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Mission: Impossible

Play trailer 1:50 Poster for Mission: Impossible PG-13 1996 1h 50m Action Adventure Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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67% Tomatometer 165 Reviews 71% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
When U.S. government operative Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his mentor, Jim Phelps (Jon Voight), go on a covert assignment that takes a disastrous turn, Jim is killed, and Ethan becomes the prime murder suspect. Now a fugitive, Hunt recruits brilliant hacker Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and maverick pilot Franz Krieger (Jean Reno) to help him sneak into a heavily guarded CIA building to retrieve a confidential computer file that will prove his innocence.
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Mission: Impossible

Mission: Impossible

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Critics Consensus

Full of special effects, Brian DePalma's update of Mission: Impossible has a lot of sweeping spectacle, but the plot is sometimes overly convoluted.

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Critics Reviews

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Rick Groen Globe and Mail Although the attendant cast acquit themselves well enough... the money-in-the-bank star seems somewhat distracted. Rated: 2.5/4 Oct 8, 2025 Full Review Philip Wuntch Dallas Morning News The movie has too much vitality to allow itself to be overly analyzed; so just participate in the magic carpet ride. May 13, 2025 Full Review David Denby New York Magazine/Vulture The screenwriters, David Koepp and Robert Towne, barely sketch in relationships among the characters. May 6, 2025 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Character development counts for naught in this movie, and what they do with Jim Phelps, held over from the TV show, is blasphemous. But most viewers won’t mind as the film hurtles from one impressively staged sequence to the next. Rated: 3/4 Nov 13, 2025 Full Review Alan Jones Radio Times It's best to forget the complicated plot - something about Cruise clearing his name and proving to the CIA he's not a treacherous mole - and simply enjoy the epic rollercoaster ride that De Palma brings to life with his customary brilliance. Rated: 4/5 Aug 31, 2025 Full Review Bob Strauss Los Angeles Daily News The director's fertile visual imagination graces this soulless blockbuster with wit, suspense and personality. Aug 20, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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rjerrycaldwellmsncom I enjoyed watching it but I have seen it before. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/25/21 Full Review Adam C The best Mission Impossible by far. Typical popcorn eaters can’t fathom the complexity of the plot. The original MI doesn’t stoop to the mediocrity of today’s theater goer. The last MI that came out had no subtlety whatsoever. Just big heads telling you the plot so you don’t have to think. Brian de Palma never considered hand-feeding his audience, as reflected in the general score of this film, and sadly movies nowadays follow conventional storytelling and network notes literally beg writers to dumb their scripts down, to allow people watching to simultaneously scroll Instagram instead of pay attention. The OG MI is a masterclass in keeping you guessing and I wish the franchise had followed suit. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/28/25 Full Review Logan G. Mission Impossible is an action packed movie with some good effects and stunts, and is entertaining, even if the plot is a little confusing. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/16/25 Full Review André Ferreira F O filme tem bons atores, cenas icónicas e uma granda banda sonora. Mesmo assim, o roteiro parece, por vezes, preguiçoso e genérico, perdendo a oportunidade de capitalizar as grandes reviravoltas da trama. (avaliação: 6/10) Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/20/25 Full Review Jace T Mission: Impossible is a reboot of the old 1960's Mission: Impossible TV show. Tom Cruise took his shot at making a modern franchise and succeeded. While, I think this film is ok, I am very glad it has turned into the franchise it has, because the newer movies are amazing! This one feels very dated to me, and just doesn't click with me as much as I am sure it did to many in the 90's. Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt in this One-Person Army Action film, and it shows with how much it really only cares about him. Cruise uses his skills as a Spy to complete an "impossible" mission. Everything he does is in this Urban Adventure to uncover the spy who going against his organization. There is some sweat dripping Action throughout this film. Ethan Hunt breaks into impossible locations on his Adventure. While it may have not connected with me, there is no denying that this Thriller will leave many on the edge of their seat. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/10/25 Full Review Naomi P. As the first of the Mission Impossible movie franchise, this movie is one of the best of today’s entertainment industry. There are many daring stunts, clever tricks, humorous scenes, and unique characters. This film is one of the triumphs of modern television, and recommended for all those who are interested. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/08/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Mission: Impossible

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Mission: Impossible

Movieclips: Mission Impossible's Best Scenes Movieclips: Mission Impossible's Best Scenes 32:30 Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - Is He Serious? Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - Is He Serious? 0:59 Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - Tunnel Chase Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - Tunnel Chase 2:12 Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - High-Speed Train Ride Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - High-Speed Train Ride 2:12 Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - Master of Disguise Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - Master of Disguise 2:11 Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - Out of the Vault Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - Out of the Vault 1:33 Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - Into the Vault Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - Into the Vault 2:13 Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - Close Call Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - Close Call 2:13 Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - Mission Gone Wrong Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - Mission Gone Wrong 2:07 Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - A Mole Hunt Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - A Mole Hunt 2:13 View more videos
Mission: Impossible II 58% 42% Mission: Impossible II Watchlist TRAILER for Mission: Impossible II Mission: Impossible III 73% 69% Mission: Impossible III Watchlist TRAILER for Mission: Impossible III Extreme Ops 7% 28% Extreme Ops Watchlist Die Another Day 56% 41% Die Another Day Watchlist Tomorrow Never Dies 58% 53% Tomorrow Never Dies Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis When U.S. government operative Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his mentor, Jim Phelps (Jon Voight), go on a covert assignment that takes a disastrous turn, Jim is killed, and Ethan becomes the prime murder suspect. Now a fugitive, Hunt recruits brilliant hacker Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and maverick pilot Franz Krieger (Jean Reno) to help him sneak into a heavily guarded CIA building to retrieve a confidential computer file that will prove his innocence.
Director
Brian De Palma
Producer
Tom Cruise, Paula Wagner
Screenwriter
David Koepp, Robert Towne
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount Pictures, Cruise-Wagner Productions
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Action, Adventure, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 22, 1996, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
May 2, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$180.9M
Runtime
1h 50m
Sound Mix
Stereo, Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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