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Ethan Hunt: Tom Cruise Jim Phelps: Jon Voight Claire: Emmanuelle Beart Kittridge: Henry Czerny Krieger: Jean Reno Luther : Ving Rhames Sarah Davies: Kristin Scott-Thomas Max: Vanessa Redgrave Directed by Brian De Palma. Written by David Koepp and Robert Towne. Running time: 105 minutes. Rated PG-13 (for violence). |
Action movies, especially summer blockbusters that we all have come to love/hate every year, are like any good roller coaster rides. Fast and furious, the movie doesn't allow you to think, but just react. Mission: Impossible accomplishes just that. It throws away the notion of having a well thought out plot and just leads you through one action sequence to the other.
Mission: Impossible is a classic generic spy/thriller movie dealing with the Post-Cold War fallout, where instead of the dependable KGB, our protagonists have to deal with high tech terrorists. We also get to enjoy double crossings (so many that we cease following what has happened), locations all over the world, and high-tech weapons/devices that can only be used for the purpose of spying.
The team's leader, Jim Phelps (Jon Voight), is assigned to prevent a computer file theft that consists of a list of all the American double agents in the world. If obtained, the list will ruin our government's ability to keep a watchful eye of our enemies and cause massive mayhem in ways that you can't comprehend (only the screenwriters can really tell you that).
His team is comprised of some generic characters that always seem to find their way into an ensemble, including the rogue spy Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), who only follows orders in his best interest, and his beautiful wife, Claire (Emmanuelle Beart), who is also an agent. Their task, if they choose to accept it (You know I had to put that in), is to not only capture the man who plans to steal the file, but videotape him in the act and get his accomplice, the man he plans to sell the file to. Before they start their mission, they gather an arsenal of high tech gadgetry, including eye glasses with built in cameras, gum that acts as an explosive, laptop computers, watches that can display the images from the glasses, disguises (including the latex mask) and earpiece microphones. This all of course leads to a colossal action sequence to exploding cars, shootings, knifing, and elaborate deaths that include one person toppling from the bridge while clutching their chest.
Brian De Palma, who is a student of Hitchcock movies i.e. Body Double, is the best director when it comes to juggling multiple events in a grand scale. He handles the action sequence with concise scenes that allow you to clearly follow what is happening to all the characters.
I won't bother continuing describing the rest of the plot, as it is a futile task. The whole movie is filled with so many double-crossings that we don't know what to believe anymore. I must warn you that the plot is so complex that it took me the third showing to make sense of everything.
Another flaw in the movie was that there were a couple of scenes that I felt were bizarre and questioned De Palma's decision to use those scenes. For instance, the shot where Ethan is asleep at the laptop and then awaken to find Phelps come walking in the room with a look on his face that still makes me laugh to this day. The scene was humorous, but not necessary.
There are three action sequences in the movie that conveniently are at the beginning, middle and end of this movie, that way you won't get bored. The middle sequence involves an unbelievable computer theft and the ending deals with the London-Paris train and a helicopter both going into the Chunnel (the underground tunnel that connects Great Britain and France) at their maximum speeds.
The scene where Hunt and his team go into a heavily impenetrable room to steal the list sounds so unbelievably hard, you wonder if anyone can get in at all. The impenetrable fortress is becoming an exhausted concept and should really be put to sleep. Unfortunately, for people like me, that will never happen. The "impenetrable" room here is designed to alarm the security guards when there is a noise higher than the preset decibel level, any pressure on the floor and when the temperature in the room changes. There are two ways of getting in, the door, which you have to pass a series of test to get in i.e. eye exam, voice activation, fingerprints or the air duct that controls the temperature. Unfortunately, the vent is protected with infrared rays. If activated, alarms will ring and men with big shotguns will surround the place.
The scene is extravagant, but deals so much on the impossibility that we stop questioning why the team hasn't already been caught and accept what is happening. I have one comment about this scene. Shouldn't the alarm have rung in more than one case? I leave you to guess which parts.
If you didn't mind that sequence, then I promise you that you will find the next one even better. We find Ethan on top of a high speed train, that can easily blow him off at any second, going into the Chunnel with a helicopter following right along with it. I actually enjoyed the scene since I honestly expected the helicopter to crash. The special effects from Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) are spectacular as they fit the helicopter fit perfectly into the Chunnel, even though in real life the blades would never be able to fit.
Most of the characters are lack luster, but there are a few performances that keep you entertained. Cruise, going back to his Top Gun action-days, is in good form as Hunt. He plays Hunt with charm and persuasiveness. We believe that Hunt can do anything and is capable of getting out of any situation that confronts him. Vanessa Redgrave, Jean Reno, Ving Rhames and Jon Voight all put in good performances to keep us entertained during the non-action sequences.
Mission: Impossible is a good action movie. Even though it's better than most of the action movies that Hollywood comes out with, it still lacks story or love for the characters. How can we love any of them when no one in the movie loves each other? It's a movie that lives for the moment. It is a constant flow of action. And just when you think it's over, the theme comes on and we're ready for another ride. Grade: C+
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