Search - Mission Impossible (Widescreen Edition) on DVD

Mission Impossible
Widescreen Edition
Actors: Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart, Henry Czerny, Jean Reno
Director: Brian De Palma
Genres: Action & Adventure, Indie & Art House, Mystery & Suspense

PG-13 1998 1hr 50min

Mission Impossible — A flashy, splashy summer-movie blockbuster that's fun and exciting without being mindless? That's the impossible mission accomplished by director Brian De Palma, star-coproducer Tom Cruise, and the crac... more »k team of Mission: Impossible. Based on the '60s TV show and an almost impenetrably complex (but nonetheless thrilling) original story by David Koepp (Jurassic Park) and Steven Zaillian (Schindler's List), with a screenplay by Koepp and Robert Towne (Chinatown, Shampoo), Mission: Impossible begins with veteran agent Jim Phelps (Jon Voight) and his expert crew embarking on a mission that goes horribly, horribly wrong. But nothing is what it seems. The nail-biting set piece--always a signature of director De Palma (Carrie, The Untouchables)--in which Cruise is lowered from the ceiling to retrieve information from a computer in a high-security vault--is an instant classic. But perhaps even more impressive, at least in retrospect, is a flashback sequence in which two characters attempt to reconstruct a series of events from multiple points of view. It's pretty daring and sophisticated stuff for a big-budget spy movie, but brains were always what put the Mission: Impossible team ahead of the competition, anyway, no? --Jim Emerson

Mission Impossible II

Visually stunning, and a likely must for John Woo aficionados, the second Mission: Impossible outing from megastar Tom Cruise suffers from an inconsistent tone and tired plot devices--not only recycled from other films, but repeated throughout the film. Despite remarkable cinematography and awe-inspiring, trademark Woo photography, the movie offers a tepid story from legendary screenwriter-director Robert Towne (Chinatown, Without Limits) and a host of other writers, most uncredited.

It is, regrettably, as forgettable as the first big-budget, big box-office MI in 1996, and it's clear (as Towne confirms) that the plot was developed around Woo- and Cruise-written action sequences. The film combines equal elements of romance and action, and is best when it features the stunning allure of Thandie Newton as Nyah, a master thief recruited by the sinewy charms of Ethan Hunt (a fit Cruise). Deeply in love after a passionate night, the couple must then combat MI nemesis (and Nyah's former lover) Sean Ambrose (Ever After's Dougray Scott). Ambrose holds hostage a virus and its cure, and offers them to the highest bidder.

Woo's famed mythic filmmaking is far from subtle, with heroic Hunt frequently slow-motion walking through fire, smoke, or other similar devices, replete with a white dove among pigeons to signal his presence. The emphasis on romance is an attempt to develop character and a more human side to superspy Hunt, but still the dreary story proves a distraction from the exciting action sequences. John Polson (as an MI team member) is an Aussie talent to keep an eye on. --N.F. Mendoza

Mission Impossible III

At the time of its release, Mission: Impossible III's box office was plagued by the publicity backlash against couch-jumping star Tom Cruise. It's too bad, because this third installment of the spy thriller franchise deserved a better reception than it got. First-time feature director J.J. Abrams (bigwig TV director/producer of Lost, Alias, & Felicity) proves more than able-bodied in creating a Mission: Impossible that's leaner and less over-stylized than John Woo's sequel and less confusing than Brian De Palma's original. Plot is still a throwaway here (Cruise's Ethan Hunt rescues his kidnapped former trainee and works to steal a device that... well, we don't really know what it does, but it's something about mass destruction that costs $850 million), but the action sequences, particularly one where Ethan faces down a helicopter on a bridge and gets flung hard against the side of a car, are particularly impressive since Cruise, at 44, is still doing most of his own stunts and shows no hint of the weathered look that's struck his action-star peers. (Though no Mission: Impossible stunt will ever be quite as simultaneously nail-biting and funny as the first film's wire-dangling break-in of CIA headquarters.)

