While 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. _Final rating:★★ - Had some things that appeal to me, but a poor finished product._

_**Well done spy/caper thriller with Tom Cruise and an eye-rolling Scooby-Doo element**_ The Impossible Missions Force has a mission at a Prague gala concerning a CIA non-official cover list, but it doesn’t go as planned. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and Clair Phelps (Emmanuelle Béart) then team-up with two disavowed agents (Ving Rhames and Jean Reno) to steal the real NOC list at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, before going to London for further thrills involving the TGV train to Paris. Jon Voight and Henry Czerny are on hand as leaders of IMF while Vanessa Redgrave plays an arms dealer and Kristin Scott Thomas an IMF agent. “Mission: Impossible” (1996) was loosely inspired by the TV series of the late 60s/early 70s and started the successful movie franchise starring Cruise. Expect convoluted dialogues, espionage gadgets, high society galas, foggy cobblestone streets, sudden deaths, globetrotting, double agents, capers and mind-blowing action. One thing that turned me off was the several occasions where a person’s fake face is torn off à la Scooby-Doo. Once would’ve been enough, but three times? What were the writers thinking? Other than that cavil, this is a quality spy/caper flick; it’s just too tortuous for my tastes with not enough human interest. The film runs 1 hour, 50 minutes, and was shot in Prague; London, Pinewood Studios & various other areas in England; and McLean, Virginia, & Washington DC. GRADE: B-

**Mission: Impossible thrives on a more localized story, trading massive stunts and action set pieces for a greater focus on spycraft, theft, and espionage.** Mission: Impossible operates on a much smaller scale than its successors and benefits from a more contained story. The action and suspense are more personal, and the danger more intimate than in later installments. The first entry in the Mission: Impossible film franchise blends spy thriller, murder mystery, and heist movie into one heart-pounding and compelling film. Paranoia runs rampant as agent Ethan Hunt is betrayed time and time again while trying to uncover who murdered his fellow agents and prevent the murder of many more. Mission: Impossible is iconic with its classic hanging inches above the floor moment and established a billion-dollar franchise. While some of the effects are dated and some of the acting a little cliche, Mission: Impossible remains a hallmark spy movie that is a must-see for any action or film fan.

Man, when this came out I was thinking that we are going to have another James Bond franchise only with an American and I was super stoked about it. Unfortunately I got my wish. This is really the only one worth watching and M:I2 just destroyed the series that didn't have the sense to die. But....what you have here is 3 Days of the Condor, directed by De Palma, with lots of action. No, I'm not joking, it's really 3 Days of the Condor with less plot and tension and more action and shooting. And Cruise instead of Redford, which actually is a pretty even swap from one generation to another...only Redford is still the better actor and Cruise only really acts when he wants to. So, yeah, if you saw 3 Days of the Condor you know what is going on. Just make it international, push up the RPMs, add a soundtrack by 1/2 of U2 and you have Mission:Impossible. But, despite that, it's really fun and enjoyable.

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I'm not the biggest fan of the diminutive Mr Cruise - but I have to hand it to him here. Brian de Palma has created an end-to-end action adventure and he is superb in it. He brings oodles of charisma to the screen as he ("Ethan Hunt") has to recover from a disastrous mission and build a team to discover not only who betrayed them, but to obtain a top secret list of American overseas operatives (i.e. spies) before it falls into enemy hands spelling doom for all concerned. What ensues is a fast-paced, well constructed movie that moves along cohesively with plenty going on - loads of tension, suspicion, nobody knowing whom to trust coupled with plenty of exciting stunts and a classy performance from Vanessa Redgrave bringing some gravitas to the proceedings as the stylish, but ruthless, "Max". Sure, it relies on tech and CGI a lot of the time, but the ensemble - Ving Rhames, Emmanuelle Béart and Jon Voight all deliver well into a plot that keeps us guessing until well into the denouement. Even Henry Czerny - not noted for the flexibility of his performances - turns in a decent effort and the ending might make you think twice before using the Chunnel! If you're looking for a good, high-octane piece of cinema; then this is certainly up there - on a big screen, if you can.