Like watching a bad play.

Rating: 1/10 (24 February 2019)

Considering how truly awful this movie is, itys a miracle, it ever became a franchise. And I love these movies. Up untill now I've always thought the second movie was the worst one. They didn't truly get it right until the third movie, which is still the best in the franchise.
But back to the one that started it all. It sucks. Plain and simple. First of all, there is no action for the first half an hour. The team actually sits around a table and talk about how bad the coffee is. And Ethan is shown how some plastic explosives is disguised to look like chewing gum.
The movie is filled with these scenes where the characters talk and talk and talk. And then talk some more. And the way its filmed, its like watching a bad play.
When the action finally comes its done really bad. You know how Tom Cruise always does his own stunts on location? Well not in this one. It's clearly done in front of a green screen with a big windmachine. And it looks awful, even for a movie from 1996.
Considering it was directed by Brian Palma, who can do action very well, this feels like some amateur made for tv movie with a very low budget.
You get the feeling from the very beginning of the movie, that they didnt know how to make the movie. Like they just edited some scenes together in a way that doesnt make much sense. The badguys are cliche. And they dress in long trench coats and hats like its a movie from the 1960's.
I really wanted to like this movie, but I can not think of a single good thing to say about it. Im just glad Tom Cruise later on gained control of the franchise and pushed it in the right direction with lots of action and great stunts and great stories and great acting. Everything this movie don't have.