Netflix pick for 7/27/15 – ‘Mission: Impossible’

The series of films based on the popular 1960’s television series “Mission: Impossible” might be best known for two things: first off, this was the series that got Tom Cruise doing his own stunts in action movies in earnest, as his performed most of his own stunts in this movie in order to save money and also because everyone recognized that the scenes just looked better with the actual main actor in there instead of shooting around stuntmen. And secondly, being produced by Cruise himself, this franchise of films has the distinction of being the series of movies with the best directors possible. John Woo, J.J. Abrams, Brad Bird, Tom Cruise always goes after the best to help make his movies a reality. And that started with the very first “Mission: Impossible,” which was directed by the one and only Brian De Palma.

And leave it to De Palma to make a “Mission: Impossible” movie that left a bad taste in the mouths of fans of the original series, because he decided that he was going to have a majority of the team killed very early on in the story, with the rest of the movie being one character’s search for the culprit behind the deaths. This character is Ethan Hunt, played by Cruise, and NOT a character from the original show but instead invented for this movie. They took the idea of the show and went in a completely different direction and it is pretty fantastic. It is full of classic De Palma style cinematic flourishes, and the action scenes are all memorable and awesome. Hell, just look at the sequence in which Hunt breaks into CIA headquarters, which itself has been parodied and spoofed countless times in American pop culture in the last two decades, proof positive that this movie has a lasting cultural impact. And for good reason, because this movie is suspenseful and fun and crazy, and one of the best “M:I” films of the bunch.

So check out the original “Mission: Impossible” right here and enjoy the Tom Cruise-iness.