Watching this again thirty years later with my teenagers, I’m struck by how well it’s aged. In 1996, it felt like a total game-changer, and even now, it’s a refreshing change from the CGI-heavy blockbusters we usually see.
Tom Cruise is at his charismatic peak here, playing Ethan Hunt as a smart, desperate fugitive rather than an untouchable superhero. The plot is twisty and clever without being a headache, and the supporting cast – especially the shifty Jean Reno – really makes the team feel grounded.
Brian De Palma brings a cool, clinical tension that makes even a drop of sweat feel like a ticking bomb. Unlike the operatic, bloody grandiosity of The Untouchables or the tragic, sweeping character study of Carlito’s Way, we get a “buttoned-down” Hitchcockian approach here.
It’s a slick, stylish spy thriller that proves you don’t need constant explosions to keep an audience on the edge of their seats.
