Spectacular, but shame about the plot.

Rating: Null/10 (1 October 1998)

Tom Cruise said somewhere that this was a film people weren't expected to understand first-go. Sounded like a revenue-raising plot to me, but the film certainly achieves that purpose.
Let me hand out the kudos before the raspberries. It is a spectacular extravaganza of a movie which I enjoyed immensely in watching it. Some of the suspenseful moments (of which there are many) are the best edge-of-your-seat scenes one could ever ask for. The action scenes like at the end, though unbelievable, are explosive to watch. And the film does give you a nice, humourous break in the middle, when Ethan Hunt is hanging from the roof. And the music speaks for itself.
But the trouble is, all the above is OK for those who just want entertainment and don't care about the plot. However, most people would be hooked onto the plot, and come out rather confused. Part of the problem comes through the dialogue, much of which is in reflective, but inaudible whispers. Ethan Hunt's flashback sequence just does not work. You can work out the plot if you think about it for a while, but the best films are those which leave you marvelling at its execution and how everything is well unravelled.
Not this one. You're too busy thinking the plot through. 6 out of 10.