Scott LeBrun Tom Cruise again essays his continuing role of super-agent Ethan Hunt, here tasked with rescuing a protege (Keri Russell) who managed to get herself kidnapped. It turns out, this plot point is just the tip of the iceberg, in a typically extravagant action-adventure spectacular that has Ethan doing battle with a dastardly black-market arms dealer, Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman). For Ethan, the whole operation hits way too close to home when the bad guys kidnap his new bride Julia (Michelle Monaghan), who has no idea what he really does for a living.J.J. Abrams stepped aboard as the third director to tackle this franchise, giving us our money's worth and then some. The story probably wouldn't hold up to a lot of scrutiny, but at least with movies like this, they entertain you so thoroughly you're not given that many quiet moments to ponder how insane all of it is.Naturally, there is some first-rate, amazing stunt work, as well as the expected pulse-quickening action scenes, and plenty of explosions to hold our attention. The story does have the requisite number of twists and turns. For example, its opening two minutes just grab you right away, although we can sense that this sequence is actually from much later in the tale.Cruises' star charisma (and physical prowess) are on full display here, and he's aided and abetted by a very strong supporting cast: Laurence Fishburne, Billy Crudup, Ving Rhames, Maggie Q, Simon Pegg, and Eddie Marsan. The radiant Monaghan is appealing as Hunts' wife. And since movies such as this are dependent on the effectiveness of the villain, Hoffman admirably fills the bill. He's just incredibly cold-blooded and controlled. Aaron Paul of 'Breaking Bad' fame has a small part.What helps the storytelling is that Abrams and his screenwriters introduce a level of humanity, as we get to see Hunt off the job for once. He truly believes that it's possible for someone in his line of work to have a normal, healthy relationship, although his co-workers doubt this.Solid stuff overall, and indicative of how the series has continued to flourish, despite its lacklustre second entry.Eight out of 10.

tomgillespie2002 The third instalment of the Mission: Impossible franchise took a while to get off the ground. Originally trusted to director David Fincher (which would have been fascinating to see), the Fight Club director opted out when another project caught his eye, so the reigns were passed to Joe Carnaghan, who had his supporting cast ready to go before a dispute with the studio resulted in his departure also. In stepped J.J. Abrams, who faced the difficult task of reviewing the previous movies' vastly different tones in order to settle on which Ethan Hunt he wanted to bring to the screen. Quite wisely, he went for a bit of both. This was the intuitive, opportunistic Hunt from Brian De Palma's well-staged original, rather than the trigger-happy super-agent from John Woo's effort. Yet he still retains an edge, and Abrams sets out his movie's darker tone from the get-go, as we start during the third act with Hunt in precarious situation with Philip Seymour Hoffman's big bad.Hunt (Tom Cruise) has left the IMF in favour of a normal life with his bride-to-be Julia (Michelle Monaghan). He has kept the extent of his work for the government quiet and seems to be enjoying being a regular Joe, but his head is soon turned when fellow IMF agent John Musgrave (Billy Crudup) contacts him regarding his former protegee, Lindsay Farris (Keri Russell), who has gone missing in the field while investigating an arms dealer named Owen Davian (Hoffman). Hunt accepts the job and assembles a team (consisting of the returning Ving Rhames, as well as Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Maggie Q) to track her down, but when the mission goes spectacularly wrong, the group are left to track down an item known as the 'Rabbit's Foot', a device capable of global catastrophe. With the head of the IMF (Laurence Fishburne) breathing down his neck and Davian proving himself to be a ruthless and cunning foe, Hunt and the rest of his troupe face their most difficult task yet.He may have been third choice (although he was cherry-picked by Cruise himself), but the then up-and-coming Abrams proved to be the perfect director to steer the series back on course without upsetting the tone. He finds a perfect balance, delivering spectacular set-pieces that Cruise is, as always, keen to sink his teeth into, as well as re-establishing the team element and tasking them with missions that require a combined effort, and not just Cruise blowing away bad guys in slow-motion. De Palma's original may have been spectacular on occasion, but this third instalment is probably the best of this opening trilogy. There is also an uncomfortable atmosphere throughout, and this is mainly down to Hoffman's spectacular turn as Davian. He is a one-note big bad, and hardly physically intimidating, yet Hoffman's dead-eyed delivery oozes menace, and when he threatens the lives of those closest to our hero, we completely accept that he's capable of butchering the innocent in his pursuit for riches and power. It's hardly new territory for the action genre, but Abrams should be credited with reinvigorating a franchise still going strong 22 years after it introduced itself.

