Impossible Fans (& It Has a Secret Second Ending Fans Missed)

Out of everyone on the long list of working Hollywood actors, no performer has a more tumultuous filmography than Nicolas Cage. The one-of-a-kind movie star might be most known for his contributions to the National Treasure series, but he has tried his hand at just about every film out there. Ever since getting his start thanks to his uncle, Francis Ford Coppola, he has appeared in everything from critically acclaimed Academy Award contenders to critically panned Razzie favorites, but some of these films have received the absolute wrong reception.

While there are tons of contenders for mistakenly maligned Nic Cage films, the greatest example of this phenomenon is undoubtedly 1998’s Snake Eyes. Not to be confused with the G.I. Joe film of the same name, this Snake Eyes is a crime thriller by Brian De Palma, one of the most legendary names from the New Hollywood generation. Despite a litany of high-profile names attached to the project, it suffered from a horrible initial critical reception that hasn’t lightened up since release. Despite this, the film is absolutely perfect for Mission: Impossible fans, and is a must-watch for those revisiting the series in preparation for The Final Reckoning.

What is Snake Eyes About?

Image Via DeBart Productions

Snake Eyes is a film beaming with a style that is undeniably ’90s. The film is covered with a sheet of campiness, but under the surface is a stylish and stressful political thriller full of mystery, intrigue, and violence. Set in Atlantic City during a high-profile boxing match, the story of Snake Eyes primarily follows Rick Santoro (Nicolas Cage), a controversial and seemingly corrupt local detective who finds himself on the right side of history when he stumbles upon a huge government conspiracy after the U.S. Secretary of Defense is assassinated at the boxing event.

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What follows from this point is a claustrophobic trek through the crowded Atlantic City Casino. Rick sits and mingles with his old friend and colleague, Commander Kevin Dunne (Gary Sinise), who is in charge of security for the boxing event. After the shooting, however, the arena is put on lockdown, and Rick takes the lead from Dunne, taking it upon himself to solve the mystery. As Rick dives deeper into this conspiracy, he discovers that no one, not even Dunne, is to be trusted.

Ultimately, Snake Eyes is a gripping, hilarious, and endlessly stressful real-time thriller that attempts to expose a somewhat realistic threat within the government. Cage, as is to be expected, delivers a truly unhinged performance, which drives the conspiracy to unbelievable heights. Despite this powerhouse performance, Snake Eyes has continuously been on the receiving end of terrible reviews from critics, and the exact reason for this reception remains unclear to this day.

Snake Eyes Was Critically Panned, But There is Some Hope

Image Via DeBart Productions

Brian De Palma is a director who historically has had a mostly positive relationship with the film critics of the world. His highest-rated effort is the iconic horror film, Carrie, which has a 94% certified fresh score, but the hits don’t stop coming. Out of his 31 directorial outings, 16 of them have a positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics. Despite this stellar track record (especially in the years leading up to the film’s release), Snake Eyes is somehow not one of them.

IMDb Score

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

Letterboxd Score

6.1/10

42%

35%

3.4/5

Each and every single one of De Palma’s later career efforts has a cult following due to the rabid collection of fans reappraising his work, but the general consensus still remains the same. For non-De Palma fans, Snake Eyes actually kicked off what is often considered a cold streak in his career that continues to this very day. Following the release of this Nic Cage classic, De Palma released Mission to Mars, Femme Fatale, The Black Dahlia, Redacted, Passion, and Domino, all of which have negative scores on Rotten Tomatoes, and not much luck elsewhere.

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While it hasn’t done quite enough to alter the RT score, the aforementioned critical reappraisal has affected Snake Eyes. The film has seen a ratings boom on user-driven platforms like Letterboxd and IMDb, which will hopefully ramp up even further as the legendary director gears up for retirement. Despite the long break since his latest release, Brian De Palma isn’t done quite yet.

