Mission: Impossible

The Mission: Impossible series kicks off with this propulsive and often impressively engrossing entry that follows Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt as he attempts to figure out why his team has been murdered, with filmmaker Brian De Palma’s emphasis on striking (and downright iconic) set-pieces elevating the proceedings on an impressively frequent basis. It’s clear, certainly, that Cruise’s predictably captivating performance plays an instrumental role in securing the picture’s success, as the actor does a superb job of transforming his admittedly thin character into a wholeheartedly captivating and sympathetic figure. (And it doesn’t hurt, of course, that Cruise has been surrounded by stellar supporting players, including Jon Voight, Henry Czerny, and Ving Rhames.) The complicated narrative, which isn’t as difficult to follow as one might assume, ultimately exists as a clothesline upon which De Palma hangs a series of enthralling sequences, with the best and most obvious example of this an absolutely spellbinding scene set within Langley’s CIA headquarters. The whole thing builds towards a genuinely exciting climax that ensures the picture ends on a decidedly positive note, and it’s difficult to easily recall another film series that started out fully formed and without too many bumps in the road (ie the movie is perhaps a little too convoluted at parts, but that’s an awfully minor complaint).

***1/2 out of ****