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Movies / On DVD / Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible

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Mission: Impossible (1996)

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Reviews Counted:43

Fresh:24

Rotten:19

Average Rating:5.8/10

Consensus: Full of special effects, Brian DePalma's update of Mission: Impossible has a lot of sweeping spectacle, but the plot is sometimes convoluted.

Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Synopsis: Tom Cruise stars as Ethan Hunt, leader of a crack squad of intelligence operatives, in this labyrinthine action-thriller based on the hit 1960s-'70s television series. When a dangerous mission in... Tom Cruise stars as Ethan Hunt, leader of a crack squad of intelligence operatives, in this labyrinthine action-thriller based on the hit 1960s-'70s television series. When a dangerous mission in Prague goes inexplicably wrong, Hunt finds himself out in the cold. A mole has infiltrated the CIA, and suspicions are that it's Hunt. His only chance: Find out who the real mole is and turn the tables. The plan takes him on an incredibly suspenseful infiltration of CIA security, leading to a spectacular chunnel climax that would make Hitchcock proud. Thanks to crisp, inventive direction from Brian De Palma and Danny Elfman's dynamite electronica score (including a catchy update of the original Lalo Schifrin theme), this mission is great fun. The talented roster of stars backing Cruise includes Ving Rhames, Vanessa Redgrave, John Voight, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Jean Reno. A witty script by Robert Towne (CHINATOWN, SHAMPOO) and David Koepp keeps the ball rolling in unexpected directions, with the paranoia always set to high. A box-office record-setter during its original release, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE led to a well-deserved sequel, also with Cruise and Rhames. [More]

Starring: Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Henry Czerny, Emmanuelle Beart

Starring: Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Henry Czerny, Emmanuelle Beart, Jean Reno, Ving Rhames, Kristin Scott Thomas, Vanessa Redgrave

Director: Brian De Palma

Director: Brian De Palma
Screenwriter: Robert Towne, David Koepp, Steven Zaillian
Producer: Tom Cruise, Paula Wagner
Composer: Danny Elfman

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Mission: Impossible

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1 - 20 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

A superior story.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
01/01/00
William Gallagher
William Gallagher
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Despite the snags, De Palma remains a virtuoso puppet-master, pulling the strings taut in a nail-biting robbery sequence, switching from micro to macro with Hitchcockian panache, and finally letting rip with a hell-for-leather climax.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A mission gone awry, prompting you to hope that reruns of its television incarnation will pop up on cable soon.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Steve Davis
Steve Davis
Austin Chronicle

Knows enough about style that it's absorbing to watch even when nothing much is going on.

Full Review Source: Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus

Every effect is so calculated that only the conscious minds of filmmakers and viewers are engaged--and not by very much or for very long.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
01/01/00
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader

Tom Cruise looks cool and holds our attention while doing neat things that we don't quite understand.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Improbable but highly entertaining suspense yarn.

Full Review Source: Cinematter | comment Comment
01/01/00
Madeleine Williams
Madeleine Williams
Cinematter

Each scene in and of itself plays very interestingly, even if they don't always logically lead one into the next scene.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
04/14/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Decent Films Guide | comment Comment
10/29/08
Steven D. Greydanus
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films Guide

Brainless summer fun

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment 1 Comment
01/01/00
Chris Hicks
Chris Hicks
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

Smart, ambitious, occasionally elegant.

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
01/01/00
Susan Stark
Susan Stark
Detroit News

One of the best TV-to-Movie translations.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Erik Childress
Erik Childress
eFilmCritic.com

It's a mission De Palma shouldn't have chosen to accept.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
07/18/08
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

An incredibly boring and confusing espionage thriller...So inept on so many levels that it could easily be called The Bonfire of the Secret Agents.

comment Comment
01/23/06
Chuck O'Leary
Chuck O'Leary
Fantastica Daily

A smart, cool movie that not only admits its TV origins but celebrates them.

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bill Chambers
Bill Chambers
Film Freak Central

A non-stop fun run through Europe and the CIA headquarters.

Full Review Source: Film Scouts | comment Comment
04/17/02
Leslie Rigoulot
Leslie Rigoulot
Film Scouts

A fun and diverting summer movie, well worth the price of admission.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Keith Simanton
Keith Simanton
Film.com

Too devious for its own good.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Sean Means
Sean Means
Film.com

There are just a few groovy special effects and a practically incomprehensible story which we finally can't work up enough energy to care about.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Wm. Humphrey
Wm. Humphrey
Film.com

Starts with a whimper... and, you guessed it... self-destructs.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
all

Latest News for Mission: Impossible

August 07, 2009: October Road Creators Accept Abrams' Mission: Impossible Opens in new window
Tom Cruise and J.J. Abrams have taken a step forward with the fourth "Mission: Impossible," hiring "October Road" creators Josh Applebaum and Andre Nemec to write the screenplay. More...

June 18, 2009: Cruise and Abrams Embark on Fourth Mission: Impossible Opens in new window
Confirming earlier rumors, J.J. Abrams and Tom Cruise have announced plans to collaborate -- at least in a production capacity -- on a fourth "Mission: Impossible" film. More...

March 18, 2009: Tom Cruise Working on Another Mission: Impossible? Opens in new window
Wait, did Tom Cruise just tell a Japanese television host that he's working on the story for a fourth "Mission: Impossible" movie? More...

February 04, 2009: Exclusive: Inside Pinewood/Shepperton - A Photo Tour
Every year, the BAFTA film awards present a trophy for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema. Introduced in 1978, the award recognises an organisation or a person's career... More...

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