Mission: Impossible III Review [3]
Posted by Bryan Kristopowitz on 05.10.2006
Ethan Hunt is back and kicking butt with Ving Rhames in tow. Welcome back.
"Mission Impossible III: Review
Tom Cruise- Ethan Hunt
Phillip Seymour Hoffman- Owen Davian
Ving Rhames- Luther Strickell
Keri Russell- Lindsey Ferris
Michelle Monaghan- Julia
Billy Crudup- John Musgrave
Jonathan Rhys Meyers- Declan
Maggie Q- Zhen
Laurence Fishburne- John Brassel
Simon Pegg- Benji Dunn
Directed by J.J. Abrams
Screenplay by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and J.J. Abrams, based on the television series by Bruce Geller
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of frenetic violence & menace, disturbing images & some sensuality
Runtime- 126 minutes
Website: http://www.missionimpossible.com
Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt, super agent of the ultra secretive IMF (Impossible Mission Force), only this time he's not an agent out in the field. He's in a kind of semi-retirement working for the IMF as an agent trainer. He has decided to slow things down in his life so his upcoming marriage to the love of his life Julia (Michelle Monaghan) can go off without a hitch. There's nothing worse than having to postpone a cake decorator meeting to go to Scotland and take down an international criminal apparently. During a get together to celebrate the engagement and pending marriage, Hunt gets a message from his former operation handlers about a problem. Apparently an agent Hunt knows all to well (Lindsey Ferris, as played by Keri Russell) has been kidnapped by notorious international weapons smuggler and all around criminal mastermind scumbag Owen Davian (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). Hunt is the only one who can infiltrate the German warehouse compound place where she is being held. Hunt really doesn't want to accept the assignment, but decides that it's what's best for everyone. A "just one more time" kind of thing. Hunt agrees and off he goes to Germany.
Hunt doesn't go alone. Joining him are his old buddy Luther (Ving Rhames, now three for three in MI movies), Declan the Irish guy (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), and Zhen (Maggie Q). Together, they formulate a daring strike on the compound and eventually rescue Agent Ferris. Things go badly (that's as far as this reviewer will go) and Hunt is brought back to HQ to talk with John Brassel (Laurence Fishburne), the head of the IMF agency. Brassel is unhappy with Hunt's performance and wants to know why things went the way they went. Hunt can't answer, nor can Hunt's direct supervisor Musgrave (Billy Crudup). Brassel also wants to know why Davian is still running wild. Some stuff happens, and then Hunt then finds out Davian is going to be at the Vatican for some kind of high falootin meeting. What a perfect place to kidnap the most wanted man in the world. And so off Hunt goes to the Vatican.
After some cool stunts and special effects (the briefcase mask maker thing is dang cool), Davian is captured and interrogated. Davian isn't giving up anything. In fact, Davian is issuing threats. Hunt doesn't know what he's done, he's dead, his wife (or loved one) is dead, the world will end because of his stupidity and insolence, etc. Hunt engages in some brutal torture, but decides to let Davian live (good guys only wipe out bad guys when the bad guys do something really stupid right in front of the good guys). Davian is shackled and put in a truck for transport to the IMF HQ for further interrogation. Before Hunt and the gang get back to HQ, Hunt finds out something horrendous. Things aren't the way they seem.
And what the heck is "the rabbit's foot" anyway?
"M:I 3" is the kind of movie Hollywood doesn't seem to be all that interested in doing anymore. It's either that, or producers can't find actors willing to do them. It must be on of those "artist" things. See, "M:I 3" isn't one of those socially relevant movies "about something." Even when it slips in a sly bit of conspiracy mongering in regards to big business and the world, it's at best a throw away line. If you're not paying attention you won't hear it. And, heck, the specifics don't really matter, either. It's a big, bad butt action flick where the good guy is a good guy, and the bad guy is a slimy piece of garbage. Tom Cruise is excellent as Ethan Hunt. Hunt is all about intensity and purpose. No matter what, no matter how badly he gets beaten down, he will find a way to succeed. From beginning to end, Cruise never lets the intensity dissipate, never lets his guard down (even in the tender moments with Monaghan) and he's never annoying. This is the kind of role Cruise will likely succeed in over and over again. He's just made for it. Hoffman's portrayal as the villain Davian is also amazing. Hoffman gives the international weapons smuggler the right kind of pathos, arrogance, and smug douchebagness to both make the audience enjoy watching his machinations and hope that he gets what's coming to him.
Out of the supporting characters, no one really stands out. Ving Rhames does another good job at playing the dependable, tough as nails communications guy and general helper. Rhames' Luther character has been around since the start of the series and likely isn't going anywhere. It would have been cool to see him break out a shotgun and start blasting stuff (like he did in "Dawn of the Dead" 2004), but that's really Tom's job. Johnathan Rhys Meyers and Maggie Q are given slightly more to do as the other part of Tom's team. They get to fight and shoot and talk quickly (Maggie Q even gets to drive a cool orange sports car and wear a hooha dress). It's difficult to remember their names, though. If there is a fourth flick, they probably won't be joining Tom and Ving. Just a hunch. Michelle Monaghan gets to stand around and look pretty. Laurence "Larry" Fishburne gets to do the stern administrator thing and does it well enough to make everyone in the world hate his guts. He's not Morpheus here. Billy Crudup is, well, Billy Crudup here. Not much going on there. And poor Keri Russell. She needs to do more of these kinds of flicks. She makes for a great action hero (and she gets to do a pretty neat trick with her eyes). And then there's Simon "Shaun" Pegg as the IMF techie nerd Benji. Hysterical. He plays a sort of hyper "Q." His two scenes are pure "fried gold." Excellent stuff. If we get another "M:I" flick, we need to see Benji and Ving in the back of a van arguing about stuff. Or just interacting.
The stunts are amazing. The bridge scene is diabolical. The helicopter chase through the wind farm is insane. The building jump is ridiculous. It all works. The only real problems with the flick are the opening theme and the last fifteen minutes. The ending is what it is (it is what it should be and what it has to be) but it should hit stronger than it does. A movie like this needs a slightly more grandiose ending. Slightly more. The opening theme, while still memorable, for some reason just doesn't jump out at you like it did in the second flick. And there aren't enough riffs on the theme throughout. At least the theme is cool.
JJ Abrams, known mostly for his television work ("Lost," "Alias"), makes a fine directorial debut with his big butt action flick. He manages to keep the story moving in the right direction and actually crafts a story we can all follow without too much trouble (this reviewer, while he liked the first flick and thought the second flick was dripping with bad butt cool, he can't tell you what they're even really about. The stories are still, to this day, confusing as all heck). And he lets Cruise be the butt kicker he needs to be. Yeah, there's a tad of that "humanizing" stuff thrown in (the whole marriage thing) but it isn't ridiculous. It helps make Cruise even that much more of a butt kicker when the time comes. As long as we can all follow the essential story, the director has done his or her job, and Abrams did his.
"M:I 3" is a great action flick, and a great way to start off the always cool summer movie season. Ethan Hunt, much like Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh (and heck, even the T-800), will always be welcome.
The movie world always needs someone to kick butt.
The 411: “M:I 3” is a great action flick with plenty of cool stunts, action scenes, fights, shootouts, and a great hero. If only the movie world would dip back into these kinds of flicks every now and then. We need more of them, right up there on the big screen. Go and enjoy. You most likely will.
