequence, is the music. The tune from the franchise is so incredibly catchy that it was clear they would reuse it not only for every sequel, but also for every trailer. Everybody associates it with this franchise immediately. The music is the franchise and so is Cruise. He makes it work here too, but here and there a little less alpha male would not have been a poor decision, like of course Hunt was also romantically connected to KST's character. No woman can resist him. Thinking about it, maybe I should have known that she would not be the villain and would, from a perspective that they could not have discredited Hunt as the best guy (for any woman) on the planet, never go against the man she so dearly loved. If we look at the last scene, apparently being asked in a plane if you want to see a movie from a certain region of the planet is a code for the next mission taking place in this country. So they already had plans for a sequel and of course it happened after this film was a huge commercial success. Critics today maybe like it more than they did back then, even if not many will say that it is the best film from the franchise.
It's not Impossible to like this film
rparham8 June 2006
Warning: Spoilers
With the trend that began in the early 1990's to adapt old television series into major motion pictures, Mission: Impossible was one of the many added to the list. Premiering in the late 1960's, Mission: Impossible was hit series for CBS for seven seasons and brought actors such as Peter Graves and Martin Landau to popular stardom. In 1996, superstar Tom Cruise collaborated with director Brian de Palma to bring the modern film version to life, and despite some critical drubbing at the time, Mission: Impossible proves to be one of the better television to motion picture adaptations to grace the screen to date.
Mission: Impossible, the series, was very much in the same mold of the modern police procedural Law & Order: it was almost exclusively plot driven. Sure, the same characters reappeared episode after episode, but none of them were ever fleshed out or significantly developed. The series was exclusively interested in telling it's tale of a team of U.S. spies using subterfuge, theatrics and make-up to confuse and confound their mark and obtain their goal. With Tom Cruise in the lead of the film version, it seemed unlikely that this format would hold, and while the film does give a little more depth to it's leads, it is still pushed along by the tale more than the people.
The film opens in Prague, where the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) have gathered to perform their latest mission: to prevent a double-agent from selling off a list of the secret identities of covert agents operating in Europe. The team is comprised of leader Jim Phelps (Jon Voight), key man Ethan Hunt (Cruise), electronics expert Jack Harmon (Emilio Estevez), Sarah Davies (Kristin Scott-Thomas), Hannah Williams (Ingeborga Dapkunaite), and Jim's wife, Claire (Emmauelle Beart). Part way through the mission, things begin to go horribly wrong, and before the night is out, all members of the team except Hunt are killed by an apparent assassin. Hunt contacts the head of his division, Eugene Kittredge (Henry Czerny) and discovers that the whole mission was designed to capture a suspected mole in the agency, and since Hunt was the only one who survived, he is labeled the mole.
Hunt escapes capture and is determined to prove his innocence. With the discovery that Claire did not die during the mission, Hunt makes contact with an arms dealer named Max (Vanessa Redgrave) who the real mole was dealing with and makes his own deal: he will secure the information that Max wants if Max promises to deliver the real mole to him. Hunt recruits former members of the IMF who were discovered during previous missions and had to be "disavowed' by the U.S. These include super hacker Luther Stickle (Ving Rhames) and helicopter pilot Franz Krieger (Jean Reno). Together, the group plans their heist, but things quickly become complicated and not everything with this whole operation is as it seems.
At the time of it's release, Mission: Impossible was criticized for being so complicated as to be undecipherable, and while it is indeed complex, it is not impossibly so. The film does weave a complicated plot and requires the audience's attention, but that is actually one of the film's strengths. It doesn't proceed in an entirely normal manner, hitting all the usual beats you would expect from a Mission: Impossible story, so while it follows the formula to a degree, it also manages to stand that formula on it's head. If the film does fall short, plot wise, it is principally in one area involving a central twist to the story. From the moment the backstory for this twist is introduced early in the film until the plot finally reveals it, there is nothing terribly surprising about it. The final scenes of the film do suggest that it is not what it would seem to be, but even still, the fact that so major a plot element in a film that is supposed to be a suspense thriller is so easily deduced is a bit of a let down.
Mission: Impossible is also not an action film in the literal sense. There is one major action set piece, but it is late in the film's running time, and up until then, the film has had no major car chases or fisticuffs. It replaces those with one major sequence of suspense, in which Ethan Hunt must attempt to retrieve information from a computer in a room littered with sensing equipment, including pressure sensitive floors, temperature controls and audio sensors. This sequence, played largely without dialogue and no music, is effective in building tension and literally putting you on the edge of your seat.
Mission: Impossible is not really an actor's movie. All the leads, from Cruise on down, are competent and do their jobs well, but nobody really takes hold of your attention. Cruise is his usual suave self, Rhames is entertaining as Luther Stickle, and Reno is appropriately shady as Kreiger. There is the suggestion of a possible romance between Hunt and Claire, but there isn't much chemistry between the two.
Mission: Impossible isn't a great film, but it is a good, effective one. It does require the audience pay attention and, emotionally, it doesn't pack a whallop, but it is good summer popcorn entertainment.
Mission: Impossible, the series, was very much in the same mold of the modern police procedural Law & Order: it was almost exclusively plot driven. Sure, the same characters reappeared episode after episode, but none of them were ever fleshed out or significantly developed. The series was exclusively interested in telling it's tale of a team of U.S. spies using subterfuge, theatrics and make-up to confuse and confound their mark and obtain their goal. With Tom Cruise in the lead of the film version, it seemed unlikely that this format would hold, and while the film does give a little more depth to it's leads, it is still pushed along by the tale more than the people.
