3 Pulses
If this is the end of the line for top IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Cruise) then he goes out with a bang.
Mission: Impossible III is much better than its action-oriented predecessor, but falls short of surpassing the remarkable original. This time around first-time feature film director J.J. Abrams comes aboard to helm the franchise, bringing back the spy and thriller genres that so well defined the original. Abrams, the creator of the hit television show Alias and executive producer of Lost, uses the experience on those shows to his advantage and brings an intelligent and exciting summer blockbuster to the screen, leaving only a little left to be desired.
Starting the story off is an emotionally driven sequence between Hunt and his new nemesis Owen Davian (Hoffman), which culminates into that ultra cool theme music. The first scene is so gripping and edge-of-your-seat that the rest of the first act has a hard time keeping up, but after that, Mission: Impossible III is nonstop excitement’adding depth, intrigue and twists along the way. One action sequence in particular has Hunt running on a bay bridge while a helicopter shoots missiles at him. It makes the same scene in True Lies look archaic.
Hunt is now a teacher at IMF and has decided to settle down with his fianc’e Julia (Monaghan), but the agency has other plans. The mission, should he choose to accept it, is to recover a kidnapped agent named Lindsey Ferris (Keri Russell). By doing this the IMF hopes to acquire much needed intel on chemical-dealing Davian. But, it turns out that Ferris is just bait for an even bigger cover-up that could destroy everyone, especially the career of Hunt, who must fight to prove his own innocence.
There are lighter moments in between missions that give breathing room to the film. One motorcycle ride at sunset is right out of Top Gun, showing how far Cruise has come in his journey from small-time heartthrob to action superstar. This, along with giving Hunt a serious love interest, really lifts M:i:III above the mediocrity and stale taste that
M:i:-2 left.
The acquisition of now Oscar winner Hoffman really provides the much needed talent to raise M:i:III to another level. Hoffman is perfectly cast as the evil, not so stupid, villain that breaks down Hunt piece by piece like an elaborate chess match. Unfortunately, various side plots impede on the extra screen time a prolific actor of his stature deserves.
Minor complaints aside, Abrams has reinvented his Alias show into this $150-million-budgeted movie. It looks sleek, there’s rarely a dull moment and it isn’t getting canceled anytime soon. The teamwork and tactical operations are back on a much grander scale, making it safe to say that the summer.
