Mission: Impossible

"Relax Luther, it's much worse than you think."

The Impossible Missions Force (IMF), under the direction of Jim Phelps (Voight) are sent to Prague.  They are supposed to retrieve the NOC, non-official cover, list from the American embassy, before it can be sold to the wrong people.  The list contains the names and aliases of all spies, which would put numerous lives in danger.  While on the mission, Jim and the rest of his team are killed, with the exception of his protege Ethan Hunt (Cruise).  Hunt learns that there is a mole in the system, and as the sole surviving member of his team, he is the prime suspect.

He manages to escape and plans to clear his name by finding the mole, known only as Job.  His is joined by Jim's wife, Claire (Beart), who also managed to survive the mission.  Can they find the mole, avenge their friends, and clear their names before Eugene Kittridge (Czerny) and the rest of IMF find them?


In the 1966, Bruce Geller created the TV show "Mission: Impossible."  The show focused on the elite IMF team, led by Steven Hill's Dan Briggs in the first season and Peter Graves' Jim Phelps for the rest of the series run (the show ended in 1973).  In 1988 the show was brought back, with only Graves returning.  The show was popular and Paramount Studios bought the film rights.

Tom Cruise was a big fan of the TV show and decided to produce the film.  Paramount initially contacted the original cast to reprise their roles, but the actors were unhappy with the changes to the character of Jim Phelps and the overall plot and none appeared in the film.  Despite that, the film was successful enough to launch a blockbuster franchise (with 5 films released: Mission: Impossible II, Mission: Impossible III, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation; and plans for a 6th).

The script is filled with twists and turns that keeps you guessing.  The stunt work, particularly in the scene depicted at the top of this post, is impressive.  The effects feel a little dated, but this film was made almost 20 years ago.

This film is different, tonally, then the films that follow, but it sets the M:I world in motion and establishes Ethan Hunt as the hero of the series (a shift from the TV show).  The film was smart to include the iconic aspects of the show: how the teams receives orders and the theme music.

Mission: Impossible (1996) 110 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for some intense action violence
Director: Brian De Palma
Starring: Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt
Jon Voight as Jim Phelps
Emmanuelle Beart as Claire Phelps
Henry Czerny as Eugene Kittridge
Jean Reno as Franz Krieger
Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell
Kristin Scott Thomas as Sarah Davies
Vanessa Redgrave as Max
Emilio Estevez as Jack Harmon
Ingeborga Dapkunaite as Hannah Williams