Mission Impossible

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
USA 1996

Compared to the original and famous TV series, this film is not worth it. On its own, it is something else, totally updated for 90's values of deception, lies, and total lack of commitment... something that the main characters in the original series could never be accused of.

The update, comes in the form of an inside job that is being used to ferret out a mole in the secret service. However, this mole seems to have his fingers in many pies, and is ready to do what he has to get his aims taken care of. And for this to happen, a whole "job" is bungled, and at least half of the crew are killed. The mission is aborted. And all of a sudden we come to find out that the mission was a set up that failed, and who cares if people get hurt. They are now after Ethan, because he knows too much.

The rest of the story is a clever bit after another as to how the higher tech group of agents is capable of getting everything they need in order to unmask the real job and the real mole, who just happens to be their very own boss.

Aside from the technical elements in this film, there really is not much to talk about. It is poor, although one could say that Brian de Palma would improve on it. But his choice of material is so poor, that is renders the whole thing a big bore... but we will hang around to see what happens at the end, because we know that the hero is Tom Cruise.

With a cast of nifty villains and shifty people, this film gets to be a bit enjoyable, specially with what is a nice cast, wasted it seems, with no lines or characters to go with it. I suppose that's what happens when the film's main attribute is supposed to be their cleverness in the technical world, rather than anything else.

Not exactly a film that you want to see to learn anything from... it's just your basic crap 101.... fun after a beer or two if you like Tom Cruise ... it's kinda sad, though because it is a really good cast and has the potential of really explode on the scene and make the film work ... but the whole film is sort of a documentary on Tom Cruise and nothing else and this becomes a problem for the rest. As Robert Redford once said ... I would be a fool not to take the money for almost no work!

2 GIBLOONS

DIRECTOR: BRIAN DE PALMA
CINEMATOGRAPHY: STEPHEN H. BURUM
MUSIC: DANNY ELFMAN, LALO SCHIFRIN (title)
CAST: Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Beart, Henry Czerny, Jean Reno, Kristin Scott Thomas.
ONE WORD: Ohhh wellll...

Australia/New Zealand England France Germany Italy Mexico Russia South America Spain USA