The film opens in Prague, where the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) have gathered to perform their latest mission: to prevent a double-agent from selling off a list of the secret identities of covert agents operating in Europe. The team is comprised of leader Jim Phelps (Jon Voight), key man Ethan Hunt (Cruise), electronics expert Jack Harmon (Emilio Estevez), Sarah Davies (Kristin Scott-Thomas), Hannah Williams (Ingeborga Dapkunaite), and Jim's wife, Claire (Emmauelle Beart). Part way through the mission, things begin to go horribly wrong, and before the night is out, all members of the team except Hunt are killed by an apparent assassin. Hunt contacts the head of his division, Eugene Kittredge (Henry Czerny) and discovers that the whole mission was designed to capture a suspected mole in the agency, and since Hunt was the only one who survived, he is labeled the mole.
Hunt escapes capture and is determined to prove his innocence. With the discovery that Claire did not die during the mission, Hunt makes contact with an arms dealer named Max (Vanessa Redgrave) who the real mole was dealing with and makes his own deal: he will secure the information that Max wants if Max promises to deliver the real mole to him. Hunt recruits former members of the IMF who were discovered during previous missions and had to be "disavowed' by the U.S. These include super hacker Luther Stickle (Ving Rhames) and helicopter pilot Franz Krieger (Jean Reno). Together, the group plans their heist, but things quickly become complicated and not everything with this whole operation is as it seems.
At the time of it's release, Mission: Impossible was criticized for being so complicated as to be undecipherable, and while it is indeed complex, it is not impossibly so. The film does weave a complicated plot and requires the audience's attention, but that is actually one of the film's strengths. It doesn't proceed in an entirely normal manner, hitting all the usual beats you would expect from a Mission: Impossible story, so while it follows the formula to a degree, it also manages to stand that formula on it's head. If the film does fall short, plot wise, it is principally in one area involving a central twist to the story. From the moment the backstory for this twist is introduced early in the film until the plot finally reveals it, there is nothing terribly surprising about it. The final scenes of the film do suggest that it is not what it would seem to be, but even still, the fact that so major a plot element in a film that is supposed to be a suspense thriller is so easily deduced is a bit of a let down.
Mission: Impossible is also not an action film in the literal sense. There is one major action set piece, but it is late in the film's running time, and up until then, the film has had no major car chases or fisticuffs. It replaces those with one major sequence of suspense, in which Ethan Hunt must attempt to retrieve information from a computer in a room littered with sensing equipment, including pressure sensitive floors, temperature controls and audio sensors. This sequence, played largely without dialogue and no music, is effective in building tension and literally putting you on the edge of your seat.
Mission: Impossible is not really an actor's movie. All the leads, from Cruise on down, are competent and do their jobs well, but nobody really takes hold of your attention. Cruise is his usual suave self, Rhames is entertaining as Luther Stickle, and Reno is appropriately shady as Kreiger. There is the suggestion of a possible romance between Hunt and Claire, but there isn't much chemistry between the two.
Mission: Impossible isn't a great film, but it is a good, effective one. It does require the audience pay attention and, emotionally, it doesn't pack a whallop, but it is good summer popcorn entertainment.
Very clever thriller
benturkalj18 May 2006
For those who have not seen the original Mission Impossible, it is a real shame. While the other flicks offer plenty of explosions and cool action sequences, the original remains the best for it's interesting plot twists, some decent acting, and a well developed element of suspense that's lacking in the later pictures.
To reveal any of the plot would be a disservice: it certainly has some pretty interesting occurrences that should be seen for full effect. What really makes this great though is De Palma's direction. Unlike the later flicks, key scenes are drawn out: there is a real Spense of suspense that is rarely achieved. Three key action scenes come to mind, and there all extremely cool: it's just a shame that Criuse couldn't enlist the services of more experienced director's later in the franchise.
A memorable, well executed thriller.
To reveal any of the plot would be a disservice: it certainly has some pretty interesting occurrences that should be seen for full effect. What really makes this great though is De Palma's direction. Unlike the later flicks, key scenes are drawn out: there is a real Spense of suspense that is rarely achieved. Three key action scenes come to mind, and there all extremely cool: it's just a shame that Criuse couldn't enlist the services of more experienced director's later in the franchise.
A memorable, well executed thriller.
You've never seen me very upset.
swordsnare17 November 2019
A tense thriller that is not (despite popular belief) impossible to follow.
THFC8 December 1998
I would like to reiterate what "Anonymous of Derby, England" said about this film (20th November). The fact that so many people have complained that they "didn't get it" is proof that our brains are being atrophied by so many movies that do all our thinking for us. I had no trouble in following the plot and found the fact that I actually had to concentrate and think things through quite refreshing. Okay, so a lot of the stunts were a bit far fetched but what does it matter when they were so entertaining? After all, it is only a movie; nobody expects us to believe that these things could really happen any more than they expect us to believe that King Kong really existed or that there's a Volcano ready to errupt in L.A. Besides, with the inspired casting of David Schneider as the train driver, Brian de Palma must have had his tongue in his cheek for at least some of the time. He's created a masterful boy's own adventure story, an original "ripping yarn" and that brilliant comic touch added to this perfectly.
