The Mission: Impossible feature films, based on the TV series of the same name, have spawned three films, with a fourth one currently in pre-production.

Reaction

Though these films were very profitable, many fans felt that they ignored the elaborate plotting that was a significant feature of the TV series, and focused too much on Tom Cruise, whose performances they accused of being "star turns," rather than on the team aspect of the series. The first movie was somewhat closer to the spirit of the original series than the second one, which focused more on elaborate action, rather than espionage. The third movie was arguably the closest in spirit to the series. Reversing the idea of the series, the movies' villains tended to know the whole plan, rather than the IMF; indeed, the villains in the first two films were rogue or former members of IMF, with an "insider" plot in the third movie. But none of the films were considered true adaptations of the series.

Fans were also upset that Jim Phelps, team leader in the TV series, became a traitor in the first movie, selling the details of government agents to an arms dealer. As a result, several actors from the original TV series declined invitations to make cameo appearances in the films--the role of Jim Phelps went to Jon Voight, while no other characters from the series appeared in the final version. Voight's lack of resemblance to Graves and his Phelps becoming a traitor and even being killed in the first movie, in fact, has led some fans to conclude that he was never even actually acting out the real James Phelps. Greg Morris was reportedly so disgusted with the first film's treatment of the Phelps character that when he went to see the movie, he walked out of the theater before it ended.^[1]

Change to theme song

The television version is in a rarely used 5:4 (5 beats to a measure) time and is difficult to dance to, as was proven by a memorable segment of American Bandstand in which teenage dancers were caught off-guard by Dick Clark's playing of the Lalo Schifrin single release.

The opening theme music for the all three films are stylized renditions of Lalo Schifrin's original iconic theme, preserving the 5:4 rhythm, by Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer, and Michael Giacchino respectively by the films' chronology. Most of the versions included in the score also retained the 5:4 time signature.

However, for Adam Clayton & Larry Mullen Jr.'s remix featured on the first film's motion picture soundtrack, the time signature was changed to standard pop 4:4 (4 beats to a measure) time to make it more dance-friendly, although the intro is still in 5:4 time. Also, the Limp Bizkit song Take a Look Around from the soundtrack to the second film was set to a similar 4:4 modification of the theme, with an interlude in 5:4.

Future films

In light of the trilogy star Tom Cruise's recent split from Paramount Pictures, rumors circulated that Brad Pitt was a frontrunner to star in the fourth installment, which would have launched another M:I film series of its own. If this had been the case, Pitt's character would have been a replacement for Cruise's Ethan Hunt, who retired completely from IMF to fully pursue his marriage with Julia, from Mission: Impossible III. Despite Hunt's absence from the film, Cruise would have still received producer credit and salary for initially developing the film series. This rumor, however, turned out to be false. Both Paramount Pictures and Brad Pitt's representatives denied such a deal and plot outline.^[2]

Sumner Redstone recently seemed to warm to the idea of Cruise staring in a fourth installment. "I consider Tom Cruise a great actor and a good friend," Redstone said. "And if Paramount decides ? and they will make the decision ? to move ahead with him, I will not object."

References

1. ↑ 'Mission: Impossible' TV stars disgruntled, CNN, May 29, 1996
2. ↑ Brad Pitt?s new ?Mission:? replacing Tom? - Access Hollywood - MSNBC.com