Product Description This 3pk includes Mission: Impossible SCE, Mission: Impossible 2, and Mission: Impossible 3 SCE. .com Mission Impossible A flashy, splashy summer-movie blockbuster that's fun and exciting without being mindless? That's the impossible mission accomplished by director Brian De Palma, star-coproducer Tom Cruise, and the crack team of Mission: Impossible. Based on the '60s TV show and an almost impenetrably complex (but nonetheless thrilling) original story by David Koepp (Jurassic Park) and Steven Zaillian (Schindler's List), with a screenplay by Koepp and Robert Towne (Chinatown, Shampoo), Mission: Impossible begins with veteran agent Jim Phelps (Jon Voight) and his expert crew embarking on a mission that goes horribly, horribly wrong. But nothing is what it seems. The nail-biting set piece--always a signature of director De Palma (Carrie, The Untouchables)--in which Cruise is lowered from the ceiling to retrieve information from a computer in a high-security vault--is an instant classic. But perhaps even more impressive, at least in retrospect, is a flashback sequence in which two characters attempt to reconstruct a series of events from multiple points of view. It's pretty daring and sophisticated stuff for a big-budget spy movie, but brains were always what put the Mission: Impossible team ahead of the competition, anyway, no? --Jim Emerson Mission Impossible II Visually stunning, and a likely must for John Woo aficionados, the second Mission: Impossible outing from megastar Tom Cruise suffers from an inconsistent tone and tired plot devices--not only recycled from other films, but repeated throughout the film. Despite remarkable cinematography and awe-inspiring, trademark Woo photography, the movie offers a tepid story from legendary screenwriter-director Robert Towne (Chinatown, Without Limits) and a host of other writers, most uncredited. It is, regrettably, as forgettable as the first big-budget, big box-office MI in 1996, and it's clear (as Towne confirms) that the plot was developed around Woo- and Cruise-written action sequences. The film combines equal elements of romance and action, and is best when it features the stunning allure of Thandie Newton as Nyah, a master thief recruited by the sinewy charms of Ethan Hunt (a fit Cruise). Deeply in love after a passionate night, the couple must then combat MI nemesis (and Nyah's former lover) Sean Ambrose (Ever After's Dougray Scott). Ambrose holds hostage a virus and its cure, and offers them to the highest bidder. Woo's famed mythic filmmaking is far from subtle, with heroic Hunt frequently slow-motion walking through fire, smoke, or other similar devices, replete with a white dove among pigeons to signal his presence. The emphasis on romance is an attempt to develop character and a more human side to superspy Hunt, but still the dreary story proves a distraction from the exciting action sequences. John Polson (as an MI team member) is an Aussie talent to keep an eye on. --N.F. Mendoza Mission Impossible III At the time of its release, Mission: Impossible III's box office was plagued by the publicity backlash against couch-jumping star Tom Cruise. It's too bad, because this third installment of the spy thriller franchise deserved a better reception than it got. First-time feature director J.J. Abrams (bigwig TV director/producer of Lost, Alias, & Felicity) proves more than able-bodied in creating a Mission: Impossible that's leaner and less over-stylized than John Woo's sequel and less confusing than Brian De Palma's original. Plot is still a throwaway here (Cruise's Ethan Hunt rescues his kidnapped former trainee and works to steal a device that... well, we don't really know what it does, but it's something about mass destruction that costs $850 million), but the action sequences, particularly one where Ethan faces down a helicopter on a bridge and gets flung hard against the side of a car, are particularly impressive since Cruise, at 44, is still doing most of his own stunts and shows no hint of the weathered look that's struck his action-star peers. (Though no Mission: Impossible stunt will ever be quite as simultaneously nail-biting and funny as the first film's wire-dangling break-in of CIA headquarters.) Mission: Impossible III boasts a pedigreed cast, particularly OscarĀ® winner Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) as baddie arms dealer Owen Davian. Hoffman plays Owen all teeth-clenched and cool, especially when threatening to kill Ethan in front of his lovely new wife (Michelle Monaghan) who has no idea of his spy life. But in his first action-film lead role, Hoffman's almost too calm and collected to really make a memorable villain, especially when the rest of the cast--Ving Rhames (the only other cast member to return for all three films), Asian film star Maggie Q, and an underused Jonathan Rhys-Meyers--are a highlight as Ethan's IMF team. Mission: Impossible is still fun popcorn spy fare, and if Cruise chooses to end the franchise here, at least he goes out on a high note. --Ellen A. Kim
S**R
All 3 Movies on Blu-Ray Only For $17.99 - Great Deal !!
