With the release of the seven the Mission Impossible movie, Dead Reckoning Part I, I wanted to take a look back at the original Mission Impossible movie, from 1996. This isn't just a great action film... or a great Tom Cruise movie... it's a beautifully shot suspense thriller with visuals that frankly astound me every time I watch it. Director Brian De Palma and his long-time cinematographer, Stephen Burum, put their all into crafting a tense and subdued first entry into the franchise. Mission Impossible wouldn't be what it is today without this movie. And while each new Mission Impossible film has found a way to triumph over the last, Tom Cruise's first foray will always remain a classic.