Mission: Impossible

1996

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.

Ratings:

Brad Score: 7.6/10

Internet Score: 7.0/10

Director:

Brian De Palma

Cast:

Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Henry Czerny, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart, Jean Reno, Kristin Scott Thomas, Vanessa Redgrave, Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė, Valentina Yakunina

Genres:

Thriller Action Adventure

My notes

I normally rewatch the series every July, but I've been too occupied recently. But damn, this film gets better with every viewing. De Palma's direction is as paranoid and unhinged as ever, shooting shot countershot conversations practically from the participants laps. But one thing that clicked for me this time was how much of the film's dialogue actually hints at later events. The one that leapt out was Jean Reno's Krieger saying he'd rather fly a helicopter into Fort Knox while on a train only to die flying a helicopter into the tunnel while tied to a train.

Watched July 4, 2026 via UHD — rated 7.7/10

Annual rewatch

Could we really smoke on planes in 1996?

The direction in this film is far more unhinged than I remember, and the plot is actually far more simple. I absolutely loved the pacing, which had me constantly questioning how long it had been since an act occurred.

Watched May 14, 2025 via UHD — rated 7.5/10