Nowhere as good as the TV show

Rating: Null/10 (18 January 2000)

I was expecting a lot from Mission: Impossible, too bad I was dissappointed.
I was one of those kids who loved the 1960's Mission:Impossible TV Show, it had suspense, incredible storylines/plots, and it also used ingenious use of camera work. So why was I so dissappointed by the movie?
Well for one thing, the plot is far too damn complicated but its basically a molehunt/spy story. This film does not concetrate on the plot, it doesn't need to - this film is about one person and one person alone...Tom Cruise and his acting capability.
The bad guy in this overly complex plot is Jim Phelps. This is an insult to every person who enjoyed the original TV show, and this is probably why Peter Graves (the guy who played phelps in the TV show) refused to do the movie. How can this film justify the fact that Phelps is a two-timing bad guy? By saying he'll get $10 million in bearer bonds.
Anyway, the film whilst hurts on some levels, is enjoyable on others. The film has memorable scenes such as the 'inside job' on the headquarters of the CIA where Cruise must recover the NOC list from a high-security room (note without CCTV!) and the fight on board a speeding bullet train.
The film gets rid of its stars far too quickly, and never uses them to the best of their acting abilities, instead the focus is all on Cruise's character.
Sure the film is enjoyable, but lacks the 'sting' from TV show, nor the credible acting or storyline that this kind of film deserves.