"Mission Impossible" is a visual and cerebral treat. Tom Cruise is excellent as Ethan, Vanessa Redgrave makes a superb villian and Jean Reno is watchable in ANYTHING he does. The only weak link is Emmanuelle Beart, who did a good job of looking beautiful but very little else. What a shame Kristin Scott Thomas couldn't have taken a more central role; she makes the gorgeous but bland Beart look like a waste of space.
I give this 8 out of ten and it would have been more if it wasn't for Beart's character.
"Mission Impossible" is a visual and cerebral treat. Tom Cruise is excellent as Ethan, Vanessa Redgrave makes a superb villian and Jean Reno is watchable in ANYTHING he does. The only weak link is Emmanuelle Beart, who did a good job of looking beautiful but very little else. What a shame Kristin Scott Thomas couldn't have taken a more central role; she makes the gorgeous but bland Beart look like a waste of space.
I give this 8 out of ten and it would have been more if it wasn't for Beart's character.
Thrilling Thriller
no-skyline7 February 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Brian De Palma delivers a kinetic live wire suspense filled espionage thriller to open the Mission Impossible franchise. The camera work is exceptional with De Palma's trademark sense of motion applied to suspenseful heists and an amazing train ride sequence during which you really get the sense of speed and danger. Also created is one of the most iconic images from any thriller of recent times Tom Cruise suspended mid heist inches from a pressure sensitive floor. Cruise lives up to his star billing and for me really nails the Ethan Hunt character, Jean Reno, Ving Rames and the stunning Emmanuelle Beart provide able support.
My one problem with this film and unfortunately quite a big problem is that the twist in the tale can be seen coming a mile off. Which is a real shame as this film is inventive, fun, stylish and everything a main stream thriller should be.
Fun but the twist in the tale doesn't have enough of a sting 7/10
My one problem with this film and unfortunately quite a big problem is that the twist in the tale can be seen coming a mile off. Which is a real shame as this film is inventive, fun, stylish and everything a main stream thriller should be.
Fun but the twist in the tale doesn't have enough of a sting 7/10
Slick and stylish action flick
The_Void30 August 2005
Based on the TV show of the same name, Brian De Palma's stylish thriller stars Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt; a James Bond-esquire secret agent working for a certain section of the government. As the title suggests, many of the scenarios in the film are extremely unlikely; but then again, the film wouldn't be living up to it's title if they weren't. It's one thing to criticise it's stunts for being overblown, but if they weren't, critics would be on it's back and calling it things like 'Mission Possible', so really you've just got to go with it. Brian De Palma makes it easy to just 'go with it' by way of an intriguing plot line, a constant array of high-octane sequences and lots of his trademark style! The plot does get a little too convoluted for it's own good at times, and sometimes it's a little hard to follow; but it gives the film a good basis for all manner of impossibilities, so it serves it's purpose. We follow Ethan Hunt and his team. After a botched mission, Hunt finds himself on the run from his employers after being accused of disloyalty. Hunt must now pull out all the stops to stay one step ahead of his pursuers and get to the bottom of why their mission went wrong.
The film features a number of stunts, the best of which sees Tom Cruise breaking into the CIA via the roof. This sequence is brilliantly executed, with De Palma managing to inject bucketloads of suspense into the scene. This scene fits the tone of the film as it's brooding and cerebral, but the film ditches that idea for it's conclusion, which sees a bullet train, a helicopter and the Channel Tunnel combine to great effect! The problem with all these stunts is that the parts between the action sequences aren't all that interesting, and at times can slow the film down to walking pace. This isn't a big problem, however, because there's always more action around every corner and that keeps the film going. Tom Cruise obviously has charisma and can lead a film, but I often find it hard to buy him in action roles. This one suits him, though, as although his character is still more than capable, he comes off as being quite vulnerable, and lucky at times, and that suits Cruise's persona. On the whole, while this isn't a great film; it makes for good entertainment and if that's what you're in the mood for, Mission: Impossible wont disappoint.
The film features a number of stunts, the best of which sees Tom Cruise breaking into the CIA via the roof. This sequence is brilliantly executed, with De Palma managing to inject bucketloads of suspense into the scene. This scene fits the tone of the film as it's brooding and cerebral, but the film ditches that idea for it's conclusion, which sees a bullet train, a helicopter and the Channel Tunnel combine to great effect! The problem with all these stunts is that the parts between the action sequences aren't all that interesting, and at times can slow the film down to walking pace. This isn't a big problem, however, because there's always more action around every corner and that keeps the film going. Tom Cruise obviously has charisma and can lead a film, but I often find it hard to buy him in action roles. This one suits him, though, as although his character is still more than capable, he comes off as being quite vulnerable, and lucky at times, and that suits Cruise's persona. On the whole, while this isn't a great film; it makes for good entertainment and if that's what you're in the mood for, Mission: Impossible wont disappoint.
Mission: Impenetrable.
BA_Harrison30 March 2017
When the rest of his team are killed during a mission, IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) tries to find out who is responsible.
Director Brian De Palma has given us some real classics during his illustrious career (Phantom of the Paradise, Carrie, Scarface, The Untouchables), but Mission: Impossible isn't one of them, despite a couple of well handled scenes of suspense, a rousing finale, and an impressive cast (Jean Reno, Ving Rhames, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart) headed by Hollywood megastar Cruise. The main problem with the film is that it is far too convoluted for its own good, the complex story-line twisting and turning so much that it's hard to keep track of who is on Ethan Hunt's side and who isn't. There is also far too much of Hunt as he taps away on a computer keyboard: I don't know about you, but watching someone surf the web or download information onto a disk isn't what I want from my multi-million dollar Summer blockbuster.
