Mission: Impossible
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Mission: Impossible is a 1996 American action spy film directed by Brian De Palma and produced by and starring Tom Cruise. A continuation of both the original television series of the same name and its revived sequel series (and set six years after the events of the latter show), it is the first installment in the Mission: Impossible film series.
Plot
Jim Phelps (Jon Voight) is sent to Prague to prevent the theft of classified material, with his wife Claire (Emmanuelle Béart) and trusted partner Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) being part of Phelps' team. Unfortunately, the mission goes horribly wrong and Ethan is the only survivor. Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny), the head of the Impossible Missions Force (IMF), suspects Ethan of being an enemy spy. Now on the run, Ethan must use unorthodox methods (which include the aid of an arms dealer going by the name "Max" (Vanessa Redgrave)) to find out who set him up and clear his own name.
Why It's Possible
- This is a decent start to the Mission Impossible series of movies.
- Danny Elfman delivers an amazing soundtrack as always, with tons of excitement throughout, especially a remastered version of the iconic theme song from the series.
- Every actor gives an amazing performance in this movie, especially Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt.
- It's still faithful to the source material from the TV series of the same name.
- "Your mission, should you choose to accept it... As always, should you or any of your IM Force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions."
- The final battle on the speeding TGV train was very exciting and fun to watch.
- The whole story and its concept make sense, for the most part.
- Great directing by Brian De Palma.
- It has a lot of memorable scenes, such as the iconic vault infiltration scene, and the final battle between Ethan and Jim.
- Well-done realistic effects throughout the movie.
- Amazing cinematography by Stephen H. Burum.
Impossible Qualities
- It can be a bit graphic for a PG-13 rated film, such as the scene where Jack Harmon gets killed with a spike through his eye.
- The CGI effects for the helicopter haven't aged too well.
- Jim Phelps becoming a traitor who sells state secrets to a Czech angered the cast of the original TV series.
Reception
Critical Response
Mission Impossible was released on May 22, 1996, and it received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, audiences and fans of the original series. The film has a 64% "Fresh" approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 58 reviews, with an average rating of 6/10, with the critical consensus reading "Full of special effects, Brian De Palma’s update of Mission: Impossible has a lot of sweeping spectacles, but the plot is sometimes convoluted". On Metacritic, it scores a film a 59/100, based on 29 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".