Rating: 
Summary: Take the plunge
Review: Roland Joffe's 1986 film, best known for its Oscar-winning cinematography, is presented in the original widescreen (2.35:1). Images appear crisp and damage-free, with deep blacks in contrast to the coursing whites of the waterfalls and the nitrogen-rich greens. Sound has been remixed into Dolby Digital 5.1. The mix keeps most of the action in the front speakers, with too few atmospherics finding their way to the rear. Screenwriting master Robert Bolt's dialogue comes across loud and clear above the roar of the river. As good as this transfer is, those who remember the dazzling theatrical presentation may come away somewhat disappointed. "The Mission's" natural habitat is the big screen. Joffe tells the tale of making "The Mission" in a commentary that is at least as interesting as the film itself. Disc 2 features a fascinating -- but flat and grainy -- BBC documentary about the production and the Waunana Indians who acted in the movie. (No other extras appear on the second disc, apparently added solely to preserve the quality of the film on disc 1). Joffe's commentary was recorded in the past year or so, while the hourlong "Omnibus" docu hails from 1986. Joffe admits his commentary is "stream of consciousness" -- at one point wondering if his audience was still awake -- but he is a splendid storyteller with interesting ideas about man's place in the world. Curious viewers will need both the commentary and the docu to put together the story of "The Mission." Unfortunately, there are no updates on the Waunana aside from Joffe's mention of a foundation set up for their benefit.
Rating:
Summary: AWE-INSPIRING "MISSION" BROUGHT TO DVD AT LONG LAST!
Review: "The Mission" is a heartbreaking tale of redemption, survival and tragedy told in the mountains of Argentina and Brazil. It stars Robert DeNiro and Jeremy Irons and focuses on Britain's involvement in colonizing the tribal indians and then, destroying their homeland. Not to be missed, this 1986 Cannes Film Festival winner is perhaps both DeNiro and Iron's finest hours on film and the moving, Oscar-winning score will make your skin crawl.
Warner Home Video has done a fantastic job on the DVD transfer. Though color and black levels are still a little weak, the picture is, for the most part, nicely balanced, with rich textured hues, excellent contrast levels and incredible detail, even in the remotest background information. Pixelization is non-existant. Aliasing and shimmering of fine details is extremely rare. There was only one instance where edge enhancement was detected and this, for less than 30 sec. of screen time. The audio is 5.1 remixed and has a nice expanse in the musical score and effects track. Voices do tend to sound front and center rather than spread across all three channels but, then again, this is a movie from 1986, with all the inherant shortcomings of a soundtrack from that decade factored in. Background hiss is non-existant.
Extras: An audio commentary, theatrical trailer and the absolutely brilliant documentary that revisits the actual sites used in the making-of "The Mission".
BOTTOM LINE: Warner deserves the highest marks for this 2 disc set. Long - the leaders in DVD excellence, "The Mission" is just another reason why more people should be writing in to the studio to specially thank them for their mastering efforts. They are, bar none, the best in the business.
Rating: 
Summary: Been Waiting For This!
Review: I've been waiting and waiting for this absolutely brilliant film to make it to DVD already! Thank goodness it finally has, and what a treat it is!
This fantastic movie in widescreen in all DVD's glory, with 5.1 surround sound to boot! It's more than fans could want.
I was shocked to hear that Siskel & Evert gave this film a thumbs-down rating when it premiered. It makes me seriously question not only their taste in movies, but their credibility altogether! I mean, "the Mission" is a fabulous movie through and through; this is one of the greatest movies of the past twenty years bar none!
The score by Ennio Morricone alone is one of the greatest ever put to film. This movie also has some brilliant lines in its screenplay: "Thus have we made the world", "If might is right, then love has no place in the world", "Do you dare try it?", etc.
This film contains one of Robert Deniro's greatest performances and certainly Jeremy Iron's single greatest. The fact that this fact goes unrecognized in unforgivable!
The Mission is one of, if not the most, underrated films of all time. Perhaps one day we will become sophisticated enough to recognize this masterpiece for the brilliant work that it is?
