Mission: Impossible Reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I do agree the plot is confusing and convoluted at times though, but Mission:Impossible is very well made, with stylish cinematography, well chosen locations and inventive lighting. Plus the stunts and special effects are absolutely fantastic. Another strong asset is the music, the main theme is hypnotic and memorable especially, plus Brian DePalma's direction is brilliant. The film does move along very briskly, the script is efficient and the acting is also very well done. Tom Cruise is an actor I don't really care for but he is good here, but Jon Voight, Emanuelle Beart, Ving Rhames and Jean Reno are even better than he is. There are some very memorable scenes especially the burglary of a guarded vault and the Channel Tunnel helicopter pursuit. Overall, very well made and entertaining, if you forget the plot and just let the effects, stunts and visuals blow you away you will not be disappointed. 8/10 Bethany Cox

"If you're dealing with a man who has crushed, shot, stabbed, and detonated five members of his own IMF team, how devastated do you think you're gonna make him by hauling Mom and Uncle Donald down to the county courthouse?"

More than merely a Tom Cruise action vehicle, Mission: Impossible was born out of the Hollywood craze during the 1990s to adapt as many cult television shows into big-budget motion pictures as possible, and it remains one of the period's more successful endeavours. It's worth noting that this adaptation bears very little resemblance to the 1960s TV series of the same name, only retaining the unforgettable theme song and the character of Jim Phelps (Jon Voight), though Phelps doesn't play a significant role in the proceedings. Indeed, M:I is its own entity, with writer David Koepp (Jurassic Park) using the idea of an agency-based spy thriller as a springboard for an original action blockbuster. And with veteran filmmaker Brian De Palma (Carrie, The Untouchables) at the helm, this is a densely-plotted potboiler that pays more mind to espionage and complex plot machinations than nonstop thrills.

In Prague, a team of Impossible Missions Force (IMF) agents are assigned to prevent the theft of a highly classified list known as the NOC list, which details the identities of all agents in the field. Led by Phelps, the mission is a failure, resulting in the deaths of several team members. Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is framed for the killing, forcing him to go rogue as he sets out to expose the mole within his organisation. For assistance, Hunt enlists the help of two disavowed IMF agents, computer hacker Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and all-around tough guy Franz Krieger (Jean Reno). All the while, Hunt also sets out to ensure that the list does not fall into the hands of international terrorists.

To be sure, Mission: Impossible is almost impossibly serpentine, with an immensely convoluted narrative that's difficult to wrap your head around. It is nice to witness an $80 million summer movie that's more cerebral than the average action flick, but the effort is not entirely successful; it's a confusing movie and definitely could've been better-constructed for maximum clarity. It doesn't help that the screenplay relies on heavy dialogue to keep us up to speed, and the lags in pacing are noticeable. Nevertheless, Mission: Impossible does make for engaging viewing more often than not - it's a paranoid, edge-of-your-seat spy thriller, with Hunt struggling to figure out who to trust in this situation. There's sufficient intrigue and tension to see the narrative through to the end, with a dash of romance for good measure.

The production was in sturdy hands with Brian De Palma at the helm; the director imprints the feature with his indelible cinematic stamp. Notable for his ability to construct intense, wordless sequences, De Palma's greatest contribution here is the iconic scene involving Hunt and his team breaking into CIA headquarters to steal the NOC list. It's a complex plan that involves Hunt being lowered from the ceiling on wires into a secure room protected by a dizzying array of security precautions. The set-piece reflects De Palma's visual and tonal filmmaking voice, and it's tautly-edited to boot, making it far more gripping than the movie's ridiculous action scenes. Indeed, M:I needed big money shots to draw in mainstream viewers, and this box is ticked, with the climactic set-piece involving a high-speed train and a helicopter that's utterly preposterous but nevertheless entertaining. And, of course, the iconic Mission: Impossible theme is an absolute joy to hear.

Mission: Impossible was the first motion picture to bear Cruise's name as both a producer and as a star, and it would seem the involvement of his new production company motivated Cruise to place forth a focused, skilful performance. The actor's portrayal of Ethan Hunt is first-rate – he's physically capable and smart, not to mention the character is for the most part a grounded hero. Although Cruise's fan base has ostensibly shrunk in recent years, you cannot deny that he is committed to his art. A very appealing supporting cast also chips in, with veteran actor Voight giving the film a degree of gravitas. Meanwhile, Rhames is amusing, and Reno again shows why he's reliable when it comes to the action genre.

Years on, M:I endures as somewhat of a minor action classic due to its strengths, even though it has been bettered by its sequels, most notably Mission: Impossible III in 2006. Fans of the TV show may scoff if they are expecting something closer to the series, but the movie is something to be admired if taken on its own merits; a precursor to the smart spy action film subgenre that has become so prevalent in recent years.

