Mission: Impossible (1996)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Brian De Palma

Writers (WGA):

Bruce Geller (television series)
David Koepp (story) ...

Release Date:

22 May 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

Tagline:

Expect the Impossible

Plot:

An American agent, under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organization.

Plot Keywords:

Mission | Spy | Stealing | Traitor | Espionage

Awards:

3 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Tom Cruise	...	Ethan Hunt
Jon Voight	...	Jim Phelps
Emmanuelle Béart	...	Claire Phelps (as Emmanuelle Beart)
Henry Czerny	...	Eugene Kittridge
Jean Reno	...	Franz Krieger
Ving Rhames	...	Luther Stickell
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Sarah Davies (as Kristin Scott-Thomas)
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Max
Dale Dye	...	Frank Barnes
Marcel Iures	...	Alexander Golitsyn
Ion Caramitru	...	Zozimov
Ingeborga Dapkunaite	...	Hannah Williams
Valentina Yakunina	...	Drunken Female IMF Agent
Marek Vasut	...	Drunken Male IMF Agent
Nathan Osgood	...	Kittridge Technician

Also Known As:

Mission Impossible

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some intense action violence.

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Ireland:PG | Malaysia:18SG | Brazil:Livre | New Zealand:M | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Canada:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIB | Iceland:12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The bridge over the Vlatava River in Prague where Jim (Jon Voight) is "killed" is the same bridge that Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) is sitting during the end of the movie xXx (2002).

Goofs:

Continuity: At CIA headquarters, the fire alarms in three sections are tripped. Then Luther hacks into the alarm system to trip the alarm in Section 21. Later in the Situation Room, the alarm is displayed in a corner of the wall display, but Section 21 isn't lit up.

Quotes:

Eugene Kittridge: [after Hunt's team was killed and meets up with Kittridge in some kind of Aquarium/Restaurant place] Ethan. Ethan, I can't tell on how sorry I am. I know how Jim ment to you personally, as well as professionally.
[Slides Hunt a Passport]
Eugene Kittridge: Here is the usual stuff. You follow?
Ethan Hunt: [Muffled] Yeah. I follow.
Eugene Kittridge: I think we lost anough agents for one night.
Ethan Hunt: You mean, *I* lost enough agents for one night.
Eugene Kittridge: You seem to be bent on blaming yourself, Ethan.
Ethan Hunt: There was another IMF team tonight.
Eugene Kittridge: I don't quite follow you, Ethan.
Ethan Hunt: [Looking up to Kittridge] Well, let's see you can follow me around the room.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 99euro-films (2001)

Soundtrack:

Theme From Mission: Impossible

Thrilling Thriller

Brian De Palma delivers a kinetic live wire suspense filled espionage thriller to open the Mission Impossible franchise. The camera work is exceptional with De Palma's trademark sense of motion applied to suspenseful heists and an amazing train ride sequence during which you really get the sense of speed and danger. Also created is one of the most iconic images from any thriller of recent times Tom Cruise suspended mid heist inches from a pressure sensitive floor. Cruise lives up to his star billing and for me really nails the Ethan Hunt character, Jean Reno, Ving Rames and the stunning Emmanuelle Beart provide able support.

My one problem with this film and unfortunately quite a big problem is that the twist in the tale can be seen coming a mile off. Which is a real shame as this film is inventive, fun, stylish and everything a main stream thriller should be.

Fun but the twist in the tale doesn't have enough of a sting 7/10