DVD When a mission in Prague ends in disaster, IMF agent Ethan Hunt is forced to go on the run and uncover the real traitor before the CIA catches up with him.
Details
IMF agent Ethan Hunt travels to Prague as part of a team assigned to prevent the theft of the highly sensitive NOC list, which contains the identities of undercover agents operating around the world. However, the mission ends in disaster when the operation is compromised and every member of Hunt's team appears to be killed.
As the only apparent survivor, Hunt meets CIA director Eugene Kittridge and discovers that the entire mission was designed to expose a mole within the IMF. Realising that he is now the prime suspect, Hunt escapes and begins searching for the person responsible while attempting to clear his name.
Hunt recruits a small group of disavowed agents and devises an audacious plan to steal the genuine NOC list from CIA headquarters. With both the CIA and the real traitor closing in, his investigation takes him from Langley to London and finally aboard the Channel Tunnel train.
Picture & Sound
The picture quality is a slight disappointment. Colours are bright and vibrant, but the image lacks the crispness and definition that we have come to expect from the DVD format. It is by no means poor, although considering the healthy bit-rate on offer I was expecting a little more.
Thankfully, the soundtrack more than makes up for it. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is superb, with powerful bass during the action sequences and excellent use of the surround channels throughout. Dialogue remains crisp and clear, while Danny Elfman's score makes impressive use of the available speakers, making this an excellent disc for showing off a new surround system.
Menu & Extras
Extras are, once again, pathetic. Paramount really does need to sort itself out, particularly when there must be a considerable amount of material available for a production of this size. A Brian De Palma commentary, storyboards or a behind-the-scenes documentary would all have been welcome, but what do we get? A theatrical trailer for the film we have just spent our hard-earned money buying. Thrilling... not.
Overall
Mission: Impossible is certainly not without its faults. The plot is far more convoluted than it needs to be, and anybody expecting a straightforward continuation of the television series may be disappointed by the film's greater emphasis on Ethan Hunt. Even so, Brian De Palma handles the suspense superbly and delivers several genuinely memorable sequences.
Tom Cruise proves more than capable of carrying the film, while Jon Voight, Jean Reno and Ving Rhames provide strong support. The script occasionally ties itself in knots, but the pace rarely falters and there is always another set-piece waiting around the corner to drag things back on track.
The DVD itself is badly let down by its almost complete lack of extras, and the picture is not quite as sharp as it should be. Fortunately, the excellent Dolby Digital soundtrack goes a long way towards making amends. Despite its shortcomings, this remains a tense, stylish and thoroughly entertaining action thriller that is well worth adding to your collection.
Special features
- Theatrical Trailer
