User reviews

Everyone seems to complain that the plot in this film is too confusing, but just because you don't 'get' it doesn't mean it's a bad movie. I thought that the plot was superb; it may be a little difficult to follow, but with a little thought it isn't at all hard to understand. It is refreshing to have a big budget thriller with a clever plot, not just masses of pyrotechnics and gunplay.

Here's another film I watched when it came out and then later when the DVD was released and enjoyed both viewings, despite the fact I got "lost" several times. It's about time for another look because it's well-worth it and who knows....maybe I'll finally figure it out!

If you get a little confused trying to follow the plot, don't feel stupid. This isn't an easy story to follow but it gets high marks for keeping it interesting despite that problem.

The interesting characters, good cinematography, fun James Bond-like gadgets, just the right amount of action scenes and one very memorable heist scene with Tom Cruise dangling from a wire all make this an enjoyable two hours of entertainment. That scene with Cruise trying to break into this vault-like room remains as the one of the better tension-filled scenes I've ever witnessed on the big screen.

The final action scene with the speeding train and helicopter also is very memorable. John Voight, Emmanuelle Beart, Henry Czerny and Jean Reno make it a fun cast to watch, too. Note: stick with this film and forget the sequel. Despite the confusion, this film is still fun to view.

For those who have not seen the original Mission Impossible, it is a real shame. While the other flicks offer plenty of explosions and cool action sequences, the original remains the best for it's interesting plot twists, some decent acting, and a well developed element of suspense that's lacking in the later pictures.

To reveal any of the plot would be a disservice: it certainly has some pretty interesting occurrences that should be seen for full effect. What really makes this great though is De Palma's direction. Unlike the later flicks, key scenes are drawn out: there is a real Spense of suspense that is rarely achieved. Three key action scenes come to mind, and there all extremely cool: it's just a shame that Criuse couldn't enlist the services of more experienced director's later in the franchise.

A memorable, well executed thriller.

Every now and again, you will come upon a film that you know really isn't the best movie in the world, or even a particularly good movie on its own. And yet, despite its glaring flaws and imperfectness and lack of completion, you do find yourself strangely attached to it because it has a charm to itself that keeps you interested. Call it a guilty pleasure.

Mission: Impossible is my guilty pleasure. It's based on a 1960s television series created by Bruce Geller and the movie with Tom Cruise is kind of like a mash-up between The Bourne Identity and the James Bond pictures. Basically, the standard spy movie. Tom Cruise plays a spy who is falsely accused of betrayal to his organization and finds himself working with some unlikely partners to track down the real mole in the system and expose him and clear his name. Now, this is a plot as old as the hills and Mission: Impossible works with it just as well as the others. Not enormously well, but on an acceptable level.

Tom Cruise is great as the film's action hero lead, unfortunately his supporting cast is quite uninteresting. Another defect worth noting is the film's convoluted plot, which sometimes is hard to follow. This is caused by a screenplay in need of revisions. That's one of the film's major weaknesses and really the reason why it's just a standard spy movie with lots of cool gadgets instead of something special.

But that's really my only significant complaint about Mission: Impossible. Those rather small, unimportant defects left aside, and leaving the movie to its own devices, it works out well especially in its action sequences. Again, it's all been done before, sometimes better sometimes worse, but that doesn't meant it's boring or overdrawn. In fact, sometimes it's very primal. There is one scene in particular that I found intense and suspenseful on a hair-raising level. The scene goes on for an unremittingly long time, keeping us on the edges of our seats, and the best thing of all is that it's silent. The filmmakers could have chosen to go along with some dark, heavy music or some ominous heartbeat sound effects to put us in the same shoes with the characters, but the fact that it's quiet—too quiet for our liking—makes it so much more compelling. I only wish the rest of the movie was like this scene. Then it really would have been special.

Nevertheless, De Palma's Mission: Impossible works out well for what it is and unless you're not a fan of the standard spy movies or action pictures in particular, of if you have your standards and hopes up too high, I imagine you will enjoy it. Again, it is kind of a guilty pleasure, but hey, it was a lot of fun.

I really liked this one. Not very much in common with the TV-series, and I can see why so many dislike it that way. But there are some REALLY good sequences here, and there is even one that I consider to be one of the very best and most suspenseful parts of any movie - the part where Cruise is in the vault. Beautiful and nerve-racking.

Not much else to say, though - it's an action movie, and it's a good one.

The movie and that scene in particular that spawned many a parody and imitation. Love or hate Tom Cruise you have to admire his tenacity when it comes to this original in the franchise.

I would like to reiterate what "Anonymous of Derby, England" said about this film (20th November). The fact that so many people have complained that they "didn't get it" is proof that our brains are being atrophied by so many movies that do all our thinking for us. I had no trouble in following the plot and found the fact that I actually had to concentrate and think things through quite refreshing. Okay, so a lot of the stunts were a bit far fetched but what does it matter when they were so entertaining? After all, it is only a movie; nobody expects us to believe that these things could really happen any more than they expect us to believe that King Kong really existed or that there's a Volcano ready to errupt in L.A. Besides, with the inspired casting of David Schneider as the train driver, Brian de Palma must have had his tongue in his cheek for at least some of the time. He's created a masterful boy's own adventure story, an original "ripping yarn" and that brilliant comic touch added to this perfectly.

