Stylish Spy Thriller

Rating: 7/10 (31 July 2018)

I went back and watched this movie after seeing the most recent three M:I films. That certainly puts me at a strange perspective, since I saw the movies out of order and this one more than twenty years after it was released. No doubt, I have been spoiled by the excellent improvements in special effects and stunt execution in movies of the past 20 years. Going back to watch the old one is a step down in some respects.
But, I was delighted to find how well this movie holds up. The action sequences and special effects still look excellent, and the thrills and suspense have stood the test of time.
A lot of credit needs to go to director Brian De Palma. He makes this movie very much about style and momentum. The alluring vibe is the movie's strength, and it definitely takes the focus.
This is only borderline an action movie. It's more of a cool spy thriller. Ethan Hunt has not yet become the famous super spy that we know in later films. Here he is very much a part of a team. At first, he is presented merely a grunt work man. His smirk and cocky jokes suggest that he doesn't take the matters all that seriously.
Throughout the film, he slowly reveals himself to be sharp, acutely aware of his surroundings and smarter than everyone else in the room. Not until the third act do we fully realize how stellar Hunt is at this work.
He figures out who set him up and how they did it, which is a miracle because this plot is largely incomprehensible. Ethan Hunt may be the only person in the movie or watching the movie to understand what the heck is going on. There are so many betrayals and double crosses that it's nearly impossible to know which characters are working together.
And yet, the film still works. Viewers will eventually understand who is the hero and who he must defeat to save the lives of many innocents. Understanding the plot on that level, is all you really need.
This movie seems to have improved with age, and I imagine the critic scores would improve upon a re-watch. It's worth your time.