Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
When Ethan Hunt, the leader of a crack espionage team whose perilous operation has gone awry with no explanation, discovers that a mole has penetrated the CIA, he's surprised to learn that he's the prime suspect. To clear his name, Hunt now must ferret out the real double agent and, in the process, even the score.
Kevin Ward reviewedJuly 7, 2025
I checked out of the Mission: Impossible films after part 3 and haven’t looked back despite the praise for McQuarrie’s more recent entries. But with part 7 on the horizon and my kids showing interest in that, we’re going to probably tackle the entire franchise.
I had completely forgotten that Brian De Palma directed this one. In fact, the only thing I remembered about this film was that iconic scene. De Palma’s direction is so good. I love me some dutch angles, though, so I might be a bit biased there. Some of the action went a little over-the-top—namely the helicopter in the tunnel sequence—but hey, what else would you want from a summer blockbuster. The ridiculous heel-turns and Scooby-Doo masks are here, but (from what I remember) not as egregious as what turned me off the franchise in parts 2 and 3. (We’ll see if that thinking holds up when we revisit those. I remember even less about those films than I did this one). Ultimately, this one serves as really great spy thriller and I am looking forward to finally seeing 4, 5, 6 and eventually 7.