"Mission Impossible" is a visual and cerebral treat. Tom Cruise is excellent as Ethan, Vanessa Redgrave makes a superb villian and Jean Reno is watchable in ANYTHING he does. The only weak link is Emmanuelle Beart, who did a good job of looking beautiful but very little else. What a shame Kristin Scott Thomas couldn't have taken a more central role; she makes the gorgeous but bland Beart look like a waste of space.

I give this 8 out of ten and it would have been more if it wasn't for Beart's character.

Based on the TV show of the same name, Brian De Palma's stylish thriller stars Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt; a James Bond-esquire secret agent working for a certain section of the government. As the title suggests, many of the scenarios in the film are extremely unlikely; but then again, the film wouldn't be living up to it's title if they weren't. It's one thing to criticise it's stunts for being overblown, but if they weren't, critics would be on it's back and calling it things like 'Mission Possible', so really you've just got to go with it. Brian De Palma makes it easy to just 'go with it' by way of an intriguing plot line, a constant array of high-octane sequences and lots of his trademark style! The plot does get a little too convoluted for it's own good at times, and sometimes it's a little hard to follow; but it gives the film a good basis for all manner of impossibilities, so it serves it's purpose. We follow Ethan Hunt and his team. After a botched mission, Hunt finds himself on the run from his employers after being accused of disloyalty. Hunt must now pull out all the stops to stay one step ahead of his pursuers and get to the bottom of why their mission went wrong.

The film features a number of stunts, the best of which sees Tom Cruise breaking into the CIA via the roof. This sequence is brilliantly executed, with De Palma managing to inject bucketloads of suspense into the scene. This scene fits the tone of the film as it's brooding and cerebral, but the film ditches that idea for it's conclusion, which sees a bullet train, a helicopter and the Channel Tunnel combine to great effect! The problem with all these stunts is that the parts between the action sequences aren't all that interesting, and at times can slow the film down to walking pace. This isn't a big problem, however, because there's always more action around every corner and that keeps the film going. Tom Cruise obviously has charisma and can lead a film, but I often find it hard to buy him in action roles. This one suits him, though, as although his character is still more than capable, he comes off as being quite vulnerable, and lucky at times, and that suits Cruise's persona. On the whole, while this isn't a great film; it makes for good entertainment and if that's what you're in the mood for, Mission: Impossible wont disappoint.

Yes, there was a time when Tom Cruise was charismatic. Take trashy movies such as Cocktail and Far and Away or great movies like The Firm and A Few Good Men and imagine anyone other than Tom Cruise in the lead role. Hard to do, isn't it? His brash, cocky attitude was once appealing. Now that he feels he's an intelligent spokesman with something to say, he just comes across as an arrogant a**hole. Fortunately, the first MI falls into his earlier stage.

This movie would have been just another action flick without Cruise. Sure we have a stellar cast, but did not Mr. Cruise steal every scene? He is perfect in the role of Ethan Hunt, a spy whose whole team is rubbed out in a convoluted cover up at the start. It is up to Ethan to uncover the plot behind the failed mission. The movie is a series of unveiled plot twists that becomes implausible after a while. But that's not the fun behind Mission Impossible. The fun is watching the great action scenes with their suspenseful turns. So much so, we are willing to suspend disbelief to enjoy the ride. And to let ourselves be swept away by Mr. Cruise's undefinable quality to take us there.

The first hour of mission impossible is an absolute joy to watch. It felt like a fusion of James Bond and oceans eleven, with stylised cinematography, clearly reminiscent of classic like The Third Man, and wonderful locations like Prague. The first hour is so effortlessly entertaining that it will breeze by with ease. After that however, the movie starts becoming lethargic. It becomes too absorbed into its plot that the weaknesses in the film really shows. The plot in this film is really quite cookie cutter, and from the first moment they see Jim, audiences would have already guessed he was the baddie. To focus on the plot as if it were a convoluted hitchcockian thriller or John Le Carre masterpiece is a step in the wrong direction. And i think the ending is quite unforgivable. It reminded me of the lower tier bond movies, but worse, for it takes itself too seriously. Overall, the first film in the mission impossible franchise has a predictable plot, though the marvellous, stylised, and wildly entering first half more than redeems it.

I was very much disappointed by this flat action movie and its predictable ending. I am a fan of the old Mission:Impossible series of the 60s and 80s and therefore I think the plot is ridiculous at best. Why should Jim Phelps do what he did? He was always loyal through the many episodes of the series and there he could have gotten much more money if he had betrayed his team.

The reason why Peter Graves (Jim Phelps) did not star in this movie is because he did not agree with what I have just said.

Anyway this movie is NOT for fans of the series because there is nothing left of the teamwork spirit of the series. It is a one man show for Tom Cruise.

