Starting off as a 60's television series, the "Mission: Impossible" franchise grew into a dominating film franchise as each installment becomes more and more successful than the previous one. The third film onward established the modern action-spy thriller that viewers have come to know from the franchise, while the second film is viewed as the only bad film due to the tone and obsession of action sequences. The first film however remains as not only the stepping stone for the series, but remains to some as the best of the films, even nearly 25 years later. Jim Phelps, the director of the Impossible Mission Force and the only returning character from the TV series, is tasked with retrieving the CIA's NOC list from a rogue agent. Their mission suddenly goes horribly wrong as everyone from the team, apart from the point man, Ethan Hunt, gets killed by mysterious assailants. As the IMF suspects Hunt to betray his group and the mole for the operation working with an arms dealer named Max, Hunt is alone and on the run as he tries to learn who betrayed the group while also attempting to get the NOC list. The story is good with the betrayal storyline as well as how Ethan has to get access of the NOC list and give it to a criminal in order to learn the truth. However, the film is not very connected to the television series or is designed by die-hard fans of it. Not only is there only one returning character, but the reveal that Phelps is in fact the villain can piss off certain fans akin to a similar twist done in the 2019 "Charlie's Angels". The pacing and tone is also a departure of itself, mainly to the rest of the movies. Compared to the modern action blockbusters that use a lot of tech and stunts, the first film in the franchise goes more of a spy thriller akin to early James Bond. This can disappoint some fans of the modern films or action in general as there's a lack of action throughout. Regardless, I like the direction of it being an amped-up classic spy adventure that doesn't relay on gunfights or fistfights. However, the pacing is a bit of an issue as the story moves slowly with periods of exposition being explained at times.
Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt is the role that cemented his career for good reason. Not only is he allowed to pull off stunts while throwing his charming charisma and smile to the audience, but Ethan is depicted as a very capable and intelligent agent. He manages to be one step ahead of the opponent due to his ability to analyze his surroundings and claims made from others. However, he's not a perfect hero as his missions and plans are extremely reliant on his co-workers and friends as well as the trust he has for them. He can't and doesn't want to be a one-man army, but he's able to outsmart everyone around him if it comes down to it. Jon Voight as Phelps is good as always, but his performance isn't going to be a memorable one in his career mainly due to the lack of screentime the viewer has with him. The twist surrounding him being the villain is only effective for those who are aware of the TV series and his personality doesn't fool you into not throwing away any suspicion from him. While the character works fine as is in the movie, he's probably one of the most forgettable villains in the franchise. Emmanuelle Beart as Claire, the much younger wife of Phelps, is good as the femme fatale and love interest of Ethan. What I like about the relationship between the two is that much like Ethan, the viewer isn't aware if she's good or bad. Ethan wants to truly trust her and keep his guard down, but after the events from the beginning of the film, he knows that he shouldn't trust anyone, even the woman he holds feelings towards. Ving Rhames, much like Cruise, makes his career-defining role as Luther, the disavowed IMF agent/hacker who remains to be the only ally Ethan can truly relay on for the entire franchise. Rhames just has this great voice and personality to the character that, while not memorable in the first film due to his late debut in the second half, marks him as one of the best teammates in film. The side characters are also pretty strong from Jean Reno's Kruger, a disavowed IMF pilot that Ethan hires, Vanessa Redgrave as Max, the wealthy arms dealer that Ethan is offering to sell the NOC list to, and Henry Czerny as Kittridge, the IMF director who is going after Hunt due to his suspicion that Ethan is the mole of the operation and the one who killed his team. The cast is pretty good for the most part, but Ethan's team in the beginning of the film is another story. Despite the recognizable names attached to them, I don't even want to bother attempting to describe the characters, let alone the actors, as they are only used to get killed off in the story. Perhaps if the team consisted of members of the television series, it would be more effective for shocking the viewer, but considering that the actors of said series hated the way Phelps was treated, they probably wouldn't go through with the idea. Regardless, the cast of characters are pretty enjoyable and acted well, but it's Cruise as Ethan who takes the stage.
Brian De Palma, the acclaimed director, takes charge in the first film of the franchise. Although there are stories of how De Palma and Cruise collide on set in terms of the film's vision, he really did a good job in not only directing the film, but giving the first film in the franchise a unique voice and look. If you watch one of De Palma's films, such as "Carrie" and "Scarface", you know that De Palma loves lavish set design and camera movements that goes in an avant-garde direction. "Mission: Impossible" follows his direction, creating a unique experience for the film that the sequels can't replicate. The location and set designs of Prague allows to incorporate these exotic interiors, while the CIA headquarters has an ultra-modern aesthetic to it. The film perfectly blends the old-school spy films and series of the 60's while having a twist of modernism not only by the sets and locations, but by the tech and gadgets used throughout. The gadgets are simplified and consistent with the spy glasses, smart watches, and explosive gum. The face masks are the highlight though as they were in fact made from scratch by talented make-up artists. The 90's technology might seem dated with the old cell phones, internet and abundance of Apple laptops, but it adds to the idea of old vs. new. In fact, if the 90's technology were removed, the film could've been set in the 60's due to De Palma's unique direction. The cinematography by Stephan H. Burum adds that distinct De Palma feel with the tracking shots, Dutch angles, establishing and extreme close-up shots of faces. The score by Danny Elfman is great as always with the iconic main theme burning into your memory along with some decent spy-esque themes. Despite the lack of action, the film makes up for it with two excellent sequences. The mission in the CIA headquarters is perhaps one of the most memorable and a top contender for the best moment in the franchise. The suspense of Ethan trying to secure the NOC list as Kruger is struggling to hold on to the rope to avoid Ethan being detected is not only one of the most iconic scenes in the genre, but is enhanced by the lack of music during the scene in order to maximize the amount of suspense. The climax with the bullet train and helicopter as Ethan tries to take down Phelps while Luther attempts to prolong the transfer and download of the NOC list to Max is really good. The CGI and green-screen holds up pretty well, Cruise is doing stunts against high winds on a model train, and the payoff of the helicopter exploding and Phelps rather gruesome death is just a great payoff. Despite De Palma's frustration with the project, I believe that he still made a great movie and one of the best in his career.
"Mission: Impossible" is the starting point to a great franchise and a memorable film stand-alone. From a good story, the heavy focus on modernizing the classic spy formula without the use of action, Cruise as Hunt makes a career-defining role, the side characters are well acted and memorable, Burum's cinematography is great, Elfman's score is as energizing as ever, the two standout spy sequences are both very entertaining and iconic in their own right, and De Palma's directing brings out his usual flair of lavish set design and creative production design to perfectly blend classic and modern spy motifs into one another with locations and technology being pivotal for the identity of the film. However, the film itself isn't as smooth as a perfectly executed mission. The pacing of the film can be slow at times with various scenes of exposition, the lack of action can turn fans of the modern films off a bit, the portrayal of Phelps is underwhelming as he doesn't have much time in the film to make much of an impact as the villain and also creates an unsatisfying portrayal compared to the television series, and Ethan's team in the beginning don't feel much like characters but rather as plot devices pushing Ethan forward in the story. It has some flaws that the newer films might not have, but the first film is very much a unique film in its own right and is important for sparking a blockbuster franchise that no one would have expected to see continue for nearly 25 years!
Verdict: 7.5/10. Really solid film that has aged pretty well for its unique identity. Check this out if you're a devoted fan to the franchise or if you love the classic spy films or motifs.
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