6.9/10

In what roughly equals one third of Mission: Impossible, I could only ask myself, "What the heck is going on?" Mission: Impossible can be so hopelessly convoluted at times, it's impossible to understand the film's plot. This is especially odd, as the plot isn't even especially complex, it's just presented in an needlessly complicated way. Still, all story and screenplay issues are easily redeemed by the thrilling action scenes and nifty (and dated) espionage scenes.

Ethan Hunt, framed for murdering his entire mission team, is out to clear his name. And while that's the gist of the film, it is very possible that you won't understand what's going on for significant portions of the film.

There are several "twists" throughout the film, but few of them really register as surprising or stunning, as the audience is often scratching their heads, wondering what just happened. Mission: Impossible does not have a strong story, but it's made worse by a poor script and convoluted story-telling.

Thankfully, the action scenes are fun enough to make one temporarily forget the filler in-between. Sure, they're all a bit ridiculous (not to tell a bad joke, but Mission: Improbable anyone?), but they're reasonably entertaining, and at times, highly suspenseful.

Still, one feels like the impact of the action scenes could've been heightened by more interesting characters. There is not a single memorable character in this film (with one exception, though it would be a spoiler to say whom this character is). The characters have absolutely no personality, which hurts the film dramatically.

As a result of the bland characters, the performances are bland, but at least serviceable. The actors and actresses try to get as much out of their weak characters as possible, but it doesn't make anybody more memorable.

The score, composed by Danny Elfman (utilizing themes by Lalo Schifrin) is really fun at times. The use of the Mission: Impossible theme is great, but the score doesn't rely entirely on the use of this theme, which is refreshing for a film like this. The only problem with the score (which doesn't have anything to do with Elfman himself) is the ear-bleedingly terrible arrangement of the Mission: Impossible theme during the credits by Larry Mullen, Jr. and Adam Clayton.

While Mission: Impossible is heavily convoluted and not especially original (one scene involving a telephone call is highly reminiscent of 1993's The Fugitive), but there's enough entertaining action sequences to make up for this. Mission: Impossible isn't exactly sophisticated fare, nor is it as breezily fun as other popcorn flicks. But it's got enough thrills to justify a watch- and enough issues to justify a pass.

Opened the film with high expectations. Walked away disappointed. But not that disappointed that I start including it in "worst films" lists or start burning it with hate in my head. No, it was OK. It had the potential of making Ethan Hunt the modern humour-less equivalent of James Bond but unfortunately it couldn't; That honour went to Jason Bourne. Now, Brian De Palma has directed quite-few well-known films and this film looked promising but because of its lackluster script, implausible scenes and Jon Voight, it fell short. Way short, if you ask me. Jon Voight is a hilariously bad actor who has only done 2-3 good films and that too at the very start of his career. His performance wasn't in the least bit in league with the others. Not even Tom Cruise, for that matter. To me he felt like as if he was mentally deciphering the script in his head while at the same time trying to control his limbs. There was hardly any synchronization and it felt detached, not wanting to be in the film at all, as if he was missing out his favourite soap opera and wanted to finish the scene as quickly as possible.

I've long given up on action films because of their implausibility and irrational moments. I know, I know, these are the 2 factors which fuel these type of movies but I guess I'm not the right audience. But I do like to see an action film once in a while and even though Mission Impossible was a good watch, it hardly came up to my expectations.

6.5/10

A jam-packed entertainment treat. Definitely slows down early-middle, but they keepo the plot-flow at full pace. Emmanuelle Beart may have betrayed Ethan, but she looks so damed good so who cares?

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.

Back then, Tom Cruise was the biggest movie star in the world and Brian De Palma was one of the most highly regarded directors. But the time has changed and for De Palma, it would be his last hit... Anyway, it was back then a huge success and 16 years later and it has now become a bonafide franchise with already 5 installments. This first movie is probably the most faithful to the TV-show and I really liked how that the whole movie took place in Europa. Anyway, De Palma is definitely here in his element and the directing was just very efficient. Furthermore, you had here an impressive international cast (Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart, Jean Reno, Ving Rhames, Kristin Scott Thomas, Vanessa Redgrave, Emilio Estevez) and they all gave some decent performances, except maybe Emmanuelle Béart who never managed to find the right tone (no surprise she didn't breakthrough abroad afterwards). Still, I wasn't convinced by the whole thing. In my opinion, the main issue is that the plot was just too far-fetched and, as a result, after 20 minutes, I didn't care much about what was going on, as long as it looked good. Still, it is a rather entertaining spy movie with 2 of the most amazing action scenes ever made and it is definitely worth a look.

I had just turned 10 years old when this movie came out. I'm 20 now, and it's still one of my favorites. I'm not sure why. I have just always been impressed with everything about it.