Review of Mission: Impossible (1996) by Kai82 — 23 Aug 2020

This is a great retcon or reboot and probably an 8-9/10. What I cant forgive however is destroying Jim Phelps. He is the hero of Mission Impossible and a legend. He stopped countless villains and saved so many lives.

He deserved better. Small spoilers: For those who only known the movies. Mission Impossible was a TV series from 1966-1973 with a revival in 1988/89. Jim Phelps played by Peter Graves is (except the first season) the leader of the team.

He is not only a true leader but also a role model for the gentleman good guy. He would rather die than betray his team and organization. For comparison: Think that James Bond is the villain in the next movie with no twist and nonsensical explanation.

Then he gets stopped by a new guy that you have never heard of. Ability wise Jim Phelps could easily win. He is a legend and has the ranks to destroy them from within but this is fundamentally against his character.

This is the reason for my rating. Without this it is an enjoyable movie with great stunts, memorable scenes and good actors. I also praise the special effects, sets and the memorable soundtrack. Especially the Mission Impossible theme is a timeless classic that I have heard so often but it never gets boring.

Like I said in the beginning they could even be better and I still would give a low rating. Overall this is a great movie if you don't know the series. If you knew it it is a betrayal of a hero and beloved character.

I often think or compare it with the South Park episode where George Lucas rapes Indiana Jones assisted by Steven Spielberg. A fitting analogy.