The Weakest of the Series but Still Good

Rating: Null/10 (28 September 2012)

Mission: Impossible (1996)
*** (out of 4)
American agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is framed for the murders of his crew so he decides to try and find out who really sold them out. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE is a pretty interesting film to watch today, after viewing the three sequels, this one here really stands out simply because it's more thriller than action film. It's always been rumored that star Cruise and director Brian DePalma had different views on how the film should be and I think there's some reason to question how much pull either one had on what we're seeing. I say that because there are moments that come across as pure Hollywood action film while other moments where it seems like DePalma wanted a straight thriller with no action elements. These rumors seem more than true today once you see how the sequels turned out as they were more in line with what Cruise wanted. With all of that said, there's no question that this is still an entertaining film even if it is the weakest of the series in my opinion. I think the film is a tad bit too uneven at times and there's no question there are moments when you're wondering how they came up with the story. Not to mention there are a few plot holes and in reality, if you think about what's going on here it's all a bit too easy and especially the raid on the CIA building. Speaking of this sequence, even though the ease of how it happens is questionable, there's no question that this is the highlight of the entire film. The sequence contains some very big moments of tension and it's beautifully shot, performed and edited. The reason people love DePalma is on full display during this sequence but it's shame his skill wasn't put to better use throughout the film. Cruise is very good in the lead role as he has no problems playing the action here. Ving Rhames, Jon Voight and Vanessa Redgrave all add nice support and it's fun seeing Emilio Estevez early in the picture. Even with its flaws, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE is still a fun picture but at the same time you can't help but think it should have been better considering the talent involved.