In a nutshell: IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is the only
survivor of an attack on his team – making him the likely suspect
in their murders. With the help of a couple of contractors (Jean Reno
and Ving Rhames), Hunt sets off to find out who is really responsible,
and in turn, gets to practice some trapeze acts at Langley. Though
little more than a vehicle for Tom Cruise to: flash his teeth,
demonstrate how fit he is and yell ever-so-loudly when he’s under
pressure, M:I scores points right-off-the-bat thanks to
lavish production values that ultimately merge with a well-written
storyline (the likes of which the sequel really could have used).
Vanity vehicle? Sure, but so be it, if they’re as exquisitely
filmed and as effectively-paced as this. M:I is the type
of film that grows on you, every time you watch it. At first, it may
seem to be a little sluggish and disappoint those that are after
back-to-back action scenes. Revisited though, it’s clear that
it’s an intriguing movie, with a pretty smart storyline, and some
interesting twists and turns in it’s tail end. Like him or loathe
him, you also can’t argue that Cruise is a fine match for the
sprightly super agent. Ten years later, the film –
surprisingly enough – seems a little dated, if only because
we’ve come so far technically-wise, and one can’t help but
think how much it would’ve been had it had a little more
razzle-dazzle action moments in it, in contrast to that one singular
moment – the one on the train – towards the end of the film. DVD
Extras Though there’s a heap of stuff on the DVD, none of it is very
entertaining – if only because it’s all, well, old. Or, most of it is
anyway. There’s vintage interviews with the cast and crew, stapled
together as new featurettes, a look back at the M:I series (with a
‘very’ quick mention of Mission : Impossible III), a retrospective
look-back at the career of Cruise, footage of Cruise winning awards
(for some reason?), and other bits and pieces. So, in otherwords, it’s
a good offering, just not great. Conclusion:
Movie 70% Extras: 50% 
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