Taking its lead from the TV show of the same name, a crack espionage team finds itself in trouble and head team member Ethan Hunt is left standing. With assassins and unknown enemies on his tail, he must find who is out to get him and why before it’s too late.

While watching MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE again, it stuck me how great a director Brian De Palma really is. His carefully choreographed and tense sequences, his clever camera angles, and his nose for false moments are really strokes of pure genius. That’s why part of this film is such a tremendous letdown and shows why sometimes art and commerce don’t mix. On the positive side, you have De Palma’s masterstroke directing, coming at the audience with not only explosive visual moments, like the infamous restaurant scene and the ceiling hanging sequence, but also that pure De Palma-esk suspense that has made films like DRESSED TO KILL and BLOW OUT such undeniable classics. On the negative is the fact that Cruise, who also served as producer here, feels as thought he has his hands in some of the creative choices and the flow of the film suffers because of it. Cruise’s need to be front and center (they create a great and quirky team at the beginning, only to kill them off!), takes the whole theme of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE and throws it out the window. There is no I in Cruise’s team, there is a ME and Cruise, who should have put the film before himself, seems to not want the audience to forget it.

As I said earlier, the performances by the agents early in the film, played by the likes of Emilio Estevez and Kristen Scott Thomas are great work that is wasted, thrown aside for the ego of Cruise. Everyone else, with the exception of slimy character actor Henry Czerny, bows to the master thespian, including Reno and Ving Rhames, who would normally run over a pint size Cruise with a Mack truck. And as far as the script goes, which was done by what feels like a zillion writers, it’s like a test paper that has been passed around so much the ink is starting to rub off. (And the answers were wrong to begin with!) Let me clarify, yes there are some great set pieces in the film, yes there are some great and memorable lines and action sequences, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that the film is not all its cracked up to be. See, what I saw was just what it says on the poster, Tom Cruise’s MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, not Brian De Palma’s MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - now that’s a film I’m dying to see.

Video: Presented in Widescreen (2.35:1) and the transfer is stellar, the best yet, showing off those trademark De Palma visuals nicely.

Audio: With English Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 Surround, as well as French 2.0 Surround, of which the 5.1 is the standout, giving much more versatility and clarity then the 2.0. But having both doesn’t hurt.

This DVD should have been marketed to the screaming female teeny bopper demographic, as most of the extras here are all Cruise related. Two collages, multiple interviews and even award acceptance speeches leave this so called MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE Special Edition looking more like a Tom Cruise worship DVD. (And I like the guy, but he’s no Brando!) And dammit to heck if there is no Brian De Palma commentary, describing the problems he had making the film – it alone would have made this disc worth the buy. Although sometimes not talking (see ALIEN 3 Special Edition sans David Fincher!) can in itself speak volumes.

Mission Remarkable – 40 Years Of Creating The Impossible (11:25): It looked like this one was going to pay homage, not just to the films, but the classic TV show as well, but to no avail. The original is merely reduced to clips, with no interviews or insights into what made it such a memorable boob tube hit. It’s mostly just a vehicle for Paramount to sell more copies of the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE films, as this one starts with the first film and goes right through to the third. The first part is a brief look at the first film, with De Palma saying very little (that’s a telltale right there!) and mostly just boring pat-on-the-back stuff. The second part focuses on the John Woo action and little else; while the final piece is almost just the Teaser Trailer fans have already seen on-line. Anyone looking for insight into the series or even the phenomenon of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE is going to be sadly disappointed.

Mission: Explosive Exploits (5:09): This is a very short look at the water tank and hanging from the ceiling stunts from the first MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE. It’s almost too short, not really giving enough detail to wet the appetite. It’s like taking away a tasty appetizer before someone is finished and saying, “Get out!”

Mission: International Spy Museum (6:30): An all too short, but incredibly fascinating tour of the International Spy Museum, with host Peter Earnest, the Exec. Director of the Museum. It’s a riveting look at the various spy gadgets and gizmos (loved the sound bug shaped like poop!) used over the years and all their history. Less MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE and more James Bond, it made me want to go the place in person to check it out!

Mission: Spies Among Us (8:40): A look at the actual world of spies and agents, with real guys who’ve done the job. Thoroughly interesting and a covert side of life most of us will never hear about.

Mission: Catching The Train (2:38): Again, why are these so damn short? A look at the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE train sequence, from conception to execution, but there is so little content in between the repeating of film clips, it’s almost like when Robert Rodriguez sped up his film about 800%, only boring.

Excellence In Film: Cruise (9:13): A full on montage of all of Cruise’s films, some great (RISKY BUSINESS, THE COLOR OF MONEY), some stinkers (COCKTAIL, DAYS OF THUNDER), but this one is strictly for all those ladies who go ga-ga for Tom.

Generation: Cruise (3:32): A second and more Cruise obsessed montage of films, this time in mostly all close up’s. Are females really this horny?

Acceptance Speech For BAFTA/LA’S Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award For Excellence In Film (3:19): Here we get to see Tom’s serious side, as he accepts an award for film excellence. Talk about a serious speech – Tom you make popcorn flicks, its not rocket science!

Acceptance Speech For MTV’s Generation Award (3:42): Katie Holmes introduces her man to a screaming MTV audience, who makes a much better and lighter speech then the previous. (And is it just me, or does that haircut on Tom make him look like Joan Jett circa 1987?)

Plus there are a collection of seven Agent Dossiers that feature all the stats about the leads in the first MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE film, a Theatrical Trailers Section featuring the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE Teaser and Trailer, and of course, a M:i:III (why don’t they just call it MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 3?) Teaser as well. Throw in 9, yes 9 TV Spots and a large Photo Gallery and your Tom Cruise shrine is complete.

This Special Collector’s Edition is strictly for those with a hankering for Cruise, boyish grin and all. For anyone looking for insight into the controversial on set goings on between Director Brian De Palma and Tom Cruise, or even a modicum of cool features for the film, you’re out of luck, as this one is strictly for the screaming, we-love-Tom club. (All two of you!) As for the film, it’s a glossy shell of a flick, with set pieces and dialogue that make the film seem cooler then it actually is. Can you get a great film when you mix two parts De Palma, with five parts Cruise? Mission completely impossible.