Review of 'Mission: Impossible III'
3rd film in the 'Mission: Impossible' series
IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has retired as an active agent instead training new recruits and engaged to Julia Meade (Michelle Monaghan) where he lives a double-life as a somewhat boring “traffic analyst”. Agent John Musgrave (Billy Crudup) asks Hunt to come out of retirement to rescue one of Ethan's proteges Lindsey Farris (Keri Russell) who was captured while investigating Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Ethan's team consists of Declan Gormley (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), Zhen Lei (Maggie Q), and his old partner Luther (Ving Rhames). After a spectacular rescue Farris is killed by a timed explosive planted in her brain by Davian. IMF technician Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) recovers information from laptops retrieved in the escape that points to Davian being in the Vatican City to retrieve a mysterious “Rabbit's Foot” which he plans to sell to a buyer. Going rogue (again) Hunt and his team are able to kidnap Davian though he is promptly rescued by US government forces who capture Hunt…What is going on and what is the Rabbit's Foot? The stakes increase as Davian learns of Julia…
Another somewhat complicated plot with storylines that, as always, tie together nicely by the end but it bears trying to keep up otherwise you will be very confused (it is certainly much easier to follow than the first film). Indeed, reading the plot summary on IMDB having watched the film I now understand it much better, thank you. In any case, yet more action featuring Hunt and his team. Each MI film seems to attempt to outdo the previous film. Cruise seems to be on a crusade to perform the most outrageous stunts: We have a helicopter chase sequence through a windmill farm, the destruction of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and a motorcycle chase on top of and through a small village just north of Shanghai (interestingly, I tried to find this location once but ended up in another canal-inundated village to the west). As with the first we also have yet another spectacular “bank heist” sequence, yes, another impossible break in that, of course, the team figure out a rather convoluted way to do it (expect to see Cruise on a cable dangling in a vault again). The emotional stakes are also ramped up here with Hunt's civilian fiancé at risk.
J.J. Abrams makes his directorial debut here having been involved previously in “much watch” television shows such as “Lost”, “Alias” and “Six Degrees”. His slick and fluid directorial style is clear to see with the action easy to follow and very easy to watch. It certainly looks great.
As for plot twists there are not so many in this third outing. Again we see the use of the “mask” trick (is it really that person or are they wearing a very believable mask) but this is wearing very thin now and somewhat lazy of the franchise to keep leaning back on it. It is tricky to try to figure out what is going to happen next but other than that, there are no real major plot twists.
Another action-filled outing for (ex?) IMF agent “Ethan Hunt” as he battles to take down an arms merchant while protecting his new private life as a happy husband.
Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”
Review Date: 2025-06-07
Directed by: J.J. Abrams
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Year: 2006
Length: 126 minutes
Genre: Action/Adventure
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317919/
Other reviewed films in the 'Mission: Impossible' series:
- Mission: Impossible (1996)
- Mission: Impossible II (2000)
Other reviewed films by J.J. Abrams:
- Star Trek (2009)
- Super 8 (2011)
- Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)