Product: Mission: Impossible (1996)
Rating: 4.0
Best of the Bunch
I saw M:I in the theaters back when it came out. A sense of humor really sets it apart from the usual crowd of action movies. In particular, the scene at Langley, involving a true 'poison pen,' is fantastic. Ving Rhames, Jean Reno, Emmanuelle Beart, Vanessa Redgrave, and Jon Voight actually get some character development. And Tom Cruise just has this twinkle in his eye the whole time--you know he's enjoying himself. He straddles the line between cockiness and arrogance perfectly. By comparison, MI:2 and MI:3 have paper-thin characters, recycled plotlines, and very little humor. Cruise is dark and edgy there, with none of the first M:I's "Ha Ha--I pulled one over on you." It's clear the sequels' writers weren't nearly as talented. I haven't seen MI:Ghost Protocol yet, so I can't comment there--hopefully it's humorous and there's some character development.As for the reviewers who feel this movie doesn't do justice to the TV series--you might be right. I grew up after the TV series went off the air, so I don't have that lurking in the back of my mind as a constant source of comparison. FYI, I didn't think the Harry Potter films or the Lord of the Rings trilogy captured the spirit of the books, so I'm not unsympathetic to your plight.Either way, though, the first M:I movie is the only one I'd see again because "I kind of miss being disreputable" ;-)