Mission: Impossible
1996
PG-13
1h 50 min
Director: Brian De Palma
Cast: Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Ving Rhames, Jeno Reno, Kristin Scott Thomas
Streaming on: Paramount+
To say that Mission: Impossible revived the career of Tom Cruise would almost be an understatement. Of course, Cruise was popular throughout the 80’s and 90’s. And though this adaption of Mission: Impossible from TV series to action film wasn’t critically beloved, it was the 3rd highest grossing film of 1996 and turned Cruise into an action star. It added another dimension to his acting resume. And in many ways turned him into the person and action icon he is today.
But let’s talk about why Mission: Impossible is great. Getting Brian De Palma at the helm was a choice. And though the rest of the films departed from his more reserved filmmaking style, he was able to mold together a both a spy thriller and action extravaganza. However, not action in the loud, violent sense. A lot of what makes this first entry special is the quieter moments. Think the all-time great Langley scene. It had to be quiet.
And but juxtaposing the quiet scenes against the louder ones, the film is elevated. It is almost like an album where the musician lulls you with some sweet melodies, and then BANG! Hits you with a power chord.
And of all the Mission: Impossible films to date, this has perhaps the most cogent and sensible plot. It leans a lot more into the spy elements than the action elements. And for that we can all appreciate it.
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