Customer Reviews

The Best of Mission: Impossible Vol.9 [VHS]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The IMF delve into the sports world by thwarting an underworld attempt to rig boxing (and all) sporting events.

This episode makes very effective use of Barney portraying Richie Lemoyne, a boxer who burned his hands during a rescue. Lemoyne, who is now retired, promises to help the IMF if he is guaranteed to win a fight in clean, legitimate fashion.

Rollin, with the help of Willy and Robert Conrad, operates as a trainer preparing Barney for the big fight. Cinnamon works her feminine wiles to seduce and overthrow mob ringleader Charles Buckman. Graves gets a bookie job with
Buckman who finds that HE'S the one in a real fix!

A Great story, typical of many during the Landau/Bain years of the series. The acting is good, and the fighting scenes are passable. Watch for Sugar Ray Robinson as he gives the word "hitman" a new meaning. One of the finer domestic cases the Mission force tackled. Lord knows they would be too few and far between after 1969.

A fantastic and atypical Mission: Impossible.

This volume puts Jim Phelps (Peter Graves) and his team up against a corrupt boxing promoter, Charles Buckman ,who's working with organized crime to collect huge payoffs on his rigged fights.

This two part episode plays like a movie and gives the team some unusual challenges. First they enlist the help of non-agent Richy Lemoine an ex-boxer who will only help if the IMF (Impossible Missions Force) can defeat Buckman's champion without any of their usual dirty tricks. Second, the mission takes place over an extended period of time. Third, IMF agent Barney takes center stage, usually we see him doing behind the scenes work like crawling through tunnels and breaking into safes. Fourth, real life boxing great Sugar Ray Robinson guest stars as Buckman's ruthless hit man

Here on more than any other episode we get to see the team take it's time to develop the perfect frame. Richy and Rollin (Academy Award winner Martin Landau) put Barney through intensive training with help from boxing enthusiast Robert Conrad (in a cameo). Jim get's a job at a bookie joint. Meanwhile, Cinnamon (Barbara Bain) charms her way into the boxing promoter's love life in a sub-plot that will turn around and stab him in the back when he least expects it!

I highly recommend this tape to all fans of classic TV. It's a real gem.