Mission: Impossible

Before this movie, the only fictional spy I was aware of was James Bond. As a teenager, I really had trouble understanding the plot but then again who didn’t? Now that I am older and have seen “Mission: Impossible” a lot, I understand the plot better and it is fun. You have to pay attention and the film has more than the usual action sequences to entertain and create suspense.

As with James Bond and "Indiana Jones", we are thrown into an adventure from the start. The opening scene is symbolic of the whole movie. We don’t quite understand what is going on and it takes a lot of twists that are hard to follow. We are still entertained however. The opening credit sequence is well constructed to gear us up for the movie. Because of this opening credit sequence, we are given glimpses of the movie we are about to watch. For the next two hours, we get moments of déjà vu and that adds to the enjoyment. The opening mission in Prague is pretty straightforward and easy to understand. I like how in the meeting with Kittridge, cinematography (particularly the low camera angles and tilts) is used to create tension. It is this scene where we start to get confused. I think the reason why this movie is confusing is that we can't tell if the mole knows that the Prague mission is phony from the start. I have determined that the mole didn't know about the mole hunt against him because if this person knew, the mole would have suspected that the disk is worthless and equipped with a tracking device. However, the mole and his man still go after the NOC list and give it to Max with the expectation of being paid. The mole kills the other IMF agents and leaves Ethan alive so he can take blame for losing the list. What the mole didn't plan on was that Ethan would be unintentionally framed as the mole. Still confused? So are a lot of people. I was confused when first watching this film but instead of taking too much time to spell it out for us like some movies do, the film was made entertaining so that we would want to see it again in order to understand it. Director Christopher Nolan did the same later with “Inception” and “The Prestige”. The only way for Ethan to clear his name is to save Max from being arrested and then use Max to draw out the real mole. Then he will turn them both in and prove his innocence. The bait for both Max and the mole is the real NOC list that Ethan will have to steal. I love the Job 314 twist as well as the identity of Max.

Another great scene is the introduction of Luther and Krieger. The explanation of the vault at Langley is the best exposition scene in the franchise because Ethan’s dialogue is very well written and performed. Also, the montage of images is well constructed. The scene ends with a one-liner and the MI theme music takes us to Langley, Virginia. The penetration of the vault is my favorite feat in the whole franchise because there is no music and few sound effects. As a result, great drama is created. The editing picks up tempo towards the end in order to show Ethan almost touching the floor, making too much noise and raising the temperature almost simultaneously as the technician is coming back in the room. What anxiety! We also have humor in the scene with the technician throwing up. Once in London, the stamp on the book is the biggest clue for Ethan as to the identity of the mole but it can’t be true in his mind because his suspect is dead. Then his suspect makes a surprise appearance in order to earn Ethan’s trust and turn him fully against Kittridge. The lie about Kittridge pulling the trigger doesn't fool Ethan and this creates another entertaining exposition scene. Ethan’s time in Prague, the stamp on the book and the mole's appearance in London make it possible for Ethan to figure out most everything. The only thing he doesn’t know is if Clair is against him too. I like how Ethan pretends to believe the mole while at the same time figuring out how his team members were killed back in Prague. After the phone call from London, Kittridge knows that Ethan wants him to go there. He is not sure why but after getting the watch and the tickets for the London Terminus, he is pretty sure that Ethan is going to hand Max over. The climax is a lot of fun. The special effects of the shots on top of the train in daylight are still impressive after more than 20 years. I love it when Ethan yells at the pilot in triumph when he attaches the cable from the helicopter to the train. I also love how the film leads up to the helicopter explosion. We hear the theme and Ethan brings out the gum. Red light, green light. In the case of the bad guys, it is a red light. Sure Ethan’s jump back onto the train seems unrealistic but it sure is cool.

This film did introduce me to a few actors such as Oscar-winner Jon Voight, Jean Reno and Ving Rhames. Rhames presence in every film in the franchise is welcome. I knew who Tom Cruise was before 1996 but “Mission: Impossible” was the first movie I saw of his. I was happy to see Emilio Estevez at the start of this movie and I loved his scene concerning the stick of gum. Other filmmakers involved with “Mission: Impossible” are noteworthy. Co-writer David Koepp has written or co-written other films that I love such as the first two Jurassic Park films, “Spider-Man”, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and “Angels & Demons”. Danny Elfman’s score for this film was pretty fun and his opening adaptation of the MI theme is my favorite out of the whole franchise. He made great use of it throughout the entire show as mentioned. Editor Paul Hirsch is an Oscar winner from “Star Wars” and Visual Effects Supervisor John Knoll would later supervise the effects of the Star Wars prequels, “Avatar” and other impressive films (he would also later win an Oscar for his work on the second “Pirates of the Caribbean” film). Another "Star Wars"/"Indiana Jones" connection with "Mission: Impossible" is the production designer, Norman Reynolds. He won two Oscars for working on both "A New Hope" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark".

Despite its complex story, “Mission: Impossible” is a lot of fun. The action comes in a variety of forms and you have to pay attention as you watch. I am glad the film was a success because it led to a franchise with some additional fun moments.

4 Stars