Mission: Impossible
The twist fromMission : Impossibleinvolving Jim Phelps ' villainous reveal is still the bold determination the movie franchise has made , almost 30 years later . When pertain theranking ofMission : Impossiblemovies , the pilot contain a unique position . The common consensus tends to be that the 1996 film is enjoyable in its own right and best than its immediate heir , but that it does not reach the heights of the modern reading of the franchise that began with 2006’sMission : Impossible III.Harsh reality ofMission : Impossibleaside , though , it stay a well - liked installment .
Naturally , audiences will berewatching theMission : Impossibleseriesin homework forThe Final Reckoningin May 2025 . As a result , info onwhere to teem theMission : Impossiblemoviesis coveted , especially with the original moving picture turning 30 years old next class . Despite the almost 30th day of remembrance of the 1996 film and the means the dealership has upped its game substantially in the lag , Mission : Impossibleretains one specific element of its plot that is bigger and , more importantly , bolder than any other conclusion the franchise has made .
Mission: Impossible 1996 Made Jim Phelps A Villain After Being The TV Show’s Lead
The Movie Drastically Changed A Legacy Character
The conclusion in motion was establish Jim Phelps the main scoundrel ofMission : Impossible . For those unfamiliar with the original series on which the 1996 movie is base , this may seem like a regular choice that is not bold in any good sense other than being a secret plan turn . However , Phelps was the lead character of the originalMission : Impossibleseries , meaning the decision for the 1996 moving picture risked tarnishing his legacy for those who spent old age watching him as an IMF agent .
TheMission : Impossiblemovie series was a reboot of the show rather than a good continuation , yet the former still would have caused viewers of the latter to dissect how original character reference were rewrite .
In the original show , Phelps - then play by Peter Graves - played a like persona to that ofTom Cruise ’s Ethan Huntin the motion picture franchise . Phelps was the lead of six ofMission : Impossible ’s seven season , often going above and beyond to protect the world and its citizen as part of the Impossible Mission Force . Therefore , making a character of the same name a villain who believe all hero sandwich are corrupt was sure as shooting an fantastically bold choice . Not only that , but the film apparently stamp out Phelps early on . This alone could have been controversial , before bring in him back as a scoundrel doubled down .
Jim Phelps' Villain Twist Received Some Backlash
Especially From Those Involved In The Original Show
To prove how bluff a choice it was forMission : Impossibleto make Jim Phelps a villain , the movie received some backlash . While it was mostly enjoy by consultation and critic upon its spill , the primary reservoir of this backlash was the original histrion from theMission : ImpossibleTV series . Graves was one such role player who voice his displeasure with the moving-picture show version of Phelps after being founder the chance to portray him once more . Graves turned the offer down as he believed Phelps would never become a double agentagainst the IMF .
foreign mission : Impossible , Brian De Palma ’s action pic starring Tom Cruise , was hated by the original casting of the long - running CBS TV show .
Another role player who disliked 1996’sMission : Impossiblewas Greg Morris , who played Barney Collier throughout the original show . In a written report from theLA Timesafter Morris ' death in the same year the movie was release , it was reveal that he walked out of the theater after watching only 40 minutes , dubbing it an loathing . Martin Landau , another original show actor , claimed that he passed on recall for the film as the original book killed members of the original team , Phelps included , and that he feel this was disrespectful ( viaSlashfilm ) .
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Mission: Impossible’s Jim Phelps Villain Reveal Probably Wouldn’t Happen Nowadays
Modern Legacy Movies Tend To Take Different Routes
With the controversy besiege thisMission : Impossibledecision in mind , it is interesting to think about it in the context of modern legacy movies . It is safe to say that a option as bold as this may not fall out in a more modern rebooted series . A double-dyed example of this being realism is themodern reboot of21 Jump Streetwhich , likeMission : inconceivable , was reboot from an older TV show . In that movie - release in 2012 , 16 years afterMission : Impossible- the original actors from the serial made a cameo .
Mission : Impossible ’s Jim Phelps villain twist probably would not happen in mod - day motion picture , so as to fend off the backlash that total with it …
Johnny Depp and Peter DeLuise reprised their character from the series as Peter Graves was given the prospect to do inMission : Impossible . Rather than act out villainous twists on their case , though , Depp and DeLuise appeared as two DEA agents , maintaining the horizon of them from the original show . This is a specific example , but it supports the estimate thatMission : Impossible ’s Jim Phelps villain twist in all probability would not hap in innovative - day flick , so as to avoid the rebound that comes with it .
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A contributing agent to this is the internet , namely societal media . societal media web site have become places where anyone can talk about moving picture or telecasting shows , allowing for a sight of controversy and division to be given a platform . As a vulgar example , if a modern dear show likeStranger Thingswas rebooted only with Eleven as the baddie , the wave of backlash and blowback would probably be overwhelming . While not reboots , theStar Warssequel trilogy received similar backlash for depicting Luke Skywalker in a dissimilar way from the original films , provingMission : unsufferable ’s Phelps worm to be near , well , impossible to draw off today .
Why The Jim Phelps Villain Twist Works
Regardless Of The Controversy
All that being said , it can not be denied that the Jim Phelps villain braid work for theMission : Impossiblemovie , specially when viewed in a vacuum as fight back to a reboot of the serial and character . Mission : Impossibleteases that someone like Kittridge is the mole , as well as Hunt ’s other ally , making audiences recall that anyone involve could be a scoundrel . Phelps is never even suspected , if not for his earlier " death " but due to potential anterior knowledge of the boob tube character . For these understanding , the reveal that he isMission : Impossible ’s villain is confessedly effective when removing out-of-door controversy .
Future Mission: Impossible Movies Haven’t Come Close To Replicating The Surprise Of Jim Phelps Being A Villain
Villain Twists Are Not As Common In Mission: Impossible’s More Recent Installments
Another reasonableness why the Jim Phelps twist can be argued to mold effectively despite the backlash is the fact that theMission : Impossiblefranchise has failed to copy it in the 29 days since . Every movie sinceMission : Impossiblehas had a very clear - cut baddie , be it Owen Davian fromMission : Impossible III , Solomon Lane fromRogue NationandFallout , or the Entity and Gabriel fromDead ReckoningandThe Finale counting . None of the subsequentM : Ifilms have had bighearted villain twists in the third turn , mean the Phelps plot point remains singular to this day .
The onlyMission : Impossiblemovie that can be argued to have a similar turn of events isFallout , with Henry Cavill ’s August Walker revealed as a baddie after aid Ethan Hunt . Even then , though , Walker ’s villainous nature was theorized before the film was even released , and , in - world , Hunt and his team distrust it . This made the break much less surprising , as did the lack of prior knowledge of Walker ’s grapheme that was present with Phelps ' . Evidently , military mission : Impossible ’s villain twist continues to be the bold and most surprising selection in the film franchise for several , thick - rooted reasons .
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