But how did their styles vary?
TheMission: Impossiblefranchise is an odd beast.
Since 1996, there have been four instalments, and all have proved to be commercially successful.
A major component of the characters appeal is derived from Cruises willingness to perform his own stunts.
Generally speaking, franchises and auteurs do not go hand-in-hand.
Occasionally, there will be a exception such as Alfonso Cuaron withHarry Potter, but it is rare.
The Bond films are a prime example of this.
Either way, one cannot deny that he knows how to use them.
De Palma frames the character through a train compartment window, with his identity concealed by a half-closed blind.
The respective point of views of these characters appear as a series of windows on hiscomputer screen.
In this way, De Palma renders his use of split screen as part of the mise-en-scene.
Men leaping through the air firing two guns.
The brotherly rivalry between hero and villain.
The emphasis on a romantic relationship inMission: Impossible 2is a sharp deviation from Woos previous work.
EvenBroken ArrowandFace Offmaintain this theme.
In this respect,Mission: Impossible 2feels more like a star vehicle for Cruise.
In Woos cinema, there is little room for female characters.
Across his TV work, Abrams had become known for his narrative techniques and themes rather than his visuals.
With his entry, Abrams brought the focus back to a team.
This made it closer to the original concept, and the ensemble in AbramssAlias.
This is the first film to give a real sense of the structure of the organisation.
IMF is given a home base and a boss (played by Laurence Fishbourne).
The focus on Ethan Hunts life outside work is very reminiscent ofAlias protagonist Sidney Bristow.
The use of an unexplained MacGuffin (the Rabbits foot) is another tool from AbramssAliasandLost.
To this is added a more ruthless approach to the supporting players.
Dramatically,Mission: Impossible IIIis far more substantial and enjoyable experience than its predecessor.
However, there is no disguising a certain cynicism to the focus on character development.
Abrams has exhibited a take no prisoners approach in his TV projects, killing off major characters with aplomb.
Ethan Hunt has to climb up the side of the worlds tallest building.
By itself, this task seems to be insurmountable.
In this way, Cruises acrobatics become only a piece of a larger puzzle.
The nextMission: Impossiblefilm,Mission: Impossible 5, is due to hit cinemas in December.
What will the director ofJack Reacherbring to theM:Ifranchise?
Itll be fascinating to find out.