Mission Impossible (1996)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Phil H

  
  A good start for the trilogy, the cast is impressive and the look is super cool, just one problem, the plot is rather hard to follow, you end up just seeing it for the set pieces. There are of course some very tasty action sequences, the chopper in the tunnel being one but Cruise… More
  A good start for the trilogy, the cast is impressive and the look is super cool, just one problem, the plot is rather hard to follow, you end up just seeing it for the set pieces. There are of course some very tasty action sequences, the chopper in the tunnel being one but Cruise dangling on ropes whilst hacking a computer being the top attraction here, truly tense and super suspense filled sequence, shame the whole film doesn't quite live up to that moment. The film isn't amazing but it holds its own well enough, slightly better than 'Bond' in my view, more of a younger version perhaps. Nice ensemble cast which all work well together throughout the film, never too sure who may get killed or double cross the team, its also closer to the original source material as 'Hunt' always worked in a team, it didn't solely revolve around Hunt, well not too much. A good 'light' action flick which everyone can enjoy as there is no excessive violence or blood, better than 'Bond', on par with 'Indy' but not as hard as 'Die Hard'.

• Kase V

  
  'Mission:Impossible' a film that will turn into a very successful franchise, seems it might've had a rocky start. Although this action-packed movie has plenty of fresh entertainment value, its corny camera work and wooden writing could use some improvement. It is… More
  'Mission:Impossible' a film that will turn into a very successful franchise, seems it might've had a rocky start. Although this action-packed movie has plenty of fresh entertainment value, its corny camera work and wooden writing could use some improvement. It is however, a decent start to a franchise that will eventually produce some pretty awesome movies.

• Mike S

  
  There are spy thrillers and then there's Mission Impossible. A non-stop cavalcade of action, adrenaline and top notch suspense. With some sure-handed directing by Brian De Palma and a well-merged team of actors with Tom Cruise in the lead, this first entry in the series is… More
  There are spy thrillers and then there's Mission Impossible. A non-stop cavalcade of action, adrenaline and top notch suspense. With some sure-handed directing by Brian De Palma and a well-merged team of actors with Tom Cruise in the lead, this first entry in the series is undoubtedly one of the best. I haven't seen "Ghost Protocol" yet so I can't make any comparison there, but if it's anything like the original, I know I'll be in for some first-rate entertainment. My only real beef is that the movie demands considerable suspension of disbelief. I recently read in an article though, that the extremely sophisticated methods made famous by the vault scene, were - believe it or not - successfully replicated by some real-life professional thieves. In this case, it was a heist pulled off at a Best Buy store, which may not sound as cool as breaking into the HQ of CIA, but it certainly goes to show that it's all fully plausible. Either way, the explosive turn of events and rip-roaring pacing, makes Ethan Hunt's first mission anything but impossible to watch.

• danny d

  
  i once hated this film, but it has grown on me a ton. i still think the end is a total mess, but the film up to that point is actually very good as a genre film and it serves as a solid set up to the franchise.

• Jason R

  
  Great memories of this movie, will have to watch it again with the new one out.

• KJ P

  
  This film represents the thrills and action that it promises, but when you get into the film and hope for a breathtakinly original action flick, then I think you should fulfill your satisfications someplace else. Tom Cruise is as awesome as ever as Ethan Hunt, but there is too much… More
  This film represents the thrills and action that it promises, but when you get into the film and hope for a breathtakinly original action flick, then I think you should fulfill your satisfications someplace else. Tom Cruise is as awesome as ever as Ethan Hunt, but there is too much dialogue that is, for the most part, uninspired! When the action finally delivers it is too cheesy to love. The plot of the film is indeed too hollywood, as it relies on action alone to carry it. This is a mission that is very well made for hollywood standards, but it must be taken with a grain of salt. Overall, Mission Impossible needs better writers and a bigger budget!

• Chris W

  
  The first few times I saw this, I thought it was really intricate and complex, and that I'd be lost if I wasn't paying absolutely 100% attention. Well, I'm older now, and I rewatched this last night, and I must say that, even though it is still a tight and intelligent… More
  The first few times I saw this, I thought it was really intricate and complex, and that I'd be lost if I wasn't paying absolutely 100% attention. Well, I'm older now, and I rewatched this last night, and I must say that, even though it is still a tight and intelligent spy thriller, this film is actually pretty straight forward for the most part, with a fairly standard plot. You still have to pay attention, but it's not nearly as complex and intricate as I used to think. Die hard fans of the series had lots of issues with how certain characters were portrayed and how things were done, but I can't really weigh in on that aspect. Though the broad plot (a hunt for a mole who tries to betray the company due to disillusionment) is nothing new, and the film is rather light on subtext, it's all done with tons of style, energy, and competance. Brian DePalma is at the helm, but it seems like many of his big flashy trademarks are downplayed, and used more subtly, which is fine by me even if it shows that anyone else could have been in charge instead of him. There's some big action scenes, one of which gets a bit too over the top, but, as good as all this is done, where the film shines is with the mood, tone, atmosphere, and the building of suspense and tension. The film has very much the feel of a slick, updated film noir quality about it, especially in the first act setpiece with all the shots of foggy streets and heavy backlighting. The real highlight of the film though, is the incredible sequence at Langeley where agent Ethan Hunt is suspended from a ceiling trying to steal valuable information from a heavily protected computer. Everytime I watch this sequence, no matter how many times I've seen it, it really holds up, and the only way it could have been more suspenseful would be if it was all done in a single take. The cast are well chosen and they all put in some good work. Say what you want about Cruise, but he is a good choice and pulls off the part pretty nicely. Emmanuelle Beart makes for a sultry femme fatale, Jean Reno and Ving Rhames each bring some charisma and humor to things, and having Jon Voight in your film is always a good idea. Give this one a watch. It's a real fun and entertaining ride, and Danny Elfman's score blends in nicely with Lalo Schifrin's classic theme song.

• xGary X

  
  When a deep cover operative's entire team is murdered on a mission, he becomes the prime suspect for their betrayal and so puts together a rogue team to steal a top secret document and draw the true culprit out of the shadows. Mission: Impossible was one of the first of the new… More
  When a deep cover operative's entire team is murdered on a mission, he becomes the prime suspect for their betrayal and so puts together a rogue team to steal a top secret document and draw the true culprit out of the shadows. Mission: Impossible was one of the first of the new generation of conspiracy action thrillers, and it's showing its age a little. It all looks rather quaint to the point of corn in the post-Bourne era and the antiquated technology, cheap looking effects and predictable plot suffer immeasurably compared to its modern day counterparts. On the plus side it has a great cast, and despite my loathing of hack director Brian De Palma, his unsophisticated comic strip direction actually works in the context of a kitsch TV show adaptation. It has some inventive moments and good pacing staves off boredom but it's starting to look very old fashioned in this day and age.

• Alexander D

  
  The original MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE is a spy film, and a great spy film. It is, in its entirety, a two-hour thrill ride. Tom Cruise's portrayal of Ethan Hunt is most likely the best portrayal of any spy I have ever seen. He has the wit of Roger Moore's James Bond (using… More
  The original MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE is a spy film, and a great spy film. It is, in its entirety, a two-hour thrill ride. Tom Cruise's portrayal of Ethan Hunt is most likely the best portrayal of any spy I have ever seen. He has the wit of Roger Moore's James Bond (using Roger Moore, because I thought he was the most witty of all the Bonds); the grittiness and hot-headedness of Matt Damon's Jason Bourne; and the occasional sarcasm offered in an original manner. Of course, it is tedious to compare him to Jason Bourne, onscreen, as THE BOURNE IDENTITY came six years after this, but to make it more reasonable, Robert Ludlum's authorized portrayal of Bourne may have been part of what Tom Cruise tried to work toward in his character--and he succeeded! If you have not seen this, be sure to catch it on TV or come across it in a DVD store. It's worth at least one watch, and really, with all the action and thrills, it's (nearly) impossible not to love.

• Martin S

  
  Great stuff. It's like unlimited action

• Jeff "

  
  Thrilling action spy film starring Tom Cruise as spy Ethan Hunt, Mission Impossible is an exciting film. Based on the TV show of the same name, Mission Impossible is a fun film but it doesn't come without its flaws. I thought the story was good, but it lacked a bit and it could… More
  Thrilling action spy film starring Tom Cruise as spy Ethan Hunt, Mission Impossible is an exciting film. Based on the TV show of the same name, Mission Impossible is a fun film but it doesn't come without its flaws. I thought the story was good, but it lacked a bit and it could have been done slightly better. The acting as well wasn't excellent, and most of the cast only displayed good performances here. The film is worth watching, but it could have been much better than it is considering the concept of the story. This is nonetheless a passable action film with good acting, but nothing really great. There's not one actor here that outshines the other. The film is good for what it is and it manages to be a good two hours of thrills. To really enjoy the film however, you must shut off to really enjoy it, and you might think it's pretty good. I liked this film, but I thought the third film had a lot more to offer, and quite frankly was the best of the three. This film on the other manages to be thrilling with a good concept, but I felt they could have done something better with the idea at hand. Director Brian DePalma manages to create a fun, exciting picture that manages to deliver the thrills the audience expects, but at times, the film fails to deliver and it doesn't make Mission Impossible a memorable action film for that matter. Good, but not great, easily forgettable, Mission Impossible is an acceptable action film despite its limitations.

• Eric A

  
  Remember watching this at the theatre and it blew my mind. Good suspense movie for it's time and definitely deserves a lot higher rating than what's given.

• Brad W

  
  Mission Impossible was a fun movie. It had impossible action scenes, a interesting plot, and decent acting.

• Conner R

  
  Mission: Impossible is, in my opinion, one of the finest spy thrillers out there and my personal favorite. Now I might be biased, due to the fact that I am a huge fan of both Brian De Palma and Tom Cruise, but it just has everything I love about the genre and no real flaws of any… More
  Mission: Impossible is, in my opinion, one of the finest spy thrillers out there and my personal favorite. Now I might be biased, due to the fact that I am a huge fan of both Brian De Palma and Tom Cruise, but it just has everything I love about the genre and no real flaws of any kind. It manages to be entertaining, smart and executed with style no matter how many times you watch it. Not many movies with plot twists can retain their edge, but this definitely does. Maybe that is because it's more about the adventure and character moments surrounding the major plot than boiling to a conclusion that only strives for shock. Mission: Impossible gets everything right when it comes to storytelling, character development and filmmaking. To me, Tom Cruise is one of the greatest actors out there and his Ethan Hunt is just ridiculously cool and the American equivalent of a young James Bond. At times he's incredibly cocky and over his head, but when it comes down to high pressured situations, he's the best at what he does. Seeing him go from a seemingly naive agent into a paranoid conspiracy theorist and then into a mastermind of deception is just really fun. Then there's an endless amount of great supporting roles including an effectively creepy John Voight, Jean Reno and Ving Rhames. What this does in terms of plot is really original for a T.V. adaptation. It continues the story of Phelps, while also making something completely new with the general idea. David Koepp does a great job of making this something that nearly anyone can watch instead of just fans of the show. The plot is just a really great espionage scenario in which you have the whole concept of secret agents being questioned. The series of twists and turns that follow the initial mission are really well put together; it's just endless in delivering great action and intense character moments. Brian De Palma is a director that I admire a lot and he does some amazing work here. He manages to keep the story going smoothly, but also bring in some of his trademark techniques that make it more than just average film making. His mastery of split screen, long shots, flat out bizarre camera angles and sequences editing together into in ways you just wouldn't expect. He basically makes this movie more than entertainment and knows exactly what he's doing in terms of storytelling and giving a unique experience.

• Shawn E

  
  Mission Impossible is your cliche spy film that is fun and suspenseful and sometimes a little exaggerated.

• Tim S

  
  I love this film. I love Brian De Palma. This could've easily been made in the New Hollywood era, and with the amount of talent surrounding it behind the scenes I could see that very easily.

• Sanjaya &

  
  Just watched it on T.V,, no wonder if everybody like it and Tom Cruise become more famous with this movie because this movie was really good... A complex story combined with great action and some thrilling scenes, especially the scene when Ethan try to download the NCO list it was… More
  Just watched it on T.V,, no wonder if everybody like it and Tom Cruise become more famous with this movie because this movie was really good... A complex story combined with great action and some thrilling scenes, especially the scene when Ethan try to download the NCO list it was really memorable I thought... The big name cast helps too, even some of them just have a short appearance like Jon Voight, Jean Reno, Ving Rhames, and Kristin Scott Thomas, but I must admit Tom Cruise was the man behind all of this... He delivers a really good performance, action, and proving himself that he is one of Hollywood's A class actors, even he only played in an action movie... Overall, it's really good action movie, so I didn't questioning why they keep making a sequel for this movie because this is the goldmine for Cruise, as long as he can do all the action scenes by himself of course...

• Cassandra M

  
  Brian De Palma's super stylish adap of the TV series packs a stick of dynamite up the show's butt and blows it wide open, often flying in the face of everything its inspiration was about but avoiding travesty status by working as an incredibly slick, exciting thriller.… More
  Brian De Palma's super stylish adap of the TV series packs a stick of dynamite up the show's butt and blows it wide open, often flying in the face of everything its inspiration was about but avoiding travesty status by working as an incredibly slick, exciting thriller. It's a blinder. It's true to say that most of this classy film's strongest scenes hark back to the show - the opening teaser, the astonishing credits sequence, the vault break-in - but the writers have slotted references and ideas from the series into a clever and often underrated plot, managing a tricky balancing act in paying homage to the show without slavishly adhering to it. Cracking set pieces like the aquarium explosion and the train/chopper finale are masterclasses in how to crank up tension and stage action; this is one of the most skilfully directed and edited films out there. Really. The cast is an interesting international mix, but it's The Cruiser who dominates, looking ultra cool and emanating charisma all over the place. I can see why fans of the series would hate it, but, what a film.

• Albert K

  
  Fun and entertaining movie.

• Richard C

  
  B

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