Mission: Impossible

Play trailer

1:50

Mission: Impossible

PG-13

Released May 22, 1996

1h 50m

Action

Adventure

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

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.

Read Critics Reviews

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

Paul Kalina

The Age (Australia)

Many of the capable cast are wasted, misused or miscast.

May 6, 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

Ed Bradley

Flint Journal

To enjoy "Mission: Impossible" is less to analyze it than to wallow in its often breakneck pace and sophisticated production values.

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 19, 2025

Full Review

Read all reviews

rjerrycaldwellmsncom

I enjoyed watching it but I have seen it before.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/25/21

Full Review

Corey J

Probably a movie that hit harder when it first came out in 1996. Now we've seen a lot of these kind of spy action thrillers that are trying to be Mission: Impossible movies. But the movie still stands up today as an entertaining spy thriller with great action, very intense and dramatic moments, and a story that does keep you guessing.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/15/25

Full Review

Rami A

It's quite entertaining and offers a lot of excitement. However, it feels chaotic due to the various genres it attempts to combine. Additionally, I somehow was able to predict a lot of things early on. Why? I don't know. Probably cause of this moron thing I do called thinking.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/15/25

Full Review

Jackson W

Great movie, was definitely building up its character for something even better. Tom Cruise is amazing in any action role and this is evidence of that.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/11/25

Full Review

Flynn S

A classic. Tom cruise in action.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/08/25

Full Review

Andrew B

Great start to the series of 8 movies.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/23/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Brian De Palma

Director

Tom Cruise

Ethan Hunt

Jon Voight

Jim Phelps

Henry Czerny

Kittridge

Ving Rhames

Luther

Kristin Scott Thomas

Sarah Davies

Movieclips: Mission Impossible's Best Scenes

32:30

Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - Is He Serious?

0:59

Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - Tunnel Chase

2:12

Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - High-Speed Train Ride

2:12

Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - Master of Disguise

2:11

Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - Out of the Vault

1:33

Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - Into the Vault

2:13

Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - Close Call

2:13

Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - Mission Gone Wrong

2:07

Mission: Impossible: Official Clip - A Mole Hunt

2:13

View more videos

Mission: Impossible II

57%

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

57%

53%

Tomorrow Never Dies

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Mission: Impossible: Trailer 1

1:50

View more videos

View more photos

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)

Most Popular at Home Now