Mission: Impossible (1996)

An American agent, under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organization.

Director:

Brian De Palma

Writers:

Bruce Geller (television series), David Koepp (story)

Stars:

Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart

3 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Cruise	...	Ethan Hunt
Jon Voight	...	Jim Phelps
Emmanuelle Béart	...	Claire (as Emmanuelle Beart)
Henry Czerny	...	Kittridge
Jean Reno	...	Krieger
Ving Rhames	...	Luther
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Sarah Davies (as Kristin Scott-Thomas)
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Max
Ingeborga Dapkunaite	...	Hannah
Valentina Yakunina	...	Drunken Female IMF Agent
Marek Vasut	...	Drunken Male IMF Agent
Nathan Osgood	...	Kittridge Technician
John McLaughlin	...	TV Interviewer
Rolf Saxon	...	CIA Analyst William Donloe
Karel Dobrý	...	Matthias

Storyline

Based on the hit television series. Jim Phelps (Jon Voight) was sent to Prague for a mission to prevent the theft of classified material. His wife Claire (Emmanuelle Béart) and his trusted partner Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) were members of Phelps' team. Unfortunately, something went horribly wrong and the mission failed, leaving Ethan Hunt the seemingly lone survivor. After he reported the failed mission, Kittridge (Henry Czerny), the head of the agency, suspects Ethan of being the culprit for the failed mission. Now, Ethan uses unorthodox methods (which includes the aid of an arms dealer going by the name "Max" (Vanessa Redgrave)) to try to find who set him up and to clear his name.

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Plot Keywords:

train | betrayal | ethan hunt character | murder | based on tv show | 

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Taglines:

Every second counts

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some intense action violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

The third highest grossing film of 1996.

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Goofs

When Krieger pulls up Ethan Hunt back to the air conditioning vent, he says "Merci" and then drops his knife (probably the one to kill the rat). As he drops his knife, it makes the metallic "pinging" sound. That is enough to set off the sound counter intrusion system and the vault would lock down, preventing Dunloe from entering the room. However, at the time the knife hit, Dunloe has already passed all access checks and the absence security system has been disabled.

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Quotes

Ethan Hunt: [inside a compartment on the TGV, referring to stealing the NOC list from CIA headquarters] Relax Luther, it's much worse than you think.

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits contain several plot points from the movie.

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Alternate Versions

The in-joke where Tom Cruise goes online with his laptop by typing in, not Usenet, but Crusenet, has been changed in the US DVD versions to where he types "internet access."

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Connections

Referenced in How It Should Have Ended: How Ant-Man Should Have Ended (2015)

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Soundtracks

The Plot
By Lalo Schifrin

User Reviews

Mission Impossible

Brian De Palma brings Mission: Impossible to the big screen in an explosive and action-packed adventure. Branded a trader when his team is killed during an intelligence operation, IMF agent Ethan Hunt goes rogue in order to clear his name. The plot's rather good, and does a fair job at building suspense and intrigue. Starring Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Beart, and Ving Rhames, the casting's pretty solid. And, the action sequences are shot especially well, adding a lot of energy and intensity to the film. Danny Elfman's score is also excellently done. Incredibly entertaining, Mission: Impossible is a fun and thrilling action film.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Czech

Release Date:

22 May 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mission: Impossible

Filming Locations:

Old Town Square, Old Town, Prague, Czech Republic

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$45,436,830, 26 May 1996

Gross USA:

$180,981,856

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$457,696,391

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Cruise/Wagner Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1