Mission: Impossible *** (1996, Tom Cruise, Jean Reno, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart, Ving Rhames, Vanessa Redgrave) – Classic Movie Review 1289

Director Brian De Palma’s flashy 1996 blockbuster is a really scrappy high-octane action spy thriller movie, but it does deliver a lot of flash and some exciting edge-of-seat action.

Remotely based on the popular 60s TV show (1966-72), devised by Bruce Geller, the movie hit the jackpot as the third-highest-grossing of the year and took $180 million in the US and £18 million in the UK, with a worldwide total of $457.7 million. It started a long-running franchise, with sequels Mission: Impossible II, III, Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation released in 2000, 2006, 2011 and 2015

De Palma makes Tom Cruise look good as Ethan Hunt, an American IMF secret agent framed for the deaths of his special espionage team of spies and saboteurs. Fleeing from government assassins in Europe, breaking into the CIA’s most impenetrable vault, clinging from the roof of a speeding cross-Channel bullet train, Hunt races to stay one step ahead of his pursuers and uncover the truth. Cruise takes it all confidently in his stride.

The plot was written with the original TV cast in mind, but Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Peter Graves and co refused to do it as their characters all get wiped out at the start. However, the story just unreels the same anyway without the iconic actors.

Kristin Scott Thomas as Sarah Davies and Jean Reno as obsessive pilot Franz Krieger add sparks of fun. But Jon Voight (as Impossible Missions Force team leader Jim Phelps), Ving Rhames (as  computer expert Luther Stickell), Vanessa Redgrave, Henry Czerny (as IMF director Eugene Kittridge) and Emilio Estevez aren’t seen at their best. And Emmanuelle Béart doesn’t get much of a look in as Cruise’s co-star, playing beautiful spy survivor Claire Phelps, Jim’s wife.

This brain-in-neutral popcorn movie has little logic, little intelligence and few real thrills either but its big plus side is that it does deliver a lot of flash and some edge-of-seat action.

The film uses the famous original TV theme music by Lalo Schifrin. Alan Silvestri recorded 23 minutes of the score but was replaced by composer Danny Elfman.

John Woo directed the 2000 sequel, Mission: Impossible II. And Mission: Impossible III followed in 2006, with Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol in 2011. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is out on 31 July 2015.

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© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1289

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