Snake Eyes is Perfect for Mission: Impossible Fans

Despite being the recipient of a negative critical reception, Snake Eyes remains the perfect film for Mission: Impossible fans, particularly those who enjoyed the first entry in the franchise. The obvious reason is due to Brian De Palma’s involvement. Snake Eyes was his immediate follow-up to his legendary franchise-starting film, and many of the filmmaking techniques and stylistic decisions carried over. From campy and entirely unrealistic set pieces, to an utter fascination aerial shots and long-takes, the directorial style is clear and on display for everyone to see. The connections, however, extend far beyond just the man sitting in the director’s chair and his camera moves.

The screenplays for both Snake Eyes and Mission: Impossible were written by David Koepp.

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Both of these films fit into an ultra-specific niche that fascinates the average moviegoer: claustrophobia. Both of these films manage to establish a confined and controlled environment, but do it in entirely different ways. As previously mentioned, Snake Eyes takes place almost entirely in a chaotic Casino, where no one, not even Rick, can escape. The original Mission: Impossible, on the other hand, repeatedly creates this feeling while moving around at a rapid-fire pace. Whether in a train car, a tunnel, or floating in between a bed of lasers, the film forces the viewer to sit in silence through intense sound design and heart-pounding inserts (like extreme close-up shots of Ethan’s sweat dripping down his face).

The two films also start very similarly. Snake Eyes famously kicks off with a 12-minute tracking shot, which completely establishes the casino setting and Rick’s incredible personality. Mission: Impossible doesn’t immediately begin with this type of action, but it very quickly approaches similar territory with the party in Prague. This scene will feel incredibly familiar to anyone who has seen Snake Eyes, as it is chock-full of POV shots, tracking shots, and features characters woefully out of place in a high-class setting.

Snake Eyes Has a Secret Ending

Image Via DeBart Productions

Spoilers beware, as Snake Eyes’ controversial nature extends far beyond the first 90 minutes of the runtime. The theatrical version of Snake Eyes features a narration-heavy ending that sees Rick initially hailed as a hero for his actions, but ripped down from the heavens as his previous corruption is exposed. This ending is incredibly realistic and somewhat fitting given the keen focus on corruption having limits, but it almost never existed.

If it wasn’t for the horrible reactions from initial test audiences, Snake Eyes would have featured a secret ending that is drastically different, and somehow more violent. This scrapped climax takes the viewer back to the final set piece on the boardwalk. Much like in the theatrical version, a fierce storm strikes the city just as the conspiracy reaches its tipping point. In this version, however, it culminates in a giant tidal wave crashing through not only the boardwalk, but through the entirety of the casino. The ending is symbolically fitting, but undeniably unsatisfying and out of nowhere. This ending sees Gary Sinise’s Kevin Dunne killed not by himself, but by some falling debris, as nature decides to punish the massive corruption that has unfolded.

3:26

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Despite the ending being cut due to both test audience reactions and budget concerns, many references to the intended finale still remain hidden within the film’s preceding 90 minutes. The mere existence of the violent storm obviously remains, but so do many dialogue references that were meant to foreshadow the tidal wave’s eventual destruction. At the end of the film, Nicolas Cage’s Rick Santoro talks about almost drowning, various shots from the original ending are spliced in where abnormally larger waves can be seen, and most notably, continuous references to the brewing storm are made in the early moments of the film.

In the grand scheme of Nicolas Cage’s chaotic filmography, Snake Eyes stands out not just as yet another misunderstood gem but as a stylistic showcase from both Cage and his director, Brian De Palma. Despite a complicated critical reception both from test audiences and eventual theatrical audiences, the film undoubtedly deserves a second look through a modern lens, especially as fans of the Mission: Impossible ramp up their movie-watching habits. One day, Snake Eyes will surely earn its spot in the collection of killer cult classics, and movie fans of today have an opportunity to be early on the bandwagon.

Snake Eyes

Release Date

August 7, 1998

Runtime

98 minutes

Director

Brian De Palma

Writers

Brian De Palma, David Koepp

Producers

Louis A. Stroller

• Gary Sinise

  Commander Kevin Dunne

• John Heard

  Gilbert Powell

• Carla Gugino

  Julia Costello