Thankfully, the boredom caused by Hunt's excessive computer usage is alleviated somewhat by the film's more outlandish elements: Hunt's rubber disguises that are life-like enough to hold up to close inspection, explosive chewing gum, and lots of high-tech gadgetry that now looks incredibly dated and therefore proves rather amusing. The aforementioned closing action sequence, which sees Hunt clinging to the side of a speeding train in a tunnel while being pursued by a helicopter, is also a whole lot of fun, albeit one of the dumbest things I have ever seen on the big screen. To round things off, Cruise does his patented 'arms and legs flailing while blown through the air by a big explosion' routine.
5.5/10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb.
Director Brian De Palma has given us some real classics during his illustrious career (Phantom of the Paradise, Carrie, Scarface, The Untouchables), but Mission: Impossible isn't one of them, despite a couple of well handled scenes of suspense, a rousing finale, and an impressive cast (Jean Reno, Ving Rhames, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart) headed by Hollywood megastar Cruise. The main problem with the film is that it is far too convoluted for its own good, the complex story-line twisting and turning so much that it's hard to keep track of who is on Ethan Hunt's side and who isn't. There is also far too much of Hunt as he taps away on a computer keyboard: I don't know about you, but watching someone surf the web or download information onto a disk isn't what I want from my multi-million dollar Summer blockbuster.
Thankfully, the boredom caused by Hunt's excessive computer usage is alleviated somewhat by the film's more outlandish elements: Hunt's rubber disguises that are life-like enough to hold up to close inspection, explosive chewing gum, and lots of high-tech gadgetry that now looks incredibly dated and therefore proves rather amusing. The aforementioned closing action sequence, which sees Hunt clinging to the side of a speeding train in a tunnel while being pursued by a helicopter, is also a whole lot of fun, albeit one of the dumbest things I have ever seen on the big screen. To round things off, Cruise does his patented 'arms and legs flailing while blown through the air by a big explosion' routine.
5.5/10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb.
If you liked the TV series, you will hate this movie!
lima-227 November 1999
If you are a big fan of the television series, starring Peter Graves and Martin Landau, like I am, then you will hate this movie as much as I did. It has nothing to do with the television series, other than its title and opening musical sequence. I went in to this movie expecting more. If you can get beyond these prejudices, then you can expect, at best, a mediocre movie. Right off the top of my head, I can pick five or six episodes from the series that were actually better than this movie. It's a shame because I like Tom Cruse. He's better than this!
Mission Impossible
0U13 February 2020
Brian De Palma brings Mission: Impossible to the big screen in an explosive and action-packed adventure. Branded a trader when his team is killed during an intelligence operation, IMF agent Ethan Hunt goes rogue in order to clear his name. The plot's rather good, and does a fair job at building suspense and intrigue. Starring Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Beart, and Ving Rhames, the casting's pretty solid. And, the action sequences are shot especially well, adding a lot of energy and intensity to the film. Danny Elfman's score is also excellently done. Incredibly entertaining, Mission: Impossible is a fun and thrilling action film.
More Than Adequate Action Film
gavin694225 November 2013
An American agent (Tom Cruise), under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organization.
Although the original cast disliked this new incarnation, I think they missed the point in a way -- this was not to be a strict continuation but more of a new beginning. Those lines might have been blurred if the old cast reprised their roles, but they did not, and I do not see this one in any way detracting from the television show.
Stephen Holden of the New York Times wrote, "If that story doesn't make a shred of sense on any number of levels, so what? Neither did the television series, in which basic credibility didn't matter so long as its sci-fi popular mechanics kept up the suspense." I feel like this really nails it. The key is the suspense and not the plot. While more something you expect from Joel Schumacher than Brian De Palma, I think De Palma" got it".
Although the original cast disliked this new incarnation, I think they missed the point in a way -- this was not to be a strict continuation but more of a new beginning. Those lines might have been blurred if the old cast reprised their roles, but they did not, and I do not see this one in any way detracting from the television show.
Stephen Holden of the New York Times wrote, "If that story doesn't make a shred of sense on any number of levels, so what? Neither did the television series, in which basic credibility didn't matter so long as its sci-fi popular mechanics kept up the suspense." I feel like this really nails it. The key is the suspense and not the plot. While more something you expect from Joel Schumacher than Brian De Palma, I think De Palma" got it".
Its a Decent Adaptation to the Big Screen
mjw230513 October 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Tom Cruise Ethan Hunt, a secret agent framed for the deaths of his espionage team, is on the run from government assassins, as he tries to uncover the shocking who's and why's of his setup.
Cruise performs well in the role, and the support from Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Beart, Jean Reno, Ving Rhames and more is strong and definitely adds plenty of body to the film.
With some good intrigue and tension, a few breathtaking stunts and a strong conspiracy style plot; Mission Impossible is a decent adaptation of the original series, without really being too familiar.
7/10 but should have been better.
Cruise performs well in the role, and the support from Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Beart, Jean Reno, Ving Rhames and more is strong and definitely adds plenty of body to the film.
