Mission: Impossible (original series)...

[Aragorn]

Jeremy Renner is actually playing Jim Phelps, Jr. and in the next movie after Ghost Protocol, his team will consist of Barney Collier, Cinnamon Carter and Willy Armitage. Problem solved!

 

[Marc]

I don't have to see the show to know who Jim Phelps is.

The irony is, if you'd watched the whole six seasons he starred in, you'd hardly know a thing about who Jim Phelps was. There was virtually no exploration of the characters in their own identities, because it was felt that the focus should be on the roles they played in their capers. Although they did do the occasional one-time Very Special Episode that let us explore a character's past and then was never mentioned again, like the one where Phelps returned to his hometown just in time to stumble upon a series of serial killings, or the one where Barney's reporter brother was killed and the team helped Barney bring the killer to justice, or the one where a villain used a trauma in Paris's past to brainwash him into killing Phelps. (And I think the revival series explored him a bit more, but I haven't seen it in over two decades so I can't be sure.)

Looked at that way, it's not necessarily out of character that Phelps could've ended up going bad like in the movie, since we hardly knew what Phelps's character was in the first place. But that's not the point, is it? Jim Phelps may not have been a well-drawn character, but he was a cultural icon, one known even by those who didn't watch the show. So what offended people about the movie's Phelps going bad wasn't so much a matter of mischaracterization as one of a beloved icon being torn down.

Jim Phelps was at the very least seen as an uncorruptable leader something you could see in the first ep. of the sequel series as had to retrain himself from attacking the assassin who killed his protege. And the movie itself made Peter Graves leave the theater in disgust.

Thought it was Greg Morris who did that (just a few days before he died) or maybe they both did.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ Martin Landau wasn't too happy about it either.

 

[Lonemagpie]

And the movie itself made Peter Graves leave the theater in disgust.

He should have known what was coming - he'd read the script. And thereby hangs an amusing tale that may be apocryphal but I hope is true...

More likely Morris, I'd have thought- I can't see Graves having actually gone to see it.

 

[Lonemagpie]

And it's possible the upcoming fourth film, Ghost Protocol, will be similarly distinct, since Brad Bird is directing it; I'm hoping it'll be like a live-action The Incredibles. On the other hand, Abrams is producing it and it's written by a couple of Alias veterans, so I expect it would have an Abrams flavor, tying it more closely to the third film (which really is the only good one of the bunch so far, though I can't imagine a Brad Bird film not being worthwhile).

Judging by the trailer, it looks very MI-III ish...

 

[DWF]

Thought it was Greg Morris who did that (just a few days before he died) or maybe they both did.

My fault your right it was Morris who left the theater.

From the CNN article.

"I know that when the publicity first came out, before the picture was released, even before it was shot, that they were making a movie of it. People asked are you going to be in it," Greg Morris said. The actor had to tell them "no." For seven years, Morris portrayed the force's electronics wizard Barney Collier. He also checked out the movie. His opinion? "I left early."
What bugged Morris also bothered Graves. The film did choose to have a character named Jim Phelps, played by Jon Voight. "I am sorry that they chose to call him Phelps. They could have solved that very easily by either having me in a scene in the very beginning, or reading a telegram from me saying, hey boys, I'm retired, gone to Hawaii. Thank you, good-bye, you take over now," Graves said.
"I felt a little bad that they called him Phelps, and what happens to him happens," Graves said cryptically. (Don't ever come crying to us about how we give away the ending.)

 

[Christopher]

And it's possible the upcoming fourth film, Ghost Protocol, will be similarly distinct, since Brad Bird is directing it; I'm hoping it'll be like a live-action The Incredibles. On the other hand, Abrams is producing it and it's written by a couple of Alias veterans, so I expect it would have an Abrams flavor, tying it more closely to the third film (which really is the only good one of the bunch so far, though I can't imagine a Brad Bird film not being worthwhile).

Judging by the trailer, it looks very MI-III ish...

Which isn't a bad thing, since that was the only one so far that worked. It also seems like Ghost Protocol will be an interesting twist on the premise:

Spoiler: M:I: Ghost Protocol

We get to see what happens when the team actually is disavowed.

 

[Lonemagpie]

I liked MI-2, it just wasn't an MI story... (and was amused by some teens in the row behind complaining that the action scenes we "just a ripoff of the Matrix" - apparently unaware of who was ripping off who...)

 

[Christopher]

^So they assumed John Woo was imitating his own imitators, you mean?

 

[Lonemagpie]

^So they assumed John Woo was imitating his own imitators, you mean?

yep

 

[Forbin]

What????? Why do you think I'm "accusing" anyone? What is it about the Internet that makes so many people so defensive that they read even the most neutral comment as some kind of attack? Where does that come from?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?!?!!?



One of my first interactions on the net back in the 90s, I commented on the SciFi Channel's bboard about my disgust over Fox's cancelling of Alien Nation, and putting in its timeslot the tasteless sitcom "Babes", about a group of obese women sharing an apartment.

The immediate response was from an obese woman screaming at me about my bigotry toward obese women. I thought I'd made it clear I thought the show was tasteless FOR making fun of obese women, but that aparently sailed right over her head and she decided she needed to be offended.

Lessons learned.

 

[Christopher]

By the way, I've just discovered that, like Star Trek, the entire original Mission: Impossible series is now available for streaming from Netflix. Now, if only they'd get the '88 revival too...

 

[Brikar99]

By the way, I've just discovered that, like Star Trek, the entire original Mission: Impossible series is now available for streaming from Netflix. Now, if only they'd get the '88 revival too...

yep! I've been watchin the first season. After all this talk about the 1988 show, I kinda want to see that one, too...

 

[Warped9]

I have to say that while I really enjoy watching the Season 1 episodes I'm not really fond of Steven Hill's character. He just comes across as so flat. It might be more credible as some manner of government agent, but it isn't very engaging.

 

[Forbin]

I wonder if he had some dancing training. Every one in a while his moves looked slightly dance-like.

 

[Forbin]

Anyhoo, on to the important discussion: the female agents!

After Barbara Baine left, the next season (4) featured a series of different female guest agents. Their favorite was Lee Meriweather, who was featured in more episodes than any other.

Season 5 featured Leslie Ann Warren. She's my absolute favorite. Plus, she showed up at just the right time for the women's lib braless movement. There was always something about her that just made me weak in the knees. Probably those great big... brown eyes.

Season 6, Linda Day George showed up as Casey. Many think of her as the definitive M:I girl. I wouldn't argue. With both Landau and Nimoy gone, the creation of the magic masks fell to her, even if she wasn't wearing them.

Throughout season 7, Linda apparently had some other commitments, and they once again shuffled thru some guest female agents. The most-used, thankfully, was the very beautiful Barbara Anderson, one of my favorite 60s/70s stunners, who we all know and love as that crazy-ass chick who tried to kill Kirk in Conscience of the King.

 

[Warped9]

I'm seeing myself just having to collect the entire series. I'm having too much fun revisiting this show.

 

[Chuckles]

Watching the show is like stepping back in time. Not just with the hair and clothing styles, but also seeing companies that no longer exist anymore.

 

[Christopher]

Lesley Ann Warren just didn't do it for me. I found her rather bland. Lynda Day George... pretty, but also kind of bland. I do agree Lee Meriwether was pretty good, and I wish she'd stuck around longer.

 

[Warped9]

Just watched Season One's "Odds On Evil." It has something of a bit of a Casino Royale feel to it and neat to see Cinnamon able to dish it out some hand-to-hand.