Mission: Impossible

UK Release Date: 05 July 1996

Certification: PG
Director: Brian De Palma
Cast: Emmanuelle Béart, Tom Cruise, Henry Czerny, Vanessa Redgrave, Jean Reno, Ving Rhames, Kristen Scott Thomas, Jon Voight

Rating: 68%

Review:

Quintessential 90s cinema. A film that kickstarted a continuous action franchise that has since grown in ambition, stature and quality. Based on a TV series of the same name that first aired in 1966, Mission: Impossible released 30 years later to, at the time, record breaking commercial success. 

Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt. There is near to no separation from actor and character. Although the stunts get more extravagant and death-defying as the franchise progresses, his dedication at this early stage is unreal during his first real delve into the action genre. Deciding to hang on top of a moving train for the benefit of the film. Even from the first entry, Cruise was involved in the making of Mission: Impossible as a producer investing time and care into the material. 

Brian De Palmas's direction is the most accomplished of the series. More accustomed to directing an array of crime classics, De Palma adjusts to the spy thriller with ease. The diner scene - clearly a homage to Heat - is fantastic. The way in which the camera frames Ethan Hunt as he interrogates Kittridge is superb. The dutch angle encapsulating Ethan's thought process as the scene develops. Of course, the legendary spy scene is De Palma mastering the art of tension and suspense building leaving the audience completely breathless due to a potential drop of sweat. 

'Mission Impossible - Main Theme' is the definition of iconic. Danny Elfman constructs one of the most recognisable pieces of music of all time. Immediately bursting into life with vibrant shrills of cymbals and electric guitar. Symbolic with the character of Ethan Hunt. Bringing out excitement within the audience upon its first shriek. 

The first two acts of the film are great. A classic espionage thriller with a certain gothic charm in areas that fully cements itself in the time period. There's a shockingly well thought-out reveal within the first half an hour of the runtime that turns the film on its head. 

Unfortunately, Mission: Impossible undoes the majority of its hard work with the final act. The film becomes incredibly over ambitious considering the era of filmmaking. Such a messy and rushed third act that feels out of place compared to the drawn-out secret agent escapades seen previously. It brushes over a few emotional beats. On top of that the near 30-year-old film begins to feel its age during that third act with some dated CGI and special effects.