With some good intrigue and tension, a few breathtaking stunts and a strong conspiracy style plot; Mission Impossible is a decent adaptation of the original series, without really being too familiar.
7/10 but should have been better.
Not really THAT confusing
CuriosityKilledShawn7 May 2006
I first saw Mission: Impossible when I was 15 and I didn't have a Scooby what the hell was going on. And I considered myself to be smarter than the average bear. In retrospect, it's not that muddled. In comparison to the very-dumbed down sequel it stands out as a better example of film-making made by a director who doesn't underestimate the audience.
Brian De Palma is known to be a wildly inconsistent filmmaker. From the over-rated Carrie, to the under-rated Snake Eyes, the classic Untouchables and the downright hideous Mission to Mars and Scarface, he's been through just about everything. But Mission: Impossible was his first true mega-hit. Movies from TV shows are a dime a dozen these days and are rarely taken seriously, I mean look at trash like S.W.A.T. or Dukes of Hazard, but M:I is actually supposed to be a continuation of the show, rather than a spin-off.
Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt (no, not cockney rhyming slang) an IMF agent who's entire team is killed in a phony sting operation in Prague. Accused of being a traitor he legs it before they can nab him and assembles a team of rogue operatives to find out who the REAL traitor is. Many double-crosses and double-double crosses ensue.
For those who cannot follow the plot there are some really good set-pieces with enough tension and excitement to carry the whole movie. You'll know by now the dangling scene in the top-secret room but the best scene in the movie is the high-speed train rocketing through the English countryside. While other directors might use this as a chance to show off, De Palma keeps it as realistic as possible which makes it infinitely more cooler.
Parts of the movie may seem a bit dated now and it's weird seeing Tom Cruise look like a little boy even though he was already 33. He even sounds different. And what kind of supervillian uses floppy discs? They could have tried something a bit more high-tech there.
The M:I franchise could be a helluva lot better, I suppose. The second film was terrible and the third merely average. But they're still better than the last few Bond outings, though it ain't quite up to the rugged quality of the Jason Bourne movies.
At least it got off to a good start. But can the world tolerate Cruise long enough to ever get a fourth made?
Brian De Palma is known to be a wildly inconsistent filmmaker. From the over-rated Carrie, to the under-rated Snake Eyes, the classic Untouchables and the downright hideous Mission to Mars and Scarface, he's been through just about everything. But Mission: Impossible was his first true mega-hit. Movies from TV shows are a dime a dozen these days and are rarely taken seriously, I mean look at trash like S.W.A.T. or Dukes of Hazard, but M:I is actually supposed to be a continuation of the show, rather than a spin-off.
Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt (no, not cockney rhyming slang) an IMF agent who's entire team is killed in a phony sting operation in Prague. Accused of being a traitor he legs it before they can nab him and assembles a team of rogue operatives to find out who the REAL traitor is. Many double-crosses and double-double crosses ensue.
For those who cannot follow the plot there are some really good set-pieces with enough tension and excitement to carry the whole movie. You'll know by now the dangling scene in the top-secret room but the best scene in the movie is the high-speed train rocketing through the English countryside. While other directors might use this as a chance to show off, De Palma keeps it as realistic as possible which makes it infinitely more cooler.
Parts of the movie may seem a bit dated now and it's weird seeing Tom Cruise look like a little boy even though he was already 33. He even sounds different. And what kind of supervillian uses floppy discs? They could have tried something a bit more high-tech there.
The M:I franchise could be a helluva lot better, I suppose. The second film was terrible and the third merely average. But they're still better than the last few Bond outings, though it ain't quite up to the rugged quality of the Jason Bourne movies.
At least it got off to a good start. But can the world tolerate Cruise long enough to ever get a fourth made?
Soak up Cruise's Charisma
newfiesailor22 May 2006
Yes, there was a time when Tom Cruise was charismatic. Take trashy movies such as Cocktail and Far and Away or great movies like The Firm and A Few Good Men and imagine anyone other than Tom Cruise in the lead role. Hard to do, isn't it? His brash, cocky attitude was once appealing. Now that he feels he's an intelligent spokesman with something to say, he just comes across as an arrogant a**hole. Fortunately, the first MI falls into his earlier stage.
This movie would have been just another action flick without Cruise. Sure we have a stellar cast, but did not Mr. Cruise steal every scene? He is perfect in the role of Ethan Hunt, a spy whose whole team is rubbed out in a convoluted cover up at the start. It is up to Ethan to uncover the plot behind the failed mission. The movie is a series of unveiled plot twists that becomes implausible after a while. But that's not the fun behind Mission Impossible. The fun is watching the great action scenes with their suspenseful turns. So much so, we are willing to suspend disbelief to enjoy the ride. And to let ourselves be swept away by Mr. Cruise's undefinable quality to take us there.
This movie would have been just another action flick without Cruise. Sure we have a stellar cast, but did not Mr. Cruise steal every scene? He is perfect in the role of Ethan Hunt, a spy whose whole team is rubbed out in a convoluted cover up at the start. It is up to Ethan to uncover the plot behind the failed mission. The movie is a series of unveiled plot twists that becomes implausible after a while. But that's not the fun behind Mission Impossible. The fun is watching the great action scenes with their suspenseful turns. So much so, we are willing to suspend disbelief to enjoy the ride. And to let ourselves be swept away by Mr. Cruise's undefinable quality to take us there.
