Mission: Impossible III

by Aaron Helfferich · Published May 5, 2006

In his feature film directorial debut, J.J. Abrams throws down the best moves of his play-book for an adrenaline rush of a spy thriller. Fans of Abrams’ previous work on the hit television series “Alias,” starring Jennifer Garner, will find many elements of “Mission: Impossible III” to be strikingly familiar.

Tom Cruise stars as Ethan Hunt, who is faced with a similar situation that Jennifer Garner’s character, Sydney Bristow, faced on Alias. Ethan lands himself in a situation where his personal life gets mangled among his more secretive and sometimes more overtly obvious life as a government agent. In “M: I III,” Ethan is back to his old tricks with the same death defying aerial stunts and impossibly detailed masks.

The story is all too familiar. A rich madman gets his hands on a device and threatens the existence of the human race. This is the least of all of Ethan Hunt’s problems. Now, he is forced to put his personal life into the equation and protect his new fiancee, Julia, played by an intriguing Michelle Monaghan. The idea is good, but the chemistry is at an absolute zero with Cruise and Monaghan. We understand that they are madly in love from the get go, but we never see the proof. Their scenes together seem extremely forced and inevitably fizzle out. Surprisingly, their relationship is, in fact, what makes “M: I III” stand out. When Julia is kidnapped the motives and actions of Ethan are much more interesting than the usual “save the world” efforts we have seen before; twice.

Aside from Ethan and Julia’s relationship, a string of new characters are introduced; some more exciting than the others. Laurence Fishbourne stars in the Anthony Hopkins role from “M: I II,” but becomes a little more involved in the story. He does a fine job maintaining the veteran presence that Hopkins established. Ethan is again put to work with the charismatic Luther Strickell (a familiar Ving Rhames) and two new agents played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Magie Q. Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman is added to the mix, creating a very devilish villain whose presence is sadly very slim. The character that shines over all is the geeky fast talking computer techie played by Simon Pegg, Pegg creates some of the most humorous moments in the film which would otherwise be drab with action.

What is also returning in “M: I III” are the action sequences. Dazzling to the eyes, the sequences will undoubtedly entertain. Look for a roadway bridge sequence, or the high flying wire act among the buildings of Shanghai to be standouts in this category.

For a summer block-buster, this film features the goods. The eye candy stunts and the tech savvy gadgets help “M: I III” set the bar and kickoff the 2006 summer of movies. With extravagant action sequences, interestingly fun supporting roles, and clever spy tricks from novice director J.J. Abrams, “Mission: Impossible III” has everything you look for in a solid action movie.