MovieChat Forums > Mission: Impossible (1996) Discussion > Worst of the franchise

Worst of the franchise

posted 6 years ago by AnubisRaydeen (7897)
47 replies | jump to latest

I just rewatched this and oh boy did I forget how bad it was. Cruise still had that wide-eyed psychopath grin and the directing was Renny Harlan bad. It has its iconic scenes that are very good and have been copied (usually better) a million times but the two or three quality sequences do not forgive the sloppy garbage that is this movie. I'm not even talking about the disrespect to the source material. That is another topic. I'm talking about poor quality film making. Sometimes outright stupid.

I think people are holding this in a reverent space in their memory but would change their minds with a rewatch.

Similarly, I felt the same way about Scarface. A shitty movie with a few inspired scenes. The fact that de Palma is doing the new Predator is very upsetting.

[–] Seperatrix (1090) 3 years ago

To each his/her own.

It's the only one I really like and purchased in Blu-ray.

[–] AnubisRaydeen (7897) 3 years ago

Having rewatched 1 and 2 just recently, I would say that they tie for worst. They each have a moment or two of quality but drown in poor directing.

[–] Interlepos (1784) 3 years ago

The first Mission Impossible is the best of the series.

Scarface a shitty movie? Brother...

[–] spurtle467 (1502) 3 years ago

The first one is in the top 3 along with 4 and 5. The second one is easily the worst; boring with constant slow-mo action and barely memorable, other than for the boring slow-mo.

You could argue the hanging scene is the best of the entire franchise, which alone takes number 1 above number 2 (and when I say number 2 I don't just mean the film order, I also mean toilet habits).

[–] CheekyMonkey (584) 3 years ago

The first mission impossible is the most cinematic... not just the iconic scenes, but the mood and atmosphere that is present throughout the movie.. It's just so good...

I rewatch it every few years and seeing it on on my projector at home reminds me of late 90s cinema days... Peak of our contemporary civilisation...

I agree with others, the spy elements are superb as well... Very fitting and not as present in the more recent movies, which are a bit more dominated by action, although there is enough action in this one...

As an aside, since you mentioned Scarface... Scarface is iconic as well... Although that movie retains more of Oliver Stone's influence about political and socio-economic context... It does have the verve of DePalma and Al Pacino is iconic and convey's so much truth and reality to the viewer through his over the top performance.. Make you feel it enough to understand being a gangster...

[–] TheyLiveWeSleep (192) 3 years ago

It's probably the worst of the franchise but I still think it's a good movie. I plan on getting the 4k set soon.

[–] Stratego (29294) 2 years ago

Actually, this one is most watchable because it still embraces the cheesiness of the tv series. The rest takes itself way too seriously. And as others have pointed out, it is actually a spy thriller instead of a dime-a-dozen action flick.