Mission: Impossible [Special Collector' Edition]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

After he is framed for the death of several colleagues and falsely branded a traitor, a secret agent embarks on a daring scheme to clear his name in this spy adventure. Though it drew its name from the familiar television series, director Brian DePalma's big-budget adaptation shares little more with the original show than the occasional self-destructing message and the name of team leader Jim Phelps (Jon Voight). The film focuses not on Phelps but his protege, Ethan Hunt (a reserved Tom Cruise), who becomes a fugitive after taking the blame for a botched operation. He responds by banding together with a group of fellow renegades, and he is soon maneuvering his way through a twisted series of double crosses that mainly serve as excuses for spectacular high-tech action sequences. Much of the activity revolves around a missing computer disk, with the film's most famous scene depicting Hunt's delicate efforts to retrieve the disk from a secure, well-alarmed room in CIA headquarters. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Tom Cruise - Ethan Hunt
       Jon Voight - Jim Phelps
       Emmanuelle Beart - Claire
       Henry Czerny - Kittridge
       Jean Reno - Krieger
       Ving Rhames - Luther
       Andreas Wisniewski - Max's Companion

• Director:

  Brian De Palma

• Producer:

  Tom Cruise, Paula Wagner

• Screenwriter:

  Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz, David Koepp, Steven Zaillian, Robert Towne

• Cinematographer:

  Stephen H. Burum

• Composer (Music Score):

  Danny Elfman

• Songwriter:

  Danny Elfman

• Composer (Music Score):

  Lalo Schifrin

• Editor:

  Paul Hirsch

• Production Designer:

  Norman Reynolds

• Art Director:

  Fred Hole

• Executive Producer:

  Paul Hitchcock

• Costume Designer:

  Penny Rose

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  David Crozier

• Makeup:

  Rob Bottin

• Special Effects:

  Industrial Light & Magic

• First Assistant Director:

  Chris Soldo

• Casting:

  Mali Finn, Patsy Pollock

• Pilot:

  Robert "Bobby Z" Zajonc

• Model Effects:

  Eben Stromquist, David Dranitzke, Stephen Gawley, Richard Miller

• Digital Effects:

  Alison O'Brien

• Foley Mixer:

  Tony Eckert

• Model Effects:

  Rick Anderson, Jon Foreman, John Goodson

• Digital Effects:

  Pete Hanson

• Model Effects:

  Edward Hirsch, Keith London, Scott McNamara

• Digital Effects:

  Dennis Michelson

• Model Effects:

  Chris Reed, Martin Rosenberg, Kim Smith

REVIEW:

• A superior summer blockbuster in nearly every respect, this Brian De Palma-helmed adaptation of the '60s TV series provoked a lot of unnecessary head-scratching at the time for having a plot that actually required attention to follow (a criticism its inferior 2000 sequel apparently took to heart). But even those put off by David Koepp, Steve Zaillian, and Robert Towne's twisty screenplay still had plenty to enjoy: a charismatic lead performance from Tom Cruise, a well-chosen supporting cast, and some unforgettable set pieces to rank with the best of De Palma's career. Not that the film itself does. Clever without really being about more than its action sequences, nifty gadgets, and memorable locations (although it might be argued that all those surveillance devices tap into some familiar themes), this is clearly De Palma working as a director-for-hire. But like the best hired help, he gets the job done and then some. ~ Keith Phipps, Rovi