Rating:
Summary: Any VHS tape Movie that has lasted 5 to 40 YEARS
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Rating: 
Summary: Fails to hit the high notes
Review: Roland Joffe's "The Mission" can, with hindsight, be seen as the first directoral misstep by a filmmaker who has subsequently been slumming it ("The Scarlet Letter", anyone?). This film has all the individual ingredients of a rousing, heartfelt masterpiece: Ennio Morricone's eponymous, redolent score, Chris Menges' strikingly mounted, symbolically saturated cinematography, Robert Bolt's erudite, literate and high-minded screenplay (apparently penned years earlier as a David Lean project) and a director just off from a round of plaudits for the excellent "The Killing Fields". Although the film has a number of isolated merits, the end product is a resolute dissapointment. The opening sequence, a missionary attached to a cross making his way towards oblivion by way of a thunderous waterfall, masterfully segueing into Ennio Morricone's majestic theme; Jeremy Iron's Jesuit priest making his way up that same waterfall; the montage conveying the construction of the mission; the well placed use of Ray MacAnnalay's ambiguously doting, melancholy voice over, amongst others. The irony is that the film's major flaws result from these moments: the constant crescendo of emotional peaks, swelling violins, etc. combined with a narrative which contains such an obvious, inevitable conclusion, underscores most of the film's dramatic power. The ending itself is a mess; it is badly choreographed (the soldier extra's don't seem to know in which direction to point their cannons and guns), with De Niro and Irons (as well as the Indian extra's) temporally confused as if their faculties have been clouded by langorous jungle narcotics. It seems rushed, probably due to its judiciously hurried inclusion in the 1987 Cannes Film Festival roster (it did win the 'Palme D'Or', granted). Overall, a noble failure.
Rating:
Summary: Profoundly Moving
Review: magnificent, profoundly moving masterpiece. I permanently lost all faith in Ebert and Siskel when it made their ten-worst list for the year, when it is on my ten-best list of all time! I went to it over and over, and took friends, and we would stand hugging and sobbing on the sidewalk afterward. It is an intelligent, spiritual, compassionate film, and one of the final lines "Thus have we made (the world)" resonates to this day in all my decisions. Ennio Morricone was robbed of an Oscar for the soundtrack, as it, too, is one of the most beautiful works ever recorded, and entirely appropriate to this emotionally devastating film. Every politician, every priest, and everyone who thinks to impose his or her will on others should see this film.
Rating:
Summary: A Must See Movie
Review: The Mission is a powerful movie with a powerful message about sin, redemption, and love. It probes deep into the evils of the Catholic Church in Spain and Portugal in teh mid 18th century. Robert De Niro brilliantly portrays Rodrigo Mendoza, a dynamic character who transforms his life to a murderer who trades slaves to a Jesuit priest who fights for those seemingly 'enslaved' natives - the Guaranese. Jeremy Irons ixquisitley plays the role of a truly Christ-like figure. Father Gabriel is the epitomy of compassion, lvove, and understanding. With an incredibly written screenplay by Robert Bolt (who also wrote A Man For All Seasons), the Mission is an incredible film which explores the depths and beauty of morality and life ont he path to Jesus Christ.
Rating:
Summary: The Mission and Conscience
Review: The Mission deals with two men with two conflicting views on how to approach their mission which is in danger of being shut down by the Europeans. Rodrigo, a man of sword and Gabriel, a man of prayer and conversation each have their own way of approaching the situations ahead of them. Each listen strongly to their conscience and stick to what he thinks is right. Although there is no right or wrong way to approach a situation, each man chooses to listen to their own conscience and not even take into consideration the views of the other man. In order to build a strong conscience, one must listen to others around them to gain more knowledge about situations and ideas. Rodrigo's choice to fight for his people and Gabriel plea with Rodrigo to stay with God and preach about the goodness of the mission cancel out each other in the end and both men lose the fight to maintain the mission. This, however, is a lesson for all future missions that want to take place. Everyone must agree on how to handle a situation in order for each individual involved to benefit something from it. An idea cannot be ignored in the situation between Rodrigo and Gabriel because people will then take sides and the group as a whole cannot succeed. Both men wanted the same result, for the mission to go on and for the people to be free to do whatever they choose. Rodrigo and Gabriel's conflicting ideas held each individual involved in the missions back from achieving this goal. Conscience is a powerful tool if it is used wisely and to benefit the individuals life and the lives around that person.
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie...See it!
Review: Great movie with fantastic script, editing, camera work, and a dynamic soundtrack by Enno Mariconne (yep, the same guy who composed Once Upon a Time in the West, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and all those other spaghetti westerns). Let's not forget about the acting -- Robert Di Niro, Jeremy Irons, and a very young Liam Neison...My only criticism is that this DVD version was way overdue...But at last it is out...Don't miss it..
Rating:
Summary: Second best movie EVER!
Review: Robert Bolt, the screenwriter of The Mission, wrote his greatest work in A Man for All Seasons ( watch it! IT's THE BEST!) but this is a very close second. Excellent acting by the entire cast and moving scenes about the changes one goes though in life and how goodness and evil work in the world. It stikes home threw all times because of the fact that everyone seems to go through the same things as the charactors of this movie.
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