Interesting twist on a TV chestnut

Rating: Null/10 (11 April 2003)

MISSION : IMPOSSIBLE (1996) *** Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Beart, Henry Czerny, Jean Reno, Ving Rhames, Vanessa Redgrave, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Emilio Estevez (unbilled). High energy and quirky direction by Brian De Palma plus Cruise's usual cocky feistiness makes for a better than average big screen adaptation of a classic TV series. Cruise is Ethan Hunt, master of disguise on a mission to find out the reason his team was wiped out on a mole hunt in Europe, who is up to his neck in intrigue and one helluva complex plot line with some neat twists and great support from a well-cast international ensemble (although some aren't used to their best potential). Best bits: breaking into CIA headquarters and the best helicopter/train chase ever put on film. Danny Elfman's tweaking of the classic score keeps the pace as well as U2's Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr.'s ultracool remake of the Lalo Schifrin's main theme. Dumdumdumdum