Mission Impossible
Mission Impossible: when his mission in Prague goes FUBAR Ethan Hunt must prove his innocence and figure out who the real traitor is without the help of the CIA/IMF. This contains pretty much everything that’s cool about spying & espionage, from the high-tech gadgets (hacking/security) to the low-brow survival tricks (cracked light bulb on floor). Brian De Palma is on top form; the complex story is well told, and the moments of drama/tension are just perfect – the NOC list Langley break-in in particular is a beautiful, yet almost unwatchable, set piece – more generally, the film is like a masterclass in ambiance and tension. The director slaps a heavy streak of throwback Noir style: camera angles, soft focus, clothes, hats, music overcoats – not to mention the mystery story. Being a 90s film some of the technology is horrifically outdated, e-mail in particular is laugh-out-loud bad. While Ethan Hunt is no James Bond, the team behind Mission impossible did a great job of lifting from the Bond Blueprint and re-inventing a modern super-spy.
Score: 8/10
Paragraph Film Reviews 
Nice one. This flick hasn’t been getting the love it deserves recently, living in the shadow of each subsequent follow-up. I think this is one of de Palma’s two most fun films (with Snake Eyes).
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http://themoviefreakblog.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/7-x-7-link-award/
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I’m a fan of this film. I didn’t rate Ghost Protocol all that highly, thought this first outing was a lot better. It had a bit more cool to it, like you say. It’s got its own style and persona.
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The first MI is indeed great. The CIA break-in is of course the signature scene in the film. I think it is my second favorite of the series, with MI:3 being the best.
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