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Mission: Impossible

Mission: Impossible is a 1996 American spy thriller film directed by Brian De Palma, and produced by and starring Tom Cruise from a screenplay by David Koepp and Robert Towne and story by Koepp and Steven Zaillian. Based on the 1966 television series of the same name and its 1988 sequel series, it is the first installment in the Mission: Impossible film series.

Description credits

Description adapted from Wikipedia contributors, Mission: Impossible (film) · CC BY-SA 4.0. Text adapted for this entry.

REVIEW COVERAGE

Partially reviewed

Original notes based on the cited sources. This is a partial assessment; categories we haven’t assessed remain unknown.

Edition & review scope

Concise original notes from selected official content advice, not a full viewing. Levels are Parents Forge interpretations, not official age ratings. Unknown means not established; omitted concerns are not confirmed absent.

1996 film; English/French/Czech-language NZ Classification Office Quick Take advice. Other cuts, dubs, trailers and bonus material are not assessed, and edition equivalence is not assumed.

Catalog ID 1542Edition: default

CONTENT BREAKDOWN

What’s in this entry?

Violence

Moderate

Shootings, stabbings and explosions kill characters. An elevator killing uses disturbing sounds, and animal deaths are implied.

Sexual content

Unknown · not fully assessed

Not established by this source-based guide.

Nudity

Unknown · not fully assessed

Not established by this source-based guide.

Language

Strong

Strong profanity appears in translated subtitles; other swearing includes 'bullshit' and 'bitch'.

Alcohol, drugs & smoking

Unknown · not fully assessed

Not established by this source-based guide.

Frightening & intense themes

Moderate

Life-threatening action includes a helicopter pursuit near a train and a narrowly avoided blade injury.

Content notes describe the material, not a universal age recommendation. Different releases, editions and installments can contain different material.

Review sources

Guide updated 2026-11-11T07:57:22Z · Parents Forge source-based summary

NZ Classification Office: Mission: Impossible · Source (accessed 2026-11-11)
Factual source: Te Mana Whakaatu, New Zealand Classification Office. Original concise advisories by Parents Forge; no endorsement claimed.