Mission: Impossible III boasts a pedigreed cast, particularly Oscar® winner Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) as baddie arms dealer Owen Davian. Hoffman plays Owen all teeth-clenched and cool, especially when threatening to kill Ethan in front of his lovely new wife (Michelle Monaghan) who has no idea of his spy life. But in his first action-film lead role, Hoffman's almost too calm and collected to really make a memorable villain, especially when the rest of the cast--Ving Rhames (the only other cast member to return for all three films), Asian film star Maggie Q, and an underused Jonathan Rhys-Meyers--are a highlight as Ethan's IMF team. Mission: Impossible is still fun popcorn spy fare, and if Cruise chooses to end the franchise here, at least he goes out on a high note. --Ellen A. Kim

228

Larger Image

Movie Details

Actors: Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart, Henry Czerny, Jean Reno
Director: Brian De Palma
Creators: J.C. Calciano, Paul Hitchcock, Paula Wagner, Bruce Geller, David Koepp, Robert Towne, Steven Zaillian
Genres: Action & Adventure, Indie & Art House, Mystery & Suspense
Sub-Genres: Espionage, Tom Cruise, Indie & Art House, Mystery & Suspense
Studio: Paramount
Format: DVD - Color,Full Screen,Widescreen,Letterboxed - Closed-captioned
DVD Release Date: 11/17/1998
Original Release Date: 05/22/1996
Theatrical Release Date: 05/22/1996
Release Year: 1998
Run Time: 1hr 50min
Screens: Color,Full Screen,Widescreen,Letterboxed
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Total Copies: 8
Members Wishing: 0
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Languages: English, French
Subtitles: Spanish
See Also:

Similar Movies

Mission Impossible 2
2 Disc Widescreen Edition
Director: John Woo

200

PG-13 2hr 3min

Mission - Impossible III
Full Screen Edition
Director: J.J. Abrams

176

PG-13 2006 2hr 6min

The Bourne Identity
HD DVD

439

PG-13 2007 1hr 59min

Mission Impossible II
Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition
Directors: Brian De Palma, John Woo

140

PG-13 2006 2hr 3min

The Bourne Supremacy
Full Screen Edition
Director: Paul Greengrass

375

PG-13 2004 1hr 48min

Men in Black
Superbit Collection
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld

320

PG-13 2003 1hr 38min

Similarly Requested DVDs

Mission - Impossible II
Widescreen Edition
Director: John Woo

246

PG-13 2000 2hr 3min

Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest
Widescreen Edition
Director: Gore Verbinski

674

PG-13 2006 2hr 31min

Mission Impossible III
Widescreen Edition
Director: J.J. Abrams

166

PG-13 2006 2hr 6min

Quantum of Solace
Director: Marc Forster

148

PG-13 2009 1hr 46min

Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End
Widescreen Edition

424

PG-13 2007 2hr 47min

The Notebook

580

PG-13 2005 2hr 3min

The Bourne Supremacy
Widescreen Edition
Director: Paul Greengrass

375

PG-13 2004 1hr 48min

Sweet Home Alabama

554

PG-13 2003 1hr 48min

The Bourne Ultimatum
Widescreen Edition
Director: Paul Greengrass

286

PG-13 2007 1hr 56min

The Terminator
Director: James Cameron

246

R 2001 1hr 48min

Member Movie Reviews

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 3/23/2024...

Great action, mystery and suspense series with Tom Cruise throughout the movies!

Samuel C. from GASTONIA, NC
Reviewed on 8/26/2011...

What a wonderful mystery. None can guess what will happen next.
The first of four films now; it is a fine prelude to the latter three.

Sally J. from ONEIDA, TN
Reviewed on 4/19/2010...

A great movie! As usual, Tom Cruise does such a "spot on " performance. He makes the unbelievable believable.

Movie Reviews

NOTHING SPECIAL ABOUT THIS EDITION

G.V. | Mexico City, Mexico | 07/09/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I am a big fan of this movie but there's nothing special about this, so-called "Collector's Edition" which only seems to have been issued in order to have something tied up for the release of MI3.