First thrilling installation of the famous saga with non-stop action , rousing score and spectacular images
ma-cortes11 August 2015
Top-notch entry of the Mission Impossible series filled with thrills , twists , turns and lots of action . Mission : Impossible¨ by Brian De Palma boasts a very good cast such as Tom Cruise , Ving Rhames , Jon Voight , Henry Czerny , Kristin Scott Thomas , Vanessa Redgrave Emmanuel Beart , Jean Reno . The undercover unit comes into action with several fine spectacular scenes . The crack undercover agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is called into action by IMF staff (John Voight) , his assignment is a crucial mission to prevent the theft of classified material . The outfit formed by stalwarts specialists (Emilio Estevez , Emmanuel Beart , Kristin Scott Thomas) execute a dangerous operation in Praga . But the team is double-crossed and things go wrong , causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go to clear his name . As American agent , under false suspicion of disloyalty ,he must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organization . Meanwhile , Ethan and his undercover new bunch (Ving Rhames , Jean Reno) try to discover who set them up . Ethan and his group carry out a dangerous caper at Langley , Virginia , breaking into the CIA's most impenetrable vault .
This energetic movie packs unstopped action , hair-raising suspense , exciting thriller , frenetic pursuits and lots of violence . Well made high-tech hijinks and full of breathtaking set-up with impressive frames such as the climactic train sequence that took 6 weeks to film at the 007 stage at Pinewood Studios . And the exterior shots of the train scene, supposedly with the train in France, were mostly shot in Scotland . Tom Cruise performed a lot of sequences where Ethan Hunt executes his risked missions without the use of a stunt double . As during the filming of production , Tom Cruise did the majority of his own stunts including the CIA vault sequences to show the audience it was actually him ; this would allow director Brian De Palma to have more capabilities with camera angles & not having to hide the fact it is a stuntman doing the stunts . When Ethan is suspended by a cable while infiltrating the CIA vault results to be the series trademark , but it is ripped off from ¨Topkapi¨ by Jules Dassin . As it also appears in M.I. 2 (2000) and Mission: Impossible III (2006), Jeremy Renner also did this in Mission Impossible : Ghost Protocol . The film contains an interesting as well as twisted story in flamboyant treatment , worth two hours'time, with screenplay and story written by David Koepp , Robert Towne , Steven Zaillian and based on the vintage characters by Bruce Heller . Lalo Schifrin's classic score television is again well reused here , at a much higher decibel level and adding a stirring soundtrack by Danny Elffman , fitting perfectly to action . Fascinating and luxurious cinematography by excellent cameraman by Stephen H. Burum . As usual, Tom Cruise co-executive produced , along with J. C. Calciano , Paul Hitchcock and Paula Wagner . The motion picture was compellingly directed by Brian De Palma . He's a successful producer , writer and director with a lot of hits such as ¨Sisters ¨, ¨Dresssed to Kill¨, ¨Blow out¨ , ¨Obsession¨ : all of them are outwardly odes to Hitchcock ; furthermore , he also made unforgettable flicks : ¨Scarface¨ , ¨Untouchables¨ , ¨Carlito's way¨ , ¨Femme Fatale¨ , ¨The Black Dahlia¨ , among others . ¨MI 1¨ , rating : Better than average and well worth seeing . The tale will appeal to Tom Cruise fans and unstop action movies fans . The film had big success at the box office worldwide , becoming one of the highest-grossing installment in the franchise .
Other installments from this popular and successful series are the followings : ¨ ¨Mission : Impossible II¨ by John Woo with Dougray Scott , Thandie Newton , Richard Roxburgh , John Polson , Brendan Gleeson ; ¨MI 3¨ (2006) by J. J. Abrahams with Philip Seymour Hoffman , Ving Rhames , Maggie Q , Jonathan Rhys Meyers and ¨MI 4¨ by Brad Bird with Paula Patton , Simon Pegg , Jeremy Renner , Michael Nyqvist and ¨Mission : Impossible V¨ (2015) by Christopher McQuarrie with Jeremy Renner , Simon Pegg , Ving Rhames , Rebecca Ferguson , Sean Harris , Alec Baldwin and , of course , Tom Cruise
This energetic movie packs unstopped action , hair-raising suspense , exciting thriller , frenetic pursuits and lots of violence . Well made high-tech hijinks and full of breathtaking set-up with impressive frames such as the climactic train sequence that took 6 weeks to film at the 007 stage at Pinewood Studios . And the exterior shots of the train scene, supposedly with the train in France, were mostly shot in Scotland . Tom Cruise performed a lot of sequences where Ethan Hunt executes his risked missions without the use of a stunt double . As during the filming of production , Tom Cruise did the majority of his own stunts including the CIA vault sequences to show the audience it was actually him ; this would allow director Brian De Palma to have more capabilities with camera angles & not having to hide the fact it is a stuntman doing the stunts . When Ethan is suspended by a cable while infiltrating the CIA vault results to be the series trademark , but it is ripped off from ¨Topkapi¨ by Jules Dassin . As it also appears in M.I. 2 (2000) and Mission: Impossible III (2006), Jeremy Renner also did this in Mission Impossible : Ghost Protocol . The film contains an interesting as well as twisted story in flamboyant treatment , worth two hours'time, with screenplay and story written by David Koepp , Robert Towne , Steven Zaillian and based on the vintage characters by Bruce Heller . Lalo Schifrin's classic score television is again well reused here , at a much higher decibel level and adding a stirring soundtrack by Danny Elffman , fitting perfectly to action . Fascinating and luxurious cinematography by excellent cameraman by Stephen H. Burum . As usual, Tom Cruise co-executive produced , along with J. C. Calciano , Paul Hitchcock and Paula Wagner . The motion picture was compellingly directed by Brian De Palma . He's a successful producer , writer and director with a lot of hits such as ¨Sisters ¨, ¨Dresssed to Kill¨, ¨Blow out¨ , ¨Obsession¨ : all of them are outwardly odes to Hitchcock ; furthermore , he also made unforgettable flicks : ¨Scarface¨ , ¨Untouchables¨ , ¨Carlito's way¨ , ¨Femme Fatale¨ , ¨The Black Dahlia¨ , among others . ¨MI 1¨ , rating : Better than average and well worth seeing . The tale will appeal to Tom Cruise fans and unstop action movies fans . The film had big success at the box office worldwide , becoming one of the highest-grossing installment in the franchise .
