Review of Mission Impossible (1971) by Matthew D — 09 May 2018

Tom Cruise Lights Up This Future Franchise.

Brian DePalma directs Mission Impossible with keen eye for darker noir shots with that falters in its dated 1990's style. The direction is strong as DePalma takes you on a joy ride with espionage, heists, action, and political intrigue. Mission Impossible is interesting in its clever story and twists that will surprise everyone on their first viewing that become obvious on repeat viewings. It's very fun and leads to better movies down the line. This movie does at least introduce to Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) in all his brilliance and excitement. These movies are not genius, but they do keep surprising you and remain entertaining to this day.

However, I must note how dated the special effects look in this debut Mission Impossible film with obvious toy sets, cheap CGI, dated special effects, and awkward moments. This was made in the middle of the '90's and you can really tell. From floppy discs and large block cell phones to little computer screens and fat laptops, you are always painfully of the era in which Mission Impossible was filmed. It is distracting, but not movie ruining.

Tonally, Mission Impossible takes itself too seriously. Its hyper sincere attitude is endearing and Cruise keeps you engaged. Although, its atmosphere gets destroyed by how campy the dialogue and acting comes across. So campy in moments, you will likely get taken right out of the experience. If you can accept this, Mission Impossible is worth a single watch to get you to the better sequels.

Most notably, the Mission Impossible score is still fun. Danny Elfman composed a highly memorable theme that you will remember forever. The way it is recorded in this movie is very dated and sounds older with its '90's alternative rock and metal background, but the symphonic elements still stand the test of time. It is a great score for the ages as represented by its continued cultural relevance and its usage in the Mission Impossible sequels.

The acting by Tom Cruise is the highlight as he takes it seriously enough that you believe it, but many of the performances lean of melodrama and poor writing. The supporting cast serves their roles well, but they often fall into the overacting category compared to Cruise who is considerably more reserved in this one. The hyper quick edits and odd close-up shots ruin some of the more sincere moments, but Cruise keeps on believing in this series. He remains the light of the Mission Impossible franchise in contemporary cinema, which you can witness blossom in this premier installment in the Mission Impossible movies.

Mission Impossible has aged poorly with its hard edged editing, too serious tone, campy dialogue, dated technology, and melodrama, but it is a fun spy series that starts off with a twisting thriller and leaps into action fodder. At least, Mission Impossible attempts to deliver a thoughtful story with some actual espionage. DePalma did a nice job in streamlining the story as the plot still works. The narrative is focused enough that you can just enjoy yourself with all this movie's memorable scenes.