Mission Impossible (UK)

Tom Cruise is in every single shot. What is going on is he vain?

By Nicola Willet


Excellent Film

The plot is quite unique, but still very entertaining action movie.One of the best Brian De Palma films.

No not one of De Palma`s best films, but even his bad ones are better than 90% of other movies.

Great film. This has an intelligent script, brilliant set pieces (especially the CIA vault scene and the Channel Tunnel), and is well acted and directed.
Tom Cruise is suprisingly likeable and believable as a top secret agent. The script throws up plenty of suprises and it`s nice to see an action film located in Europe.
OK, it`s a bit similar to James Bond but it is well executed and different enough. The story moves very quickly and is highly entertaining. Some people claim that it is overly complex but ignore them and enjoy this gem.
The DVD unfortunately is awful. There are no real features to speak of. The transfer is good and it`s worth buying for the film alone. Ignore MI2 and concentrate on this film. Let`s hope MI3 returns to this style.

The film already seems a bit dated watching it now in 2003, although it was pretty much the ultimate in effects and explosions at the time it was made. It is still good fun to watch and the dangling Tom Cruise in the supercomputer chamber is my favourite sequence in modern cinema - I`m sure I`m not the only person who thinks that. The plot moves along entertainingly and it is much better in terms of plot and dialogue than MI:2, although it is not as clever or as well-scripted as something like Ronin or even the old John Le Carre numbers like Smiley`s People.

The DVD is disappointing for a recent blockbuster movie - I guess it was one of the first DVDs released which is why it is now in the Budget category.

As you can see from even the screenshots on this site, the video is soft, shows lack of detail, it is too dark and the colour accuracy is poor. It just does not have the snap and sparkle you would expect from a quality DVD release. The audio is fairly good on the other hand, although a higher bitrate DD track and/or a dts track would have been preferable, naturally.

The extras are not significant.

A 90's update of the 60's TV show directed by Brian De Palma and starring Tom Cruise. An intriguing premise? Why yes it is. And it delivers too. "Mission: Impossible" is far more spy/thriller orientated than its 2000 sequel. De Palma may be sleep walking through it but he manages to create some memorable set pieces including the famous Black Vault break-in scene. And in a rarity for summer blockbusters, the script is actually pretty good.

Video: Seeing as this is a movie only disc, the movie is really given space to breath. Overall image is sharp and while the print contains some nicks and stretches this is a pleasing transfer. There are also scenes of dirt and jaggies, sadly. De Palma showcases his supreme talent once again.

Audio: The real showcase of this track is the finale on the train. Wind hurtles in the speakers and the explosion packs some serious wallop. However subtlety is also a strong point. Once Cruise goes into the vault in chapter 8, the track goes silent. In the cinema you could hear a point drop (and this is an EXTREME rarity in summer blockbusters) and this heightens the tension of the scene highly.

Extras: Ha! Paramount doesn't even know what they are. A trailer and that's all you get. I remember a making-of shown on TV in '96 for this so it isn't like there's no available.

Overall: Released just before M:I-2's theatrical run, either to boost tickets or cash-in. The presentation is good for a 1996 release but sadly the lack of extras indicate a particularly rushed release. As an update of the VHS this is fine, as a standard of DVD it isn't.