Maybe MI's concept is simply dated. Certainly, the idea that there's a dark side to intelligence work is no longer a subversive one, and the end of the Cold War, as the film tries to acknowledge, has given spy fiction a certain halfheartedness. But on occasion, this Mission: Impossible comes to life in a way that suggests its potential to translate to today. One of these occasions is the smashingly tense, funny sequence in which Cruise and Reno raid a superalarmed computer room at CIA headquarters--it's both pure MI and pure De Palma.
The others are the brief scenes involving Vanessa Redgrave as a villainess who wants Cruise to sell her something called a "Noc-list" (it sounded to me as if the MacGuffin they were chasing from Prague to D.C. to London was a "knockwurst"). He's warned that she's a master of making agents into turncoats, and when we meet Redgrave, it's no wonder--as usual, the actress is a flirt supreme. Saying no to her would seem far too high a price to pay for loyalty to one's country.
Mission: Impossible:
Directed by Brian De Palma; with Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Beart, Jean Reno and Kristin Scott-Thomas.
Rated
Now Showing
Find capsule reviews, showtimes & tickets for all films in town.
Join My Voice Nation for free stuff, film info & more!
Now Trending
Movie Trailers
-
Voice Places
Find everything you're looking for in your city
-
Happy Hour App
Find the best happy hour deals in your city
-
Daily Deals
Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%
-
Best Of...
Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city
- Profile
- Newsletters
- Mobile
- Logout