Other installments from this popular and successful series are the followings : ¨ ¨Mission : Impossible II¨ by John Woo with Dougray Scott , Thandie Newton , Richard Roxburgh , John Polson , Brendan Gleeson ; ¨MI 3¨ (2006) by J. J. Abrahams with Philip Seymour Hoffman , Ving Rhames , Maggie Q , Jonathan Rhys Meyers and ¨MI 4¨ by Brad Bird with Paula Patton , Simon Pegg , Jeremy Renner , Michael Nyqvist and ¨Mission : Impossible V¨ (2015) by Christopher McQuarrie with Jeremy Renner , Simon Pegg , Ving Rhames , Rebecca Ferguson , Sean Harris , Alec Baldwin and , of course , Tom Cruise
Exciting But Nothing Like the TV Series
zardoz-134 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
The transition that "Mission Impossible" made from the small screen to the big screen ignited considerable controversy. The beloved character that Peter Graves originated on television named Jim Phelps became a treacherous rogue agent that Jon Voight played as a villain in the film that director Brian De Palma helmed. Hardcore "Mission Impossible" fans have never forgiven either Tom Cruise or Brian De Palma for this sacrilege. The first "Mission Impossible" suffers from contrivances galore. Nevertheless, "Mission Impossible" emerges as an exciting, suspenseful nail-biter with three electrifying set-pieces: the opening computer heist debacle at an American embassy, the white-knuckled scene in the vault at the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, and the chilling train ride sequence as the finale that culminates with a helicopter being dragged by a train through the claustrophobic confines of a tunnel. The CIA vault scene ends up being the best, with the other two are slickly done. The story opens with a brief vignette that features American espionage agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise of "Risky Business") masquerading as an older, mustached man orchestrating a ruse against an enemy agent by convincing his adversary that he has been instrumental in the death of a young woman. As soon as Hunt extracts the information from his disheveled adversary, they incapacitate him, revive the girl, Claire (Emmanuelle Béart of "Don Juan"), who is playing possum and tear down the fake motel. The next thing we know we are introduced to the cinematic incarnation of Jim Phelps, and "Mission Impossible" adheres slavishly to the television formula with IMF chief Phelps receiving the usual briefing from a disc that self-destructs after he is told about his latest mission should he decide to accept it. Phelps relies on his right hand man, Ethan Hunt, to coordinate the operation in Prague. The IMF is supposed to record the pilfering of the CIA's master list of Eastern Europe spies. During the mission, everything goes haywire, and everybody but Hunt dies. Ultimately, we learn that neither Phelps nor his wife Claire died. The Phelps couple staged their own deaths. Naturally, since Hunt is the last man standing, his CIA superior Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny of "Ice Castles") suspects that he may culpable of the crime. The big revelation for Hunt is the discovery that the entire operation was 'a mole hunt' to expose a saboteur. The resourceful Hunt manages to escape from Kittridge when he uses explosive chewing gum to blow up the aquarium restaurant where he met with the CIA chieftain.
Holing up in a Prague safe house, Hunt finds himself caught between a rock and a hard place. Eventually, he smokes out an arms dealer, Max (Vanessa Redgrave of "Blow-Up") who pays him to steal the spy list. Since he cannot call on his former comrades because they are dead, Hunt enticed disavowed computer specialist Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames of "Pulp Fiction") and pilot Franz Krieger (Jean Reno of ""Flyboys") who can fly a helicopter through anything. The theft of top-secret computer documents from Langley ranks as the best scene in "Mission Impossible" with our intrepid hero dangling from a rig in the ceiling to make himself inconspicuous to the vault security gauntlet. Watching Krieger as he uses his muscles to keep Hunt from tripping the security alarms is taut stuff. The exit that they make disguised as firefighters is clever. Like its small screen predecessor, the cinematic "Mission" features spectacles that boast built-in TV cameras, hidden microphones, laptop computers, agents in sophisticated covers, exploding cars, exploding chewing gum, stabbings, gunplay, bodies toppling into a river, etc.
