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Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Ethan Hunt
Jim Phelps
Kittridge
Luther
Sarah Davies
Krieger
News & Interviews for Mission: Impossible
Critic Reviews for Mission: Impossible
All Critics (58) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (37) | Rotten (21)
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The "set" pieces of this film come off like clockwork, but there's no connective tissue -- no story line, no solid characterization, etc. In the end, De Palma's work seems full of sound and visual fury without signifying much of anything.
January 5, 2018 | Full Review… -
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September 7, 2011 | Rating: B | Full Review… -
De Palma has a choppy, episodic sense of story, and he crafts individual scenes rather than telling a single unified story.
October 29, 2008 | Rating: C+ | Full Review… -
The most dour, sexless piece of escapism in memory.
May 20, 2008 | Full Review… -
Unlike most action films, Mission: Impossible's distinct appeal operates not so much on suspense but on improbability.
September 1, 2006 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review… -
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.
June 24, 2006 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for Mission: Impossible
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Aug 15, 2016While the sequences that Mission: Impossible is most famous for (the ceiling-descent and train-top) are truly thrilling, absolutely everything in between these scenes is obvious and uninspired. Rarely can a movie have you so completely engaged one minute, and then immediately back to checking the time the next. An important film, pop-culturally speaking, but not a very good one.Gimly M Super Reviewer
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Aug 27, 2015An overly twisty spy game that tries keeping the style of the TV series while spinning off in its own direction, this mission boasts some exciting set pieces but commits an unforgivable cardinal sin. Three whip-smart screenwriters take part (David Koepp, Spider-Man; Steven Zallian, Schindler's List; Robert Towne, Chinatown), but the often unwieldy plot involving an elusive disc exposing a list of IMF (Impossible Mission Force) superspies proves a case of too many cooks - in this place, top chefs - spoiling the broth. As convoluted as the double-crossing ends up to be, the most head-scratching backstab proves to be in turning TV stalwart Jim Phelps into the villain (indeed, original Phelps actor Peter Graves wouldn't take part because of this infraction). In this PG-13-rated spy thriller, an American agent (Cruise), under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organization. Despite helming Hitchcockian mind-benders with an over-stated style (Blow Out), Brian De Palma seems to be a journeyman director-for-hire here, delivering some shots that seem quite unassured. Of the series, this chapter ranks as the most humdrum and unsexy. When a few outstanding sequences demand it, however, he sure frames some hell-raising fun. An inauspicious debut to an eventually A-Grade franchise, Mission: Impossible deserves a look for these key sequences and to see what later chapters got right. Bottom line: Jerry McGuffinJeff B Super Reviewer
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Aug 15, 2013[img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon13.gif[/img]Directors C Super Reviewer
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Apr 09, 2013Brian 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.Dann M Super Reviewer
Mission: Impossible Quotes
Luther: | Are you sure we can do this? |
Ethan Hunt: | We're going to do it. *Main theme plays* |
Ethan Hunt: | One...two...three...toast...TOAST! |
Ethan Hunt: | One, two, three, toast. TOAST! |
Ethan Hunt: | RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT! |
Ethan Hunt: | Red light, green light. |
Ethan Hunt: | [Realizing Jim is the mole] Why Jim? Why? |
Jim Phelps: | Well, you think about it Ethan, it was inevitable. No more cold war. No more secrets you keep from yourself. Answer to no one but yourself. Then, you wake up one morning and find out the President is running the country without your permission. The son of a bitch, how dare he. Then you realize, it's over. You are an obsolete peice of hardware, not worth upgrading, you got a lousy marriage, and 62 grand a year. |
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