The Rewatch Party 244 - Mission Impossible (1996)

About this episode

The hosts discuss the 1996 film Mission Impossible, analyzing its impact on the spy genre and its stylistic choices.

Tom Cruise runs.Tom Cruise rips faces off.Tom Cruise would like you to know he is a normal human man with a perfectly centered tooth and no further questions at this time. This week we accept our mission and immediately compromise it by talking too much. Let’s take a fresh look at Brian De Palma’s aggressively stylized spy reboot - Mission Impossible, a movie that invents modern blockbuster espionage while also insisting that every elevator in Eastern Europe is one bad day away from becoming a murder device. Anthony zeroes in on the franchise DNA, questioning whether Ethan Hunt has ever actually fired a gun, or if this is just Fast & Furious for people who can breathe through their noses. Elise remains deeply unconvinced by nearly everything on screen, especially the soft-focus glow applied exclusively to women, the sheer confidence of the plot, and the continued, unforgivable lack of Kurt Russell. And in case you had ANY doubts about what anyone means by 0400, Dan is back and has the answer. From the cursed NOC list to face-rip-ception and a theme song in 5/4 because aliens apparently deserve something to dance to, this is a movie that commits hard. Don’t get any on you…

People in this episode

Hosts: Anthony, Elise

Topics covered

• film review
• spy genre
• blockbuster cinema
• franchise analysis
• cinematography
• character study

Keywords

• Mission Impossible
• Tom Cruise
• Brian De Palma
• spy film
• blockbuster
• franchise
• cinematography
• Ethan Hunt

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Brian De Palma, Emergency Exit podcast network

Books & works: Mission Impossible

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• The Rewatch Party 251 - Mission Impossible 3 (2006) · April 19, 2026 · 2h 44m
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