Mission: Impossible is a series of action spy films based on the television series of the same name, produced by and starring Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, an agent of the fictional Impossible Missions Force (IMF). Beginning in 1996, the films follow the missions of the IMF’s main field team under the leadership of Hunt, who is forced to take over after the team is betrayed from within in the first film. The series focuses on Hunt as the lead character as opposed to the ensemble cast structure of the television series, although some characters, such as Luther Stickell (played by Ving Rhames) and Benji Dunn (played by Simon Pegg) have recurring roles in the films.
Purchase THE MISSION IMPOSSIBLE FRANCHISE on Ultra HD Blu-ray Today!
THE MOVIES:
For many people, a singular decision sends them down a path that determines the rest of their lives. For Tom Cruise, that decision came in the form of a couch, and the person who put him there in 2005 was Oprah. Having developed a strange obsession for Katie Holmes, we scratched our heads as Cruise jumped on top of the couch to declare his love. Then came news of his deep devotion with Scientology, followed by the media blow up with Brooke Shields. A string of flops (Vanilla Sky, Collateral) had already plagued him; but these events, stemming from ‘The Couch,’ sent Cruise on a path that almost wrecked him.
It wasn’t always that way: from Risky Business and Top Gun, to A Few Good Men and Jerry Maguire, Cruise almost single-handedly owned the movies. His name was part of some of the highest-grossing films from the 80’s and 90’s, and he drew top-name talent and directors with his high standards. Any actor would kill for that sort of film legacy and work ethic, but audiences have short memories, and the semi-recent mystique surrounding Cruise’s private life created a gray area that kept audiences away from good movies like Valkyrie and War of the Worlds. By the time really bad movies like Mission Impossible III and Knight and Day had flopped, people began to think that Cruise was finished. Though low and behold MI-4 and MI-5 would turn this franchise completely upside down. Both movies are fantastic, edgy, and lots more action.
The Mission Impossible franchise has stood a grand test of time now, and many know the films all as summer blockbusters. The newest film to come this month “FALLOUT” is riding the coat tails of a popular MI-5, and a larger world market now with many other far east Countries booking the film as their numbers keep ascending. Christopher McQuarrie is at the helm again, and things are currently looking bright for MI-6.
Ethan Hunt and Jason Bourne are probably the closest thing next to James Bond when it comes to spy thrillers. However when you talk about doubling as a bonafide action film as well then not many do it better then Ethan Hunt and the IMF.
If you haven’t seen these films then I suggest you rectify that as soon as possible. If you have then I recommend checking into purchasing/upgrading to these 4K editions and lastly if you want the quick fix then this video below can get you caught up on much of the franchise ready for MI-6.
VIDEO QUALITY:
The Mission Impossible Franchise stretches such a long period of time that enhances in technology ride the wave of the franchise as well. Below is a technical breakdown of the films, and thus what to expect. No matter the difference, these are still the best they’ve all ever looked.
MI-1: Shot on 35mm, VFX at 2K, mastered in 4K. Looks beautiful in 4K HDR/Dolby Vision
MI-2: Shot on 35mm, VFX at 2K, mastered in 2K. Some would call this “fake 4k” though it too does look good, an added benefit of HDR/Dolby Vision.
MI-3: Shot on 35mm, VFX at 2K, mastered in 2K. Some would call this “fake 4k” though it too does look good, an added benefit of HDR/Dolby Vision.
MI-4: Shot on 35mm (some scenes IMAX), VFX at 2K + 4K, mastered in 4K. A wide favorite for best VQ one to date with beautiful Dolby Vision.
MI-5: Shot on 35mm (some scenes 6.5K, 3.4K), VFX at 2K, mastered in 2K. HDR/Dolby Vision and also the only one with Dolby Atmos.
AUDIO QUALITY:
Much like above there is a Hodgepodge of differences in regards to the audio tracks that each films brings to the table. Being spy type espionage action films you can already guess what types of sounds and scores to expect. And that said, most of which is all powered heavily in 5.1 with satisfactory immersion overall. However take a look at the breakdown below to realize which are the better ones of the bunch.
MI-1: UHD: 5.1 Doly TrueHD Track. The Blu-ray Disc contains only a 5.1 Dolby Digital
MI-2: UHD: 5.1 Doly TrueHD Track. The Blu-ray Disc contains only a 5.1 Dolby Digital
MI-3: UHD: 5.1 Doly TrueHD Track. The Blu-ray Disc contains only a 5.1 Dolby Digital, the BD Special Features Dolby Digital track.
MI-4: UHD: 7.1 Doly TrueHD Track. The Blu-ray Disc contains the 7.1 Dolby TrueHD Track as well, the BD Special Features is a Dolby Digital track.
MI-5: The latest installment of the franchise on disc is the only one with Dolby Atmos on both the UHD and BD. The BD Special Features is a Dolby Digital track.
SUPPLEMENTS:
The Mission Impossible Franchise has loads of special features to chew through and all of these releases blu-rays are essentially the same discs as before and thus have all the special features from their prior releases we have covered throughout the years. MI-3 through 5 all have individual discs (blu-ray) that have their Special Features on them. If you have any specific queries as to these special features please get in touch on our Community Forums.
The series is the 20th-highest-grossing film series of all time, with a worldwide gross of over $2.7 billion to date. A sixth film, titled Mission: Impossible – Fallout is set to be released in July 2018. – wikipedia
