Our next episode is on Mission: Impossible — what should we talk about?

What elements make the Langley heist sequence one the most iconic parts of the franchise even compared to the larger stunts

I really think that the MI franchise is one of the best and most consistent - it amazes me that they have 6 movies and most of them (ok, maybe not 2) are solid to great. What do you think has helped keep this franchise fresh and interesting throughout?

Sheela

De Palma is known for his distinctive style. Do you have thoughts about how he matches up with this particular franchise, especially the movie that kicked it off? What are some of his directorial characteristics that might elevate a spy technothriller? Conversely, what are some of his characteristics that might undermine it? Are there ways in which you feel he might have inhibited himself, or gone outside his comfort zone, in order to accommodate the material? What are some other examples where the director/franchise are a great fit / terrible fit?

Dan Hoy

Do you consider this a good adaption of the original series? What do you think about the ambitious decision to turn the protagonist of that series into the antagonist of the film?

SPOILER WARNING What do you think of killing most of the team at the beginning?

SPOILER WARNING What do you think of love triangle with Ethan, Claire, and Phelps? Mission Impossible has one of those romances where a woman (Claire) is torn between clear good suitor (Ethan) and bad suitor (Phelps). Claire ends up staying loyal to Jim, even though he now hates her. (He implies as much when he talks about how "Kittridge" hates his wife.) And when Claire tells him there's no point in killing Ethan, Phelps shoots her first and misses the chance to shoot Ethan. And then there's the whole aspect of Ethan going to such lengths to test whether Claire is in on the plot. This dynamic and other stuff (dutch angles!) recalls The Third Man. In the trailer, there's a brief shot of Ethan and Claire kissing. The Light the Fuse podcast pointed it out and speculated that there was originally a sex scene between Ethan and Claire after Ethan met Phelps at the payphone.

Why does the central heist work so well? (If you think it does work?) I love how exciting every bit of mundane action is in this movie. Like stuff as simple as can Ethan and Sarah get out of the room before Golitsyn comes down the elevator. Or Ethan's conversations with Kittridge and Phelps. De Palma directed the hell out of Tom Cruise just putting on some glasses (the ones with the camera) in the climax. Or can Ethan catch a bead of sweat during the Langley heist.

Yessss, very excited about this

Daniel R Beckner

Showing scenes of the movie in the opening credits. Love it.

andrew

I'd love to hear a discussion comparing the different approaches each of the directors took and how well each managed to keep their movie true to the franchise (or if that should even be the goal).

Josh J

What makes Ethan Hunt a compelling protagonist in this film as compared to the other installments (where we already have buy-in)? What is lost or gained as his character develops across the franchise? What works well—or doesn’t—about De Palma’s vision, style, and approach as compared to the other directors in the franchise?