Mission: Impossible (1996)
Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins
Synopsis: Tom Cruise stars as Ethan Hunt, leader of a crack squad of intelligence operatives, in this labyrinthine action-thriller based on the hit 1960s-'70s television series. When a dangerous mission in Prague goes inexplicably wrong, Hunt finds himself out in the cold. A mole has infiltrated the... Tom Cruise stars as Ethan Hunt, leader of a crack squad of intelligence operatives, in this labyrinthine action-thriller based on the hit 1960s-'70s television series. When a dangerous mission in Prague goes inexplicably wrong, Hunt finds himself out in the cold. A mole has infiltrated the CIA, and suspicions are that it's Hunt. His only chance: Find out who the real mole is and turn the tables. The plan takes him on an incredibly suspenseful infiltration of CIA security, leading to a spectacular chunnel climax that would make Hitchcock proud. Thanks to crisp, inventive direction from Brian De Palma and Danny Elfman's dynamite electronica score (including a catchy update of the original Lalo Schifrin theme), this mission is great fun. The talented roster of stars backing Cruise includes Ving Rhames, Vanessa Redgrave, John Voight, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Jean Reno. A witty script by Robert Towne (CHINATOWN, SHAMPOO) and David Koepp keeps the ball rolling in unexpected directions, with the paranoia always set to high. A box-office record-setter during its original release, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE led to a well-deserved sequel, also with Cruise and Rhames. [More]
Genre: Action/Adventure
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Henry Czerny, Emmanuelle Beart, Jean Reno
Screenwriter: Robert Towne, David Koepp, Steven Zaillian
Producer: Tom Cruise, Paula Wagner
Composer: Danny Elfman
DVD Info
Release:
May 22, 2007
Blu-Ray Features:
- Region 1
- Keep Case
Audio:
- Dolby Digital (unspecified) - English
Buy It On DVD
Reviews
Nimble, expertly contrived summer entertainment that doesn't insult the intelligence.
Despite the snags, De Palma remains a virtuoso puppet-master, pulling the strings taut in a nail-biting robbery sequence, switching from micro to macro with Hitchcockian panache, and finally letting rip with a hell-for-leather climax.
...succeeds in offering up several exciting and suspenseful sequences, though one can't help but wish that the dialogue-based moments packed the same sort of punch.
Each scene in and of itself plays very interestingly, even if they don't always logically lead one into the next scene.
An incredibly boring and confusing espionage thriller...So inept on so many levels that it could easily be called The Bonfire of the Secret Agents.
Unfortunately, two scenes and a screwed up script, plus a big plot disappointment, do not a recommendation make.
Check your brain at the door, wallow in the special effects, and ride it out until September when good old-fashioned action will once again prevail.
A smart, cool movie that not only admits its TV origins but celebrates them.
Knows enough about style that it's absorbing to watch even when nothing much is going on.
Starts with a whimper... and, you guessed it... self-destructs.
Great start, but the movie keeps fighting its own internal logic.
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