I must admit that this package wasn't on my list to pick up as I wasn't particularly impressed when I saw all three movies at the theater. I remembered them being entertaining with lots of action but other details didn't stick with me. When I saw this just for $17.99 on Easter Sunday, April 4 I couldn't resist the temptation and ordered it.Mission Impossible (my rating: 4 star) is actually a very decent effort and the movie is loyal to the original TV series with look and feel of it, including the storytelling style. Ethan Hunt and his team go on a mission to retrieve a list that contains the names of secret agents but the operation goes wrong and Ethan finds himself trying to uncover the list and the identity of the mysterious mole named "job".Mission Impossible II (my rating: 3 stars) Unfortunately this movie is probably the weakest installment in the entire franchise. It is not even remotely close to the original. Actually, the basic plot line is not that terrible and there are some redeeming qualities. However, the first act is ruined by the romance between Ethan and Nyah which is built on empty dialogues, cheesy lines, not to mention the ridiculous car race scene where both cars get tangled and spin out of control. However none of this is match to what happens in the last 20 minutes of the movie which is pretty much filled with one nonsense action scene after another, cars flying in air, crashing into one another exploding, motorcycle race, Ethan and Sean riding their motorcycles toward each other and jumping in air, colliding with each other in mid-air with 80 miles per hour speed and never-ending fight sequence with lots of karate gimmicks. I understand that action movies are not always believable and they are not supposed to be realistic but there is a line and Mission Impossible 3 crosses that line by miles (John Woo may be technically a potent director with technical skills and I admit each action scene is filmed perfectly but that's not enough to make a good movie).Mission Impossible III (my rating is 5 star). I can honestly say this movie is the saving grace of this box set. Some might rightfully argue it is even better than the first one. It is not as loyal to the original TV series as the first one is but it is very entertaining and moves with excellent speed. It has some incredible action scenes, gun fighting and explosions, but it still manages to stay within certain limits. Mission Impossible III is only second to Mission Impossible IV The Ghost Protocol which is not part of this box set.Overall, I think this a great box set especially for $17.99. I am not sure about the criticism about the lack of lossless audio some other reviewers mention. I understand lossless (uncompressed audio) is the clearest sound available but then again there are many Blu-ray titles that don't have uncompressed audio but they still have, as all these 3 movies have, 5.1 DTS HD audio which is still great.
I**N
Great movies.
Great movies.
J**9
Is Getting Three Films For Such A Low Price Mission: Impossible? Apparently Not... But There's A Catch...
For anyone who doesn't already own the previous Blu-ray release of this trilogy, then now is the time to buy - But there's a caveat.But first, the quality of the films:Mission Impossible is a very well crafted film. It has action, appropriately placed jokes to break the tension once in a while, and believe me, this film does a great job at keeping the tension palpable, and the acting is great all around. It actually even adhered to the original series method of storytelling to a certain degree. Top notch film for anyone who's a fan of suspense and action.Mission Impossible II... meh. I enjoyed it for what it was, a mindless popcorn action flick. Directed by John Woo (Broken Arrow/Face-Off), the M:I formula is thrown out of the window, the character of Ethan Hunt is transformed into a cocky arrogant, and the only thing remaining is lots and lots of action, which has a tendency to be a little hard to swallow at times. That being said, it's still fun to watch. This is pure action eye-candy, and if you're OK with that, you're going to have a lot of fun. If not, well......The Mission Impossible III at least comes in to save the franchise. Directed by JJ Abrams (Alias, LOST, Star Trek), this film is a true return to form. A great story that's paced out evenly and some mindblowing action. Personally, it's still a shade under the original, but this film holds its own very well.The best thing about all three films is that they're all seperate entities for the most part, meaning, you don't have to see any film before you see the other.Now, back to that 'caveat' I was talking about - The audio. It's all LOSSY audio, which is fairly inexcusable for a Blu-ray in this day and age. Yes, it's true that this boxed set has the same exact encodes in video and audio the original releases had, and that was pretty early in the HD game, but that's STILL no excuse. The studio really should have just taken the lossless audio and made a new encode for this release. So, what now? Does the studio give us 'proper' releases after the fourth film hits Blu-ray? My personal opinion is this - If they release a four film boxed set at that time, you're not going to get anything new from the original trilogy. So you may as well pick this up now. After all, the price is pretty stellar.
A**S
all went well
all went well
D**I
EXTREME!!!!
