Mission Impossible, Season 3

Reviewer: Alyice Edrich

Movie

Plot

A top secret group of government operatives work together to spoil the plans of the world’s leading evil doers. Through the use of clever schemes, brilliant disguises, and high tech gadgets, the team saves the world and puts an end to evil plots everywhere.

Starring

Barbara Bain, Peter Graves, Martin Landau, Greg Morris, Peter Lupas, and more.

The Review

Jim Phelps is the head of a secret government operative. His job is to oversee a team of experts who go out into the field to stop evil plots designed to cause chaos and havoc in our world. Each episode opens with Jim receiving a self-destructing message about a sinister evil doer that must be stopped at all costs. As soon as the message self-destructs, Jim’s back in his off selecting a group of operatives best suited for the case. Rarely does the team differ as Jim seems to like with the same group of people—they’re reliable, efficient, smart, and seem to have no problem working as a team or taking orders from each other. Occasionally, Jim brings in someone different or adds another party to the team, but only when he believes it will improve the team’s chances of success.

Once everyone arrives, he debriefs the team and together they begin plotting their next move and that’s where the real excitement begins. Each episode offers something different. There’s new costumes, new identities, new gadgets, and new villains to concure.

Rollin Hand is the team’s master of disguise and does a great job altering both appearance and voice. Cinnamon Carter is the only female on the team and does a great job of using her femininity to charm and trick. She also reminds the world that beautiful women do come with brains. Barney Collier is the gadget guy and seems to always have the answer to their problems. And then there’s Willy Armitage, the team’s strongman.

If you’ve watched Mission Impossible staring Tom Cruise and expect to see a lot of high-packed action, you’re in for a real disappointment. The original series used more brains than explosives. The original series, in my opinion, is far superior to the movie versions—even if it was created decades ago! The series doesn’t rely on gimmicks to “wow” the audience. It relies on acting, drama, suspense, and mystery. The series also does not “feed” the audience. In other words, you’ve got to think about what’s going on in order to figure out why certain plots were devised and how it all works together.

Your Task

Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to watch the series with your kids and then discuss why the team was so successful in each of their missions. It’s a great opportunity to discuss the importance of teamwork. It’s also a great time to help your kids decipher their peer’s true intentions. In other words, when is a peer being supportive and looking out for your best interests and when is a peer steering you in the wrong direction, thus causing you to get into trouble?

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