It’s been nearly three decades since Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt broke into the CIA in Mission: Impossible and set the ball rolling on what was to become the biggest action movie franchise in Hollywood history. That iconic heist, which is the best scene in the first Mission: Impossible movie, might still be the best setpiece in the entire franchise.

Mission: Impossible‘s Jim Phelps villain twist is also among the best in the franchise, which has almost consistently always featured fantastic villains. However, it still catches you off guard unless you’re aware of the twist, and it also sets up the perfect homage to the original Mission: Impossible TV show with the mask stunt towards the end of the movie.

1996’s Mission: Impossible movie doesn’t just hold up today, but also shows how it perfected the blueprint for spy cinema, which was then gradually modified for the later installments to create the action-heavy blockbuster franchise it became. Rewatching the film is still an amazing viewing experience as you’re revisiting the roots, but quite a few elements are rather surprising today.

Mission: Impossible’s тιтle Montage Is Very ’90s

The opening credits sequences in the Mission: Impossible movies are epic montages of scenes from the films set to the iconic Mission: Impossible theme song. Each film has its own version of the theme, which suits its tone, but of all the renditions, Danny Elfman’s version is the closest to Lalo Schifrin’s original score, and the corresponding montage suits it.

With inverse colors, quick cuts, frenzied zooms, and alternating glimpses of the movie’s тιтle, the opening montage in Mission: Impossible is distinctly ’90s, which looks completely different from the franchise’s later aesthetic. It was made at the peak of spy movies in the ’90s, and the sH๏τs in the montage are chosen to create suspense more than thrill or excitement.

The Tone Is Very Different Compared To The Rest Of The Franchise

Brian De Palma’s direction gives Mission: Impossible the vibe of an espionage thriller instead of an action blockbuster, which would more appropriately describe every sequel. Tension with a ticking clock is a gimmick in every movie, but the first film’s treatment of suspense as a narrative device would never truly return to the franchise, even as the stakes grew bigger.

Mission: Impossible is one of the best spy movies of the 1990s, and still largely holds up in terms of creating and holding dramatic tension through plot twists and deliberately paced sequences that are held together by De Palma’s masterful direction. Despite the spectacle presented on-screen, the film has a grounded tone that you won’t find in the other films.

Ethan Hunt’s Team Being Killed Off Is Genuinely Shocking If You Don’t Know It’s Coming

One of the best aspects of Mission: Impossible as a blockbuster franchise is its treatment of death. While franchises like Fast and Furious get regularly joked about for constantly bringing back ᴅᴇᴀᴅ characters, the Mission: Impossible franchise doesn’t do illogical revivals. While this means some Mission: Impossible characters deserve more screen time than they get, it makes their deaths impactful.

However, there’s a certain polish to the death scenes in the newer films, which adds to the sense of occasion but without getting gory. The first movie, however, is extremely violent and, beyond the gruesome nature of deaths, you also don’t expect to start the movie with Ethan’s teammates dying. It is a perfectly executed premise to create narrative tension.

The Langley Break-In Still Holds Up Nearly 30 Years Later

You’d be excused for thinking older setpieces in a franchise built on the premise of outdoing the previous entry wouldn’t be compelling, but that’s what makes De Palma’s Mission: Impossible a classic. Despite nearly three decades between it and the wingwalking stunt in the final film, the Langley break-in still holds its own among the best setpieces in the franchise.

The part of the wire stunt from Mission: Impossible, which Tom Cruise improvised, demonstrates how appropriate the actor was as a casting choice for Ethan. Not only does he perform his stunts, which have become significantly more outrageous in recent years, but he also constantly emotes while in these physically demanding situations. His performance makes the scene even more tense.

Tom Cruise Performs Sleight of Hand Magic Tricks In Mission: Impossible

While we all know about Tom Cruise’s physical prowess because of his unbelievable stuntwork over the years, from climbing the Burj Khalifa to hanging off a helicopter, his commitment to not using post-production tricks to thrill the audience goes beyond just risking his life to create realistic-looking action setpieces. Mission: Impossible features the most surprising instance of this practice.

The sleight-of-hand magic in Mission: Impossible, which Ethan Hunt uses to switch disks and keep the enemies one step behind, is actually done by the actor, who learned how to do close-up magic just for the movie. The last two films in the franchise refer back to Hunt’s knack for sleight-of-hand magic, but this is still the most impressive trick.

That’s David Schneider Driving The Train In Mission: Impossible’s Finale

Jeremy Renner was wasted by the Mission: Impossible franchise, and his character is practically reduced to just having a cameo in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, but some other genuine cameos in the franchise are quite effective, especially Anil Kapoor’s cameo in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol as the Indian telecommunication entrepreneur who adds humor to the movie’s climax.

Now, while the later movies in Mission: Impossible have more intentional comedy, the first film is much drier in its humor, and it’s shocking to realize that the train driver, who watches Ethan jumping off an exploding helicopter, is actually British comedian David Schneider. His expressions of utter shock are impeccable, and the blink-and-you-miss cameo is a great Easter egg!

The Scene Where Ethan Realizes Claire Survived Is Uncomfortable

From the first scene where we see Claire, right after the interrogation, it’s clear that Emmanuelle Béart is being framed as eye candy even when she’s unconscious. The camera angles are in keeping with De Palma’s reputation as a director of sleazy thrillers, but it becomes much more uncomfortable later, especially when Ethan meets Claire after his whole team dies.

Ethan is supposed to be searching for Claire in the scene, but the actors’ chemistry, and the sensual, creative choices made in framing Béart, add a very uncomfortable tone. The expressions on Béart’s face and the way her body flails might make you wonder if he’s ᴀssaulting her instead of just searching her. The music in the background doesn’t help.

The Mᴀssive, Unspoken Age Difference Between Jim & Claire

One of the harsh realities of rewatching Mission: Impossible is realizing that it’s often too steeped in trends of the 1990s that are rightfully less prevalent in the industry and its movies today. Female characters in the Mission: Impossible franchise have more agency in the later movies, and none of the actresses are reduced to eye candy like Emmanuelle Béart.

Moreover, her character, Claire, is married to Jon Voight’s character, Jim. The actors have an age gap of 25 years, which adds an uncomfortable element in the film. However, standards haven’t improved, as it ironically started a trend in the Mission: Impossible movies. The age gap between Cruise and his female co-leads has grown with every entry in the franchise.