DVD Review HTF Review: Mission: Impossible Special Collector's Edition (1 Viewer)

[Aaron Silverman]

You know. . .even though I don't think I've ever actually watched the original series (maybe once or twice, long ago), the trick ending totally ruined this movie for me. I appreciate that it was a clever and original idea, but I didn't like it at all (and I certainly understand why Peter Graves wanted nothing to do with it).

Nice review, though, Pat!

 

[Travis Brashear]

PLEASE HELP! My purchase tomorrow depends on the following information! Does the Special Collector's Edition of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE feature the "Big Game Launch TV Spot for M:I 3"? I know this is on the 2-disc for M:I 2, but I need to know if it can also be found on the new DVD for the first film.

 

[Jeff Whitford]

According to what I read all the stuff is on M:I disc and the M:I 2 disc is the same as the current disc as far as content.

 

[Dave Simkiss]

Pat - Just off the top of my head, Carrie SE, Untouchables SE and Dressed to Kill SE all feature quite extensive talking head docu's that include interviews with DePalma.
Im a big fan of MI 1 and this just seems like a huge missed oppertunity. even if DePalma didn't want to be involved a FX or writer commentary would have been a major plus.

 

[Frank@N]

In the morning I'll be heading off to CC for the Collectors set (MI-1&2).

Hoping they might match their web price of $13, but $17 isn't a bad deal either with the MI-3 movie ticket.

Sounds like the '3rd disc' is going to get tossed.

 

[Dave Simpson]

FYI to all DePalma fans, in addition to the titles listed above, the Femme Fatale disc has a bunch of talking-head featurettes from the director himself, but no commentary. And the picture neatly sums up exactly what a typical DePalma movie is all about, to boot. Thumbs up. Cheers.

DS.

 

[Tino]

Don't be so quick to assume an anamorphic release is better than an non-anamorphic.

For instance, the non anamorphic version of Disney's The Black Hole looks significantly better than the 16x9 version.

 

[BrandonJF]

On the packaging, they only list the super bowl spot as being on the M:I-2 disc. The M:I-2 disc does look to be the same as the current disc with the exception of the M:I:III teaser and super bowl spot and the Cruise tribute montages (the same montages that are on the M:I disc?).

I saw in the DVD File review that there are 30 second M:I III tv spots on the first M:I disc as easter eggs. Don't know if one of those is the super bowl spot... They make it sound like all of the 2nd disc content is the same as what's on the first M:I disc, though.

 

[Frank@N]

My local CC price matched with their web site for $13 on the Collectors set. Not bad for three movies (if you figure with the MI-3 movie ticket).

Good thing I kept my chapter inserts from both previous releases (sold my MI-2 because the cover insert was torn and the disc was keyed).

 

[Tim Glover]

Would love someone to compare the audio of the legendary laserdisc to this new dvd????:b

 

[ChadMcCallum]

Good review.

No deleted scenes? That's odd. Some of the cut footage is in the trailer.

 

[Jace_A]

DePalma has never recorded a commentary, and it would have been shocking to find this the first film to do so for two reasons. First, this is not exactly DePalma's finest moment and I doubt it's a film he hold dear to his heart; and secondly, he and Cruise didn't get on during the making of the film (Cruise was apparently unhappy that DePalma had final cut and allowed certain other actors to, basically, act him off the screen) and, as the special features attest, this DVD is all about the Cruise. We're just lucky there's no special apprearance from the fembot.

 

[BrandonJF]

He IS the star of the movie. Plus, I see very little devoted to Cruise in this listing of features on the back of the DVD. I see 6 featurettes on the making of the movie and one section that has a couple of tribute montages of Cruise. Hardly "all about the Cruise".

 

[Shane Dodson]

I think what you're seeing here, Brandon, is some "anti-Cruise" backlash considering the bad publicity the actor has been getting lately in the press (can you say "Scientology????"). You should take a gander at the M:I review up at dvdtown.com the reviewer spends less time actually discussing the DVD and more time going on an anti-Cruise tirade.

If the extras on a DVD were devoted to any other actor than Tom Cruise, you probably wouldn't be seeing these snide comments about it.

He's the media "whipping boy" of the moment. This time next year...it'll be somebody else.

Regards,

- S.D.

 

[John Wielgosz]

Just finished a three-way comparison of the new SE DVD compared to the original non-anamorphic DVD and the AC-3 Laserdisc.

I used Chapter 12, "Red Light, Green Light" for the testing. All audio testing was done at THX Reference level, without engaging any Re-Eq. (calibrated to 75db)

I was surprised at how lacking the 5.1 on the original DVD was, a decline in quality similar to the original "Star Trek: Generations" DVD. i.e. rolled-off frequencies in the lower and higher portions of the track. The LFE was downright limp.

The new SE DVD, when A/B tested with the LD, seemed oh-so slightly lower in volume, with a +1 increase in volume, I was hard-pressed to notice any variance between the two tracks.

The A/B switching was audio only, switching between the two synced tracks through my receiver.

On a video note, with the LD out of the equation, the original DVD was similar in color saturation, but detail was highly lacking, due not only to the non-anamorphic transfer, but a sheen of video noise and block artifacting. This was exaggerated further when I engaged the zoom mode for the proper ratio.

(Boy, is this a dry sounding post or what?)

I noticed some EE on the SE transfer, nothing overly objectionable. Your mileage may vary on larger displays (I have a 46" 16:9 Toshiba 46H84 CRT).

Could it be a bit sharper? Yeah, but this is a marked improvement over any previous incarnation available, and the first time it's been far more than watchable on my system for some time.

Hope this helps,

J.W.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Nice post, John! Thanks!

A very useful addition to Pat's review.

 

[george kaplan]

If anyone gets MI-2, could you provide info on whether that picture quality is an improvement over the previous version? That makes a difference on buying the set versus just the first film.

 

[Cory S.]

The picture quality is exactly the same. There is no difference.

 

[Travis Brashear]

george, the M:I 2 featured in the new set is the original version; this is just a repackaging of that original DVD with the addition of a newly created bonus disc. Additionally, everything on that bonus disc is included on the new version of M:I 1 (the Super Bowl TV spot isn't advertised, but it's on the disc as an Easter egg), so if you already own M:I 2, you don't need to buy the set, just M:I 1.

 

[george kaplan]

Thanks for the info guys. That makes it easy to just pick up MI-1.