only gets a 2 because the sequel is even worse

Rating: 2/10 (16 December 2005)

Ego centered and senseless movie. Brian Depalma pulls off one cool scene involving an exploding restaurant otherwise a box office success that will be baffling to people who watch it once the Tom Cruise star has faded. If you love Tom (and he can deserve your love, just doesn't this time) you'll like the fact that for a "team" movie there is no Team it's all just Tom. That's fine if you don't remember the original concept of the cool TV show, and let's face it the makers of the film were betting you don't. Best moment however is when they briefly play the original theme music in a couple of spots. Dangling wire scene is a steal fro Topkaki--which for Depalma is a signature moment. What can you say about a career that has lasted for decades where his signature is stealing other directors signature moments. Here though he really gets to do very little, he certainly was taking the job hoping (and getting) a hit film so he could go off to make his more personal Hitchcock rip off films ( don't get me stated) anyway he doesn't get to work much style into Mission. Final sequence on the train in the tunnel is the first of many abusive unconvincing CGI action scenes that have followed and dominated American movie making. I don't mean to get on a soapbox here this film is bad as a stand alone without trying to blame it for other bad films. Cruise is too into being serious to enjoy the film and the script (written and rewritten while they were shooting) doesn't not hold together, leaving Cruise looking rather silly for playing it so seriously rather than with a "isn't this fun? Don't take it too seriously" attitude that might have saved at least him. The film was a hit, feel free not to listen to me, or feel free to actually watch this film as a film and see how poor it is. For those who see Brian DePalma's cinematic stealings from other films as being his expression of style, this time around he most effectively steals the hanging on wires gag from Topkaki. Unfortunately he needed to steal some scenes from about 10 other good movies to help out the rest of this one. Most exciting moment in the film is when they briefly play the original theme music--that moment leads into the Topkaki riff. If you were on a desert island and only had this film and its sequel to watch, I'd say watch this one, otherwise use them both to burn to make black smoke to attract rescue.