By Bob Berry

The fifth Mission Impossible movie, “Rouge Nation“, starring Tom Cruise opens today. Lots of action, effects, and stunts, the MI theme and lots of the Tom Cruise formula. Tom Long in today’s Detroit News calls the movie a “happy meal“.

Is that a bad thing? Perhaps, if as Mr. Long suggests, you remember when Tom Cruise made really good movies. Or perhaps not, for those of us who enjoyed the original TV show for the escapist drama it was.  But in the end, I always remember the immortal words of Dobie Grey’s 1966 Keener classic “The In Crowd”:

“The original is still the greatest“. And so, they can re-mix, re-invent and re-imagine all they want. But for my money, there will never be a better theme song than the theme to the original Mission: Impossible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lih-z4G4jY

And, while we’re at it, check out this PBS clip on the original TV show, with some fun facts and cool stories: