In the 1960’s several television shows were developed to capitalize on the growing success of the 007 franchise. Series like The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and The Saint were developed to give viewers a similar experience to watching a Bond film. On the other end of the spectrum were shows that wanted to try and show another side of secret agents. Instead of the glitz and action of 007, some shows attempted to give audiences more intellectual tales of espionage. The series with the longest running influence would have to be Mission: Impossible.
Created by Bruce Geller and produced by Paramount studios from 1966 to 1973, Mission: Impossible featured the Impossible Mission Force, who from the end of the first season through the end of the series, were run by Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves. Similar in tone to the British series, The Prisoner, Mission Impossible involved the exploits of the IMF team taking on espionage missions where nothing was what it seemed. From the familiar beats of the Mission: Impossible theme to the weekly self destruction of Phelps’ instructions, the series is one of the most influential series to be put on American television in that era. In the upswing of spy films in the 1990’s, Paramount Studios would once again call on the Impossible Mission Force to do battle with Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Mission: Impossible starring Tom Cruise and Jon Voight. Directed by Brian De Palma
In 1996, the Mission: Impossible franchise hit big screens. The film actually begins much like an episode of the series would have. A Russian man stands over a woman who has apparently overdosed. He is spilling his guts to some sort of officer, when suddenly he goes limp. In an instant, the walls of the room are removed, the girl is revived and the officer removes a mask to reveal the film’s hero Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt.
This does not even prepare the audience for the twists to come. The IMF team is sent into Prague, where the sale of a list of all the agents working in Europe is supposed to take place . In the ensuing chaos of the mission, Ethan Hunt’s team is wiped out and he is setup for their murders. On the run from authorities, Hunt has to steal the list, find out who set him up and clear his name. Hunt throws together a new team on the fly and runs through a maze of agents and traps on the road to redemption.
For trying to setup a franchise, Mission: Impossible split both critics and fans down the middle instead being able to please everyone. Many felt that the film betrayed the television series by discarding the team concept and making the film a vanity project for Tom Cruise. Those crying these faults missed the point of what the film was trying to accomplish. Film makers knew that audiences would have preconceived notions and expectations as to what the film would be about. The whole concept of Mission: Impossible as a series was to lead audiences along unsuspecting, until the rug was suddenly pulled out from under them. This is exactly what the film does. Director Brian De Palma pulls out every trick from up his sleeve giving fans of his previous work like Dressed to Kill a sense of deja’ vue with all the twists and turns of plot.
Tom Cruise pulls together a high quality performance that would be the first link in a chain of outstanding work that would continue all the way to this year’s tour de force in Collateral. It is Cruise that is the glue of the film. As the film goes on, many audience members became confused as to what was actually happening on screen. Cruise’s charisma saves the film and keeps audiences interested in Ethan’s fate, no matter that they really are not sure of the plot. Other notable performances in the film belong to Jon Voight as perennial team leader Jim Phelps, and Ving Rhames as computer expert Luthor Stickell.
To those with an open mind who are able to take in a lot of confusing plot turns the film is a highly enjoyable thriller. It was also able to use its star power to finally pull off what spy films in the past had been trying to do for some time, out-gross a James Bond film at the box office. With the help of Cruise, Mission: Impossible out-grossed the previous year’s Goldeneye by a $100 million world wide. The next step would be to try and produce a sequel that equaled the appeal of the first film, while trying to get an even bigger audience in theatres.
Mission: Impossible 2 starring Tom Cruise and Dougray Scott. Directed by John Woo
The second installment of the Mission: Impossible series begins with the hijacking of a commercial airliner and the murder of a scientist carrying an important package. At first it seems that Ethan Hunt is responsible for these terrible acts, but with the pull of a mask, Dougray Scott’s Sean Ambrose is revealed to be the villain. Ambrose has apparently stolen a deadly virus he plans to sell to the highest bidder on the black market. Hunt is sent in to stop Ambrose at all costs. Getting together an IMF team including Ambrose’s former lover Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Thandie Newton), Hunt has to infiltrate Ambrose’s forces and take him down before he is able to unleash the virus upon the world.
Instead of going with the convoluted mechanics of its predecessor, Mission: Impossible 2 comes at audiences with a straightforward spy adventure that would be right at home in the Bond cannon. Discarding the dingy, dark world of Brian De Palma’s film, this entry is about glamour and action. Employing the services of John Woo, who’s Hard Boiled, The Killer and Face/Off gained him a huge cult following with action fans, M.I.2 had everything a fan 007 would want in a film and then some.
The two main chase sequences have a poetic grace to them that lends itself well to the glamorous style of the film. The motorcycle chase at the end of the film is one of the most impressive stunt sequences ever presented in this type of film. Cruise’s Ethan Hunt goes from the vulnerable man on the run in the first film to a superhuman kung fu machine in this entry. Cruise does all his own stunts in the film, making each sequence more exciting than the next. One stands in awe of Cruise as he goes from rock climbing to car stunts, to slow motion shootouts, to mind blowing motorcycle stunts, and finally to a grand finale of fists, kicks, knives, and guns in the a no holds barred throw down with Scott’s Sean Ambrose.
Die hard fans of the series were outraged about M.I.2‘s break from the Mission: Impossible blueprint, but really the series has been about breaking away from expectations. M.I.2 took fans in a completely different direction from the original movie and fans were treated to a high octane adventure instead of a cookie cutter sequel. At its core, Mission: Impossible‘s main objective has been to compete with Bond. Mission: Impossible 2 did so with flying colors. Comparing box office grosses with The World is Not Enough, the highest grossing Bond ever and $352 million, M.I.2 was the clear winner taking in over half a billion dollars world wide.
Plans for a third film in the Tom Cruise lead series have been on the table for some time. Hopefully the picture can take an even different direction from the first two movies to help evolve the series even further. After 40 years, Bond has to finally fight to stay on top of Spymania Mountain. Series like this one and the Bourne series have presented serious contenders to 007’s throne. Hopefully the competition will make all three series the best they possibly can be and perhaps even more series can come about. Thankfully Mission: Impossible and Bourne have given audiences alternatives to Bond without watering down the market for spy films.
