Mission: Impossible

Looking back on it, De Palma filmed certainly the darkest and most convoluted Mission: Impossible. The entire infiltration of Langley was ingeniously filmed. You can’t tell me that the scene with the balancing Cruise didn’t make an impression on you. The stifling silence and tension can be cut with a knife. The final revelation of the conspiracy when Hunt slowly pieces together fragments of “what we didn’t see in Prague" is nicely filmed too. Complete satisfaction is spoiled by the slight difficulty I found in orientating myself in the story. The first M:I wasn’t as mediocre as they say. (01/13/2007)

I’m between three and four stars, but thanks to several scenes where the tension is almost like out of a text-book (the gymnastics in the CIA vault, the gymnastics on the train), I will go for a more generous rating. That said, the script is quite messy; by the end, at least, it’s clear who was good and who was bad, but during the story, who’s playing what wasn’t very clear. The opening part in Prague was nice. (08/29/2011)

I can’t really say that Mission: Impossible disappointed me much. It’s indeed very original, brisk and boasts two brilliant scenes, one of which in particular has become a cult-classic, and I can't count the number of times filmmakers have parodied it. The rest, however, felt somehow unexploited, artificially packed into a wannabe spectacular whole, which can be quite relaxing the first time, but I probably wouldn't go for it a second time. Besides, I have never found Tom Cruise very likeable, which also showed a lot, and if he had switched roles with the incomparable Jean Reno, I would have enjoyed this film a lot more immediately. If the whole story was on a comparable level to those two great scenes, it would be awesome, but as it is, it's just an over-hyped bubble and a rather bland work by De Palma's standards. 70% (11/23/2012)

I don’t think I know anyone who doesn’t know Ethan Hunt and the Mission: Impossible series in general. It’s truly an established brand in the realm of spy action films. Today, it’s really considered a classic in every sense. I decided to revisit the entire series from the very beginning. Although the first film is nearly 30 years old, it still has a lot to offer, particularly its originality. Casting Tom Cruise in the lead role was a brilliant move by the creators, and it paid off handsomely. I’d dare say that this film played a significant role in elevating him to Hollywood’s A-list. Director Brian De Palma delivered a film that has stayed in everyone’s memory. I can’t forget the iconic theme music. And the train scene at the end was incredibly well executed (considering the year the film was released). For me, it gets a solid 8/10 (original review edit from 2016). (07/25/2023)

This feels like an American response to the Bond films. The story is profiled as a typical spy plot full of intrigue and false identities. The action initially stays quite grounded, only to turn into something amusingly unrealistic and crazy at the end. As Ethan Hunt, Tom Cruise really only acts with his face; otherwise, his agent, created as an indifferent hanger for nice rags in the shape of a good guy, is directly archetypal. With his style, Brian DePalma oscillates between a thrilling spy film and an adrenaline action film. However, it cannot be said that M:I has a strong style, a strong charge, or a moment of surprise. It seems to me that even the main twist fizzles out due to bad timing. Compared to the Bond films, it's really quite soulless, but still fun. (01/13/2007)