The start of a major franchise. But, is it a good first impression?

Rating: 6/10 (28 April 2020)

"Mission: Impossible" (1996), this is the first "Mission: Impossible" movie based off the original TV series. For the most part, making movies based off of old TV shows is hit or miss. In this case..... Well..... It's complicated. Let's start with the negative stuff first and get that out of the way. First off, the story concept is a decent one. However, there are some parts where it drags on a little bit, and for the most part it is a bit overproduced. The storyline is easy to follow, but it does not come without slow parts or flaws. My personal favorite scene in this movie is where Ethan Hunt, played by Tom Cruise, has to sneak into the CIA building in Langley, Virginia to acquire the NOC list. That scene makes the movie worth watching. Even though I've watched that scene several times, it still puts me on the edge of my seat. The acting ranges from good, to standard. Of course, Tom Cruise steals the show as Ethan Hunt. Jon Voight is fairly standard as the villain. Ving Rhames is great as usual playing Luther. The rest of the cast is just standard, in my opinion. Now for the good elements of the movie. The special effects are well-done, and hold up to this day. All of the sets/locations give the movie a good atmosphere and set the tone. Finally, the soundtrack is decent. Not great, but decent. It does it's job and helps to tie the movie together. In the case of this film, three of the five elements I look for in a movie are good to marginal. As you know, a three star rating is where I draw the line between a movie being good or bad. This movie had some potential to be excellent, but it's overall just sloppy. Overall, I consider this to be a marginally bad movie. Now, it's not the worst film in the franchise. But, it's still somewhat tolerable to a certain extent. At the end of the day, I give this movie 3 out of 5 stars on my scale, which equates to 6 out of 10 IMDB stars. My advice: if you're a fan of the original TV show, and you start with this movie, you may be disappointed. I recommend starting with my personal favorite; "Mission: Impossible III" (2006). My second favorite: "Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol" (2011). My third favorite: "Mission: Impossible-Fallout" (2018). Also, my fourth favorite: "Mission: Impossible-Rogue Nation" (2015). All four of those movies I consider to be perfect, in my opinion. But, if you still wish to see the first "Mission: Impossible" film, go ahead. Don't say I didn't warn you! This review will self-destruct in five seconds.