Mission Impossible: 1 – A Re-Review in Brief

This Movie IS For:

• Those who want to see where the Mission Impossible franchise started and be amazed at how far it has come
• People who really enjoy high-stakes heists with laser beam defense system

This Movie Is NOT For:

• Those who are skittish at the idea of elevator-based impalement
• People who want to see acting

Review – With Minor Spoilers

To start, I’m not sure if I’ve seen this film before, but it seems plausible, so I will call it a re-review. I decided to return to this series after recently rewatching Ghost Protocol and remembering how much I love the over-the-top action and humor. Mission Impossible: 1 (MI:1) almost feels like it’s from a completely different franchise. Where the later films in this series feel more playful and action-centric, MI:1 takes itself way too seriously until it suddenly doesn’t. Within the first ten minutes, a spy gets impaled on elevator spikes – and they show all of it, even if it’s brief – spies get stabbed to death, and we’re treated to a first-person POV of someone getting shot in the chest. It’s all fairly visceral, even if it comes off campy in a modern light, and it’s a completely different vibe from the action of later installments.

In this way, MI:1 feels like two films in one package, but only one is good. The first half of the film is a spy thriller with small-scale operations that feel focused and tense. Then, about halfway through we’re treated to a high-stakes break-in complete with laser wires and latex masks. Mission Impossible shines when it’s focusing on… well… the impossible missions. Over-the-top spy gear and sneaking around in air vents is what I came for, not tight shots at weird angles showcasing that Tom Cruise couldn’t always act.

If I didn’t know that I was in for consistently better films, I’m not sure I would have given MI:1 as much of a chance as I did. I’m glad I stuck around because the climactic finale is about as ridiculous as they come and was an excellent action set piece. To me, the core of the Mission Impossible series is high-stakes stunts, spies betraying other spies, and Tom Cruise being a bit of a cocky dickhead. The second half of this movie delivers exactly that and saves it from being bland.

Overall, the acting performances were rough, so the film was best when there was cool shit (e.g. laser grids and helicopter chases) to distract from the characters. If you’re just starting the Mission Impossible series, I don’t recommend starting with this one. Many of the other films feel standalone and are just flat-out better. That said, it’s enjoyable to go back and watch the film that spawned one of the most renowned action series of all time.

3/5 Stars – Know your history, but also go watch the other ones, they’re better