Anish Misra Mission: Impossible - III is a film directed by J.J. Abrams. After the dismal second instalment, I wanted something that could revamp the series and bring new energy that the series deserves. This film exactly did that.Plot: Ethan Hunt is called out of retirement when one of his trainees is captured by black market arms dealer, Owen Davian.Story and direction: This film is the debut of J.J. Abrams as a feature film director. He had a huge responsibility of bringing the franchise back on track and he delivers. The writing team (Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Orci) do know what the franchise needs, gives the fans (like me) satisfying moments that was longed for in the second part. Abrams being into spy thrillers (Alias) was the perfect choice. For the only time in the series, we do see the IMF office, which was a wonderful take. Also shown very beautifully is what happens when the professional life overtakes the personal. The characters that are newly introduced just go with the flow of the film in addition to leaving their own impression. Some of the action scenes too are just powerful and full of adrenaline. The music by Michael Giacchino is suspenseful and adds to the wonder this film has. I did like the colour palette that the film used which gave the film a very gritty and dark look. The main issue with the film is regarding the cinematography. There are certain scenes where there are close-ups for very long time and also there was a lot of shaky-cam which interrupted my viewing a couple of times. Also, there were certain scenes where some explanation or even a small description would do justice.Performances: It was good to see Tom Cruise back into action after his tireless romantic attempt in the previous instalment. Ving Rhames provides good support to Tom's character. Simon Pegg does a wonderful job as Benji. So does Michelle Monaghan as Julia. Laurence Fishburne and Billy Crudup are great in their performances. Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Maggie Q are awesome as IMF agents. And finally, Philip Seymour Hoffman is probably the best villain the M: I series had. He is ruthless and cunning. Philip nailed his role perfectly.Favourite Scene: It would be the one where Ethan tries to exact information from Owen by threatening him to throw him out of the plane. Without any fear, Owen replies that he will find every loved one of Ethan's and kill them right in front of him. This scene showed the devilish side of Owen and I was impressed.Verdict: Even with its flaws, Mission: Impossible - III serves as a good film with loads of suspense and action scenes and ample of entertainment. I am going with an 8/10.

zkonedog After the widely-acclaimed disappointment that was "Mission Impossible II" this third installment (helmed by the formidable JJ Abrams) provides some much-needed polish to a franchise in desperate need of it. Sadly, though, there are too many missed opportunities for character growth and plot for this movie to truly rise above an "average" categorization.For a basic plot summary, "MI3" sees Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) called back to the IMF one more time to save a fellow agent (played by Keri Russell). When that operation uncovers international villain Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Hunt is drawn into the chase in more ways than one when his wife-to-be Julia (Michelle Monaghan) is drawn into the plot as well.In terms of action/gadgets/technology/freneticism, this movie likely has what you are looking for. The nonstop action rivals anything that, say, a "Bourne" or Jason Statham flick could ever produce, and the visuals are stunning and slick. For those only looking for action/adventure going in, there's no reason to be disappointed.At the same time, however, two fatal flaws exist in this film:First, the characters are mighty weak. Monaghan (though perfectly built for her role) is only "the girl to be saved", Hoffman is a terrible villain, and the script doesn't really give Cruise all that much of an opportunity to grow.Second, the plot (while twisty/turny) is nothing that spy fans haven't seen countless times before. The names/places/dates may have been changed, but pretty much everything else is stock fare for espionage flicks.Overall, then, while JJ did polish up this franchise a bit, I felt that he didn't buff out enough of the imperfections to make it a truly great film. Enjoy it for what it is, but don't expect it to rocket atop any "best of" lists.