MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE

Ethan Hunt (Cruise) faces down "Max" (Redgrave)

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE (1996). Director: Brian De Palma.

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is on a special "impossible" mission for the IMF [Impossible Missions Force] in Prague when everything goes south and his teammates are slaughtered all around him.  He is told by Kittridge (Henry Czerny, who plays Conrad Grayson on TV's Revenge) that the whole operation was merely a ruse to flush out a mole in the organization. Since Ethan appears to be the only one of the group who's still alive, he becomes the chief suspect and goes on the run. Trying to track down whoever murdered his comrades, he enters into a phony alliance with an arms dealer known only as "Max" (Vanessa Redgrave) and in the film's most suspenseful sequence must steal a list of important names from a nearly impregnable vault while hanging just inches from the ceiling; there is also a thrilling climax involving a helicopter and a high-speed train. While purists may quibble over the identity of the mastermind behind the dire plot, Mission: Impossible is an excellent update of and tribute to the very popular and long-running TV show, equally absurd at times but always fun. Cruise is well suited to this kind of material and does it well, while Jon Voight is fine as IMF head Jim Phelps. Jean Reno, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ving Rhames, and Emmanuelle Beart also have important roles. For some reason Emilio Estevez is uncredited as Jack, an early casualty of the IMF in Prague, although his performance is solid. Vanessa Redgrave is just splendid in her unusual turn as Max. The movie wisely uses Lalo Schifrin's theme music from the television program. Followed by three sequels.

Verdict: One of the classier television adaptations to hit theaters. ***1/2.

THE PINK PANTHER 2

THE PINK PANTHER 2 (2009). Director: Harald Swort.

"Here is the Pope's ring! His wife will be happy."

Steve Martin returns as Inspector Clouseau in this sequel to The Pink Panther (2006). A thief known as the Tornado is stealing national treasures, including the famous Pink Panther diamond [ignoring the first film, the diamond is now the national symbol of France and has no owner]. A crack team of international detectives, including Clouseau, are assembled to uncover the identity of the Tornado and stop the thefts. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan [!] is fun and sexy as the one woman in the group, Sonia, and Emily Mortimer is back as Nicole, who is carrying a torch for Clouseau. Others in the cast include the always-wonderful Alfred Molina, John Cleese [somewhat disappointing as Dreyfus], Jeremy Irons as a suspect, and even Lily Tomlin as a woman who tries to teach Clouseau political correctness but finds it a losing battle. Jean Reno underplays nicely as Clouseau's partner, Ponton, carried over from the first film along with Nicole. There are some funny scenes in this -- Clouseau interviewing the Pope at the Vatican is especially memorable -- and the film is essentially amiable with a fine Martin seemingly enjoying himself. You probably will, too, even if there have been better "Pink Panther" movies.

Verdict: Not a terrible time-passer. **1/2.

THE PINK PANTHER (2006)

Steve Martin

THE PINK PANTHER (2006). Director: Shawn Levy.

Steve Martin is the third actor to essay the role of bumbling, lovable French Inspector Clouseau [after Peter Sellers and Alan Arkin), and he's more successful at it than you might imagine. Frankly, this version of The Pink Panther is more entertaining than the original made in the sixties which first introduced the character of Clouseau. Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Kevin Kline) wants to take credit for finding whoever killed an athlete and stole his Pink Panther diamond [the movie never explains why the diamond has that name as the original film does] in front of hundreds of witnesses. However, as he's unable to handle the matter personally for awhile, he decides to give the assignment to a nitwit, Clouseau, who will get nowhere until Dreyfus steps in and wraps things up to unanimous acclaim. Unfortunately for Dreyfus things don't quite work out that way. The film doesn't begin well, with elderly people being horribly injured for laughs, but it improves as it goes along. Jean Reno is fine as Clouseau's new partner, Ponton, who knows he is just a dupe, and Emily Mortimer has a nice turn as Nicole, who assists Clouseau and falls for him. As the ex of the murdered man, Beyonce Knowles is pretty, but she's not really an actress and adds nothing to the film. Roger Rees is splendid as a wealthy playboy that Clouseau interviews in one of the funnier scenes. To be brutally honest, Martin and Kline are not as memorable in their roles as Sellers and Herbert Lom, but they are still quite good in spite of that, and the picture is good, dumb fun.

Verdict: You'll miss Sellers but might still be amused. ***.