There are a few short clips on how the incredible set pieces were made but no new interviews, deleted scenes, commentaries, etc. The featurettes included are as shallow as they can get. This is too bad given the many years we had been waiting for a special edition of this movie. Compare this to the incredible SEs Fox has been issuing of movies such as the Poseidon Adventure, Towering Inferno, Nine to Five, Planet of the Apes, etc. and it feels like somebody at Paramount ought to be fired."

2 out Of 3 Aint Bad

P. Svensen | Alice Springs, Australia | 11/18/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I am not going to bore people with what the plots on these 3 movies are about as I think we all have a reasonable grasp of them. What I will say about the HD-DVD boxset is that MI2 and MI3 are both spectacular examples of this high definition format. They excel in both the video and audio transfers, I think they would have been par excellence if they had of included a TrueHD audio track.

The one down point to this set is the original MI HD-DVD, the ball was dropped on this one with a sub par video transfer which at times was so out of focus that it was not funny. The audio, while not jaw dropping, was acceptable."

Fantastic, what are you talking about?

themandgman | Minneapolis, Minnesota | 02/26/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't quite get the bad reviews for this film. Its one of my All-Time favorites, and sure, it takes brains to follow the storyline. Yeah? So? I think that you have become to accustomed to action movies with no stories, just people getting blown up. This movie centers around Ethan Hunt (Cruise) an IMF agent sent on a mission in Keiv. The mission goes wrong and its up to Ethan to figure out what happened. He soon finds himself trying to keep a IMF NOC list from getting into the wrong hands. But whose hands are those? This movie does involve some thinking, and you may have to view it a few times to truly appreciate, but isn't that what a great movie does? You pick up new things every time you view. The movie stars Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Jon Voigt in a great role and other well known actors and actresses."

Great action film !

Jamie Bouadana | Rhymney UK | 06/01/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With the sequel realeased at thre moment, this is a must be watched movie. If you like action movies with great effects and storline you will love this movie, Tom Cruise fits the role like a glove, if you like James Bond, secret agent movies as I do then I would say this is one of the best non-bond movies around. The story line invloves Tom Cruise as typical secret agent on a mission, suddenly the mission goes wrong and all his team get wiped out, Tom is accused of sabotaging the mission and needs to find out what really happend. This is an ideal opening to a superb mystery action film. If the sequel comes close to its predecessor then your in for another thrill ride. The DVD is superb, both formats and awsome dolby 5.1 sound, if you have seen the movie on video, buy the DVD to experience it as it was meant to watched."

Great Movie/ Crisp Blu Ray but NO High Def Audio Support

PulpFiction4life | Minneapolis, MN United States | 07/24/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Mission Impossible: I is the first movie of the three mission impossibles and it is by far the only one worth watching. True, the second one has crazy explosives and flying karate kicks but that's not what true espionage is all about.

Then there's the third one, the most recent, and it's more espionage than the 2nd but it too relys too heavily on explosions and big names to give you any real value as a movie. This movie is the bread and butter of "didn't see it coming" espionage spy movies!

That said, I'd like for you as a viewer of reviews to check out the DVD reviews of this Movie and get more of a feel for what it has to offer, Here in the "Blu Ray" Review I just want to tell you whats improved or not improved, for that matter, on the blu ray version. I currently have the Onkyo TX-SR805 receiver which decodes True HD and DTS Master HD audio formats NEITHER OF WHICH ARE SUPPORTED ON THIS BLU RAY DISC.

The best audio that is offered on this Disc is regular Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 which sounds great, but does not live up to the standards that are trying to be set in this next generation of home entertainment.

So I was disappointed in not getting the HD audio I would expect it does look fantastic in HD, there's a lot of contrast in black levels and the details in face shots are phenomenal but I wouldn't replace my Old Mission Impossible DVD with a Blu Ray Version (I rented it from blockbuster online to see the difference)

Hope this helps you as a consumer Cheers."