Brian 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.

This is, without a doubt, one of my favorite films of all time! I'll never forget watching this film for the first time with a good buddy of mine, afterward we couldn't stop talking about it and spent a great deal of time explaining plot points to each other. We finally decided that we just had to see it again, so we did and all of our questions were answered and our theories proven correct.

The story is nothing less than superb! Every time you think you have the movie figured out they throw you for another loop, but not too much as to get you irritated trying to figure out the plot. This is most definitely a film that deserves at least two viewings before you can truly understand and appreciate the story. The characters are all excellent as well, although I was sad to see Jack Harmen (Emilio Estevez) get killed off so quickly, I liked his character.

The cast is extraordinary! Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt perfectly! Jon Voight was the perfect choice for Jim Phelps. Emmanuelle Beart was very good in her role. Henry Czerny was superb as Kittridge. Jean Reno was an excellent addition to the cast. Ving Rhames was a very nice touch and really added a lot to the film. Kristin Scott Thomas was lovely as always, although played a somewhat minor role in the greater scheme of things. Vanessa Redgrave was another nice addition to the cast. And finally, Emilio Estevez (as I mentioned above), played a small role, and played it quite well.

I can see why some of the big fans of the show wouldn't like this film due to certain plot points that I can't give away, so if you are a big fan of the show, be forewarned, you may have some issues with the film. Personally, I've never seen a single episode of the old television show, so I had absolutely no frame of reference. Which, I believe, put me in a better position to appreciate the story.

I feel that I have to mention the action scenes in this film! SPECTACULAR!!! The scene where Kittridge and Hunt are talking in the restaurant...just AWESOME! The entire last 20 minutes of the film...UNBELIEVABLE!!! The filming, the action, the special effects and stunts alone make this film worth watching (but luckily, there is so much more to appreciate).

If you are a fan of Tom Cruise, or just crime/mystery/action films in general, be sure to check this one out (at least twice). This is honestly one of my top 20 films of all time, I truly hope that you will enjoy this film. Thanks for reading,

-Chris

I first saw Mission: Impossible when I was 15 and I didn't have a Scooby what the hell was going on. And I considered myself to be smarter than the average bear. In retrospect, it's not that muddled. In comparison to the very-dumbed down sequel it stands out as a better example of film-making made by a director who doesn't underestimate the audience.

Brian De Palma is known to be a wildly inconsistent filmmaker. From the over-rated Carrie, to the under-rated Snake Eyes, the classic Untouchables and the downright hideous Mission to Mars and Scarface, he's been through just about everything. But Mission: Impossible was his first true mega-hit. Movies from TV shows are a dime a dozen these days and are rarely taken seriously, I mean look at trash like S.W.A.T. or Dukes of Hazard, but M:I is actually supposed to be a continuation of the show, rather than a spin-off.

Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt (no, not cockney rhyming slang) an IMF agent who's entire team is killed in a phony sting operation in Prague. Accused of being a traitor he legs it before they can nab him and assembles a team of rogue operatives to find out who the REAL traitor is. Many double-crosses and double-double crosses ensue.

For those who cannot follow the plot there are some really good set-pieces with enough tension and excitement to carry the whole movie. You'll know by now the dangling scene in the top-secret room but the best scene in the movie is the high-speed train rocketing through the English countryside. While other directors might use this as a chance to show off, De Palma keeps it as realistic as possible which makes it infinitely more cooler.

Parts of the movie may seem a bit dated now and it's weird seeing Tom Cruise look like a little boy even though he was already 33. He even sounds different. And what kind of supervillian uses floppy discs? They could have tried something a bit more high-tech there.

The M:I franchise could be a helluva lot better, I suppose. The second film was terrible and the third merely average. But they're still better than the last few Bond outings, though it ain't quite up to the rugged quality of the Jason Bourne movies.

At least it got off to a good start. But can the world tolerate Cruise long enough to ever get a fourth made?

"Mission: Impossible" gained a reputation for being a sloppily unsolvable riddle of a film, full of so many holes and turnabouts and crossed loyalties that the viewer was left more irritated than perplexed. Watching it a second time with that in mind, what was surprising to me was that all the pieces of this puzzle fit together somehow...despite a few minor plot holes and improbabilities, the basic thrust of the film retains a certain logic and solvability. What's less surprising is how little this all matters. "Mission: Impossible" remains an average film dominated a few remarkable setpieces. The film moves rather impatiently and hurriedly through its scenes of intrigue and doublecrossing (the real source of so much audience confusion) in order to set up its action scenes. Cruise overplays with admirable confidence, but this remains a good action film, but a mediocre spy film.

If you are a big fan of the television series, starring Peter Graves and Martin Landau, like I am, then you will hate this movie as much as I did. It has nothing to do with the television series, other than its title and opening musical sequence. I went in to this movie expecting more. If you can get beyond these prejudices, then you can expect, at best, a mediocre movie. Right off the top of my head, I can pick five or six episodes from the series that were actually better than this movie. It's a shame because I like Tom Cruse. He's better than this!