I remember seeing this film opening weekend when I was eleven years old. I knew nothing about the show, but I was a fan of the re-runs of the original TV show. As such the opening section, where the IMF team is just demolished holds up as one of the first times a film really took me by surprise. I loved the movie back then, despite its comparative lack of action, and I still kind of love the movie now.
I like Tom Cruise and I think he's fantastic in this role in the way he isn't in the sequels. I like Ethan Hunt as a character whose 'safety zones' have been destroyed and who is reacting to a situation out of his control, it feels far more real than the super agent Hunt in 2 and 3. Voight is an odd choice, because he's a fascinating actor anyways and he injects a lot of life into a character who is important but not all that present but I feel it's more Voight than Phelps at the end of the day. But whilst Voight can be a convincing intellectual enemy he's just not physically threatening enough to be a threat when the film hit it's action climax. Jean Reno in theory is the muscle behind Voight, but he's kind of detached from the entire climax. It's an interesting take, I'm just not sure it's particularly succesful.
I also feel that aside from the opening, the vault sequence and the ending the film is kind of flabby. There's not enough forward momentum at times and the film is kind of needlessly obtuse for what it is. But that opening and the vault sequence are still my favourite things from all three movies and for all its faults I'd still say it's a damn sight better than 2 or 3 (even if that is damning with faint praise)
I like Tom Cruise and I think he's fantastic in this role in the way he isn't in the sequels. I like Ethan Hunt as a character whose 'safety zones' have been destroyed and who is reacting to a situation out of his control, it feels far more real than the super agent Hunt in 2 and 3. Voight is an odd choice, because he's a fascinating actor anyways and he injects a lot of life into a character who is important but not all that present but I feel it's more Voight than Phelps at the end of the day. But whilst Voight can be a convincing intellectual enemy he's just not physically threatening enough to be a threat when the film hit it's action climax. Jean Reno in theory is the muscle behind Voight, but he's kind of detached from the entire climax. It's an interesting take, I'm just not sure it's particularly succesful.
I also feel that aside from the opening, the vault sequence and the ending the film is kind of flabby. There's not enough forward momentum at times and the film is kind of needlessly obtuse for what it is. But that opening and the vault sequence are still my favourite things from all three movies and for all its faults I'd still say it's a damn sight better than 2 or 3 (even if that is damning with faint praise)
