49. Mission: Impossible (1996) — Countdown to The Final Reckoning

A new podcast episode of "Sound Speed Action" is out now — and with it we start at the beginning with the 1996 thriller “Mission Impossible” to kick off this series.Brian DePalma (Scarface, Carlito’s Way) adapts the beloved thriller series for the big screen in a way that no one else can. He has a style all to himself. A really fun thing with this movie is that there is always so much detail and information to be taken from any scene you are watching in this movie. In every viewing you will definitely have a moment of “oh I didn’t notice that before!”The action set pieces from the initial embassy job, to the Langley break-in scene, to the TGV helicopter chase — this movie set the bar high for action!Did we mention this movie also has a crazy fun cast? Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ving Rhames, Jean Reno and Vanessa Redgrave!Danny Elfman makes this movie a thrill with his exciting and dramatic soundtrack which is made only better by Lalo Schifrin’s original Mission Impossible theme track and a sneaky inclusion of music too by The Cranberries and U2 members Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.The gadgets that don’t always work, the tension created by ultra-silent moments during missions (Langley), the stunts, the fights — this movie is an absolute ride.One area that we were a little split on with this movie is that DePalma does a great job at trusting his audience to pay attention, read between the lines, and figure things out themselves. The other side of that is that this movie has been critiqued by some saying that the plot at times can feel a little overly complicated. Still, whatever view you have there, it's hard to deny how fun and original this movie was (and still is), at the time it was released.“Mission Impossible” is streaming now on Paramount Plus and Prime Video and is available to rent and buy on all platforms too. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sohrabsmovieq.substack.com