Holing up in a Prague safe house, Hunt finds himself caught between a rock and a hard place. Eventually, he smokes out an arms dealer, Max (Vanessa Redgrave of "Blow-Up") who pays him to steal the spy list. Since he cannot call on his former comrades because they are dead, Hunt enticed disavowed computer specialist Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames of "Pulp Fiction") and pilot Franz Krieger (Jean Reno of ""Flyboys") who can fly a helicopter through anything. The theft of top-secret computer documents from Langley ranks as the best scene in "Mission Impossible" with our intrepid hero dangling from a rig in the ceiling to make himself inconspicuous to the vault security gauntlet. Watching Krieger as he uses his muscles to keep Hunt from tripping the security alarms is taut stuff. The exit that they make disguised as firefighters is clever. Like its small screen predecessor, the cinematic "Mission" features spectacles that boast built-in TV cameras, hidden microphones, laptop computers, agents in sophisticated covers, exploding cars, exploding chewing gum, stabbings, gunplay, bodies toppling into a river, etc.
Starts off splendid, ends off rubbish
timothywalton-3192412 March 2023
The first hour of mission impossible is an absolute joy to watch. It felt like a fusion of James Bond and oceans eleven, with stylised cinematography, clearly reminiscent of classic like The Third Man, and wonderful locations like Prague. The first hour is so effortlessly entertaining that it will breeze by with ease. After that however, the movie starts becoming lethargic. It becomes too absorbed into its plot that the weaknesses in the film really shows. The plot in this film is really quite cookie cutter, and from the first moment they see Jim, audiences would have already guessed he was the baddie. To focus on the plot as if it were a convoluted hitchcockian thriller or John Le Carre masterpiece is a step in the wrong direction. And i think the ending is quite unforgivable. It reminded me of the lower tier bond movies, but worse, for it takes itself too seriously. Overall, the first film in the mission impossible franchise has a predictable plot, though the marvellous, stylised, and wildly entering first half more than redeems it.
Expect the Impossible
MB-reviewer1853 July 2023
Based on the Mission: Impossible series that started in 1966, which I have seen some episodes of; this is the movie that started the Mission: Impossible franchise. Mission: Impossible (1996) is a suspenseful spy action movie that shows Tom Cruise can do an action movie other than just comedies and dramas. Also, director Brian De Palma did a respectable job with this movie.
Tom Cruise does an excellent job as Ethan Hunt; I like how it focuses on the team in the beginning, then it focuses on just him because of a certain thing that happens to the team at the beginning of the movie, and he becomes a fugitive in a way where he must get his own team. Tom Cruise also does a wonderful job in the action sequences, and in the stunts.
The rest of the actors in the movie are good, and the members of Ethan's new team like Ving Rhames as Luthor are good. The action sequences are fun and cool to watch, they are also nicely shot with good cinematography like a train sequence in the third act climax. They are suspenseful especially with one well known scene involving being hung by a wire from a vent while not setting off sensors.
Mission: Impossible (1996) is an exceptionally good spy action movie that is worth watching, and fun to watch if you like these kinds of movies or if you are fans of the show it is based on. You do have to pay close attention to what the characters are saying to understand the plot and who the villain is, but that is good because it makes you use your brain to put things together on what is going on.
Tom Cruise does an excellent job as Ethan Hunt; I like how it focuses on the team in the beginning, then it focuses on just him because of a certain thing that happens to the team at the beginning of the movie, and he becomes a fugitive in a way where he must get his own team. Tom Cruise also does a wonderful job in the action sequences, and in the stunts.
The rest of the actors in the movie are good, and the members of Ethan's new team like Ving Rhames as Luthor are good. The action sequences are fun and cool to watch, they are also nicely shot with good cinematography like a train sequence in the third act climax. They are suspenseful especially with one well known scene involving being hung by a wire from a vent while not setting off sensors.
Mission: Impossible (1996) is an exceptionally good spy action movie that is worth watching, and fun to watch if you like these kinds of movies or if you are fans of the show it is based on. You do have to pay close attention to what the characters are saying to understand the plot and who the villain is, but that is good because it makes you use your brain to put things together on what is going on.
Confusion: Quite Possible
No Never-223 August 1999
"Mission: Impossible" gained a reputation for being a sloppily unsolvable riddle of a film, full of so many holes and turnabouts and crossed loyalties that the viewer was left more irritated than perplexed. Watching it a second time with that in mind, what was surprising to me was that all the pieces of this puzzle fit together somehow...despite a few minor plot holes and improbabilities, the basic thrust of the film retains a certain logic and solvability. What's less surprising is how little this all matters. "Mission: Impossible" remains an average film dominated a few remarkable setpieces. The film moves rather impatiently and hurriedly through its scenes of intrigue and doublecrossing (the real source of so much audience confusion) in order to set up its action scenes. Cruise overplays with admirable confidence, but this remains a good action film, but a mediocre spy film.
The old series deserved better
Ghormax4 February 1999
I was very much disappointed by this flat action movie and its predictable ending. I am a fan of the old Mission:Impossible series of the 60s and 80s and therefore I think the plot is ridiculous at best. Why should Jim Phelps do what he did? He was always loyal through the many episodes of the series and there he could have gotten much more money if he had betrayed his team.
The reason why Peter Graves (Jim Phelps) did not star in this movie is because he did not agree with what I have just said.
Anyway this movie is NOT for fans of the series because there is nothing left of the teamwork spirit of the series. It is a one man show for Tom Cruise.
The reason why Peter Graves (Jim Phelps) did not star in this movie is because he did not agree with what I have just said.
Anyway this movie is NOT for fans of the series because there is nothing left of the teamwork spirit of the series. It is a one man show for Tom Cruise.
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