Mission Impossible is the greatest movie series of all time! Tim Allen is great as Ethan Hunt. I can't believe it's him! It's so action packed, starting with the first installment in which he is betrayed by Angelina Jolie's dad. I wish Angelina Jolie were in this movie. I can't believe Tim Allen is in this. I mean, Tool Time, Galaxy Quest, and now Mission Impossible? Epic 1, 2, 3 movies in a tiny package. Movie two, Tim Allen is back to battle the forces of evil terrorists. EVIL TERRORISTS. I know they're out there in the world, but Tim Allen pretty much kills it in his performance as a bad mother effer. Movie three sees him BACK AGAIN. ZOMG. The action DOES NOT STOP WITH TIM ALLEN. I thoroughly enjoyed these series of movies alone on my couch with my dog. I highly recommend them if you've got nothing to do on a Saturday night (me most of the time).Totally better than Toy Story. Tom Cruise was a terrible Buzz Lightyear.
E**A
Good set, sub-par blu-ray transfer
For the price, this set is totally worth it. But to be completely honest I would not have minded paying a little extra for a better remastering of the first two films. The transfer for the first two films is not bad, but it isn't great. There is still a soft and grainy quality to the movies. For a blu-ray, this should not be an issue. For those of you who say that the age of the film is a factor, I invite you to watch Blade Runner on blu-ray. You will be amazed. Now keep in mind that Blade Runner is about 30 years old already, and the remastering of this movie looks A LOT better than the transfer for Mission: Impossible 1 or 2. I suppose I can't complain much since I paid 20 bucks for this set, but still. These are great movies, they deserve a better transfer.
R**G
Overall incomplete, but a great value box set.
This review is on the 5 disc box set titled 'Ultimate Missions Collection'.If I was pedantic I'd complain about the format of this kit :MI 1 consists of 2 discs, one with the film and one with bonus features.MI 2 has one disc only consisting of the film and bonus features.MI 3 consists of 2 discs, one with the film and one with bonus features.Nicely held in a good disc case with an outer cardboard sleeve, all films have multi languages and subtitles including, importantly, English. Why does MI 2 have only one disc while the other two films in this set have two discs devoted to each film?However they are top class action films with that thread of clever intriguing plots, superb actors doing the best that the excellent scripts allow them to do (in this type of visual feast), and direction by three of Hollywood's best, De Palma, Woo and a first for me, J J Abrams.Hollywood has always been good at something, be it all those old films made over the last fifty years still beloved by reviewers and buyers, or these modern action fests loved by younger audiences which offer the same thing ---- entertainment ---- the emphasis today being on action and special effects often though there is always room for that exceptional film that is cherished solely for its dialogue and the quality of the acting.Totally absorbing films and as the franchise has expanded these earlier box sets that are incomplete have plummeted in price so snap one up on Amazon.
P**D
NOT EXTREME
Very disappointed in purchasing this box set under the impression that EXTREME TRILOGY would mean just that. 'Rob Bottin' is credited during the opening credits as the man behind the special effects make up which anyone watching this movie on release would know is when 'Emilio Estevez' has his face skewered during the malfunction of the Elevator on their first initial mission at the offset. I wanted the version of this movie that included this scene yet once again I am giving a 13 rated version of this movie with that scene cut out. The description for this Box set states this trilogy is 15 rated. Not true! So I have once again paid for what i already have!
B**E
The MI fans delights at a 3 movie hit.
A collection of MI film that show why the movie big screen was so successful. It is not just to copy the original but it had touches that make it build on the original without been a copy or rip off. My favourite was MI two and I felt that MI one was good in the second half and the 3 MI was great for special effects but the plot was a big worn about a hist that goes wrong and the stinger get sting but Ethen come out on top as usual as the hero should. A good collection for fans and non fans alike.
P**R
Still enjoyable!
The films are top-notch, and have remained cult favourites over all these years. Happily, this particular set is also good in terms of the quality of the films (as they have been captured in the discs). The only reason behind me dropping a star is my reaction towards the second film of this series, which appeared bloated, over-stylised and pointlessly bombastic, in comparison to the slicker & grittier 1st & 3rd films. Also, now that all the 4 films are available in a cheaper box-set, I honestly believe that this set can be retired. Nevertheless, watch the 1st & 3rd films just to savour the action, and for Tom Cruise. Recommended.
M**S
easy watching turn of brain
Cannot say much about this box set as I have not had time to watch it all it has plenty action and stunts pure escapism and really over the the top but it is likely to grow on you
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