This DePalma film is a big-screen remake of a prior American television show, modernized and updated with all of the eye-popping special effects that a Hollywood mega-budget can buy. The show's Jim Phelps is the leader of the 'Impossible Missions Force.' In this 'episode,' Ethan Hunt is the point man for an IMF mission to catch a spy in the act of stealing information about the 'covers' of many other covert operatives. In the tradition of the TV show, the viewer is led down many plot twists, turns, and reversals, while the IMF members employ the latest in technology, disguises, and spy gadgetry to accomplish their mission.