Strong start but loses steam fast

Rating: 3/10 (22 October 1998)

Great characters, intricate plots and an ensemble cast helped define the original "Mission: Impossible" during the 1960's but the elements that made the original series so strong are all but lost in this first big screen effort.
It all starts out promising enough when we join the IMF in the middle of a mission. Unfortunatley, once the team members are systematically eliminated one by one we leave "Mission: Impossible" behind and instead stumble into a high tech version of "The Fugitive" with Tom Cruise again playing himself as he so often has in so many of his films. This is a shame considering the strong supporting cast and the potential it had to be an intelligent and intriguing update of the original series. The original concept and characters are betrayed by the writers and director Brian DePalma.
Easy to follow and sit through but ultimately disappointing. Let's hope they get it right for the sequel.