Director and Writer J.J. Abrams brings us the next installment of Mission Impossible, adding more heart and more running to the main character, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise). Seriously, Cruise does so much running in this movie, it almost becomes comical. But despite this minor distraction, the movie will deservedly sprint to the top of the box office.
A newly engaged Hunt is called back as an active agent when one of his trainees is captured. Obviously this creates several follow-up missions in order to apprehend the villain, played brilliantly by Philip Seymour Hoffman. I could write paragraphs about this man’s acting, but basically he turns what could be a very one-dimensional character into a terrifying and quietly brooding SOB. I truly enjoyed every moment he was on screen, and it was wild to see this transformation after watching Capote just a few short weeks ago.
The action is phenomenal and a lot of credit should go to sound editing. Every sequence was extremely engaging without being overwhelming. In other words, the movie found a nice balance between story and action. I actually found the story to be sweeter than the past two films, which is not surprising considering the source. After a couple of viewing of Alias, its easy to see that Abrams has perfected the softer side of “spy,” while still keeping us on the edge of our seats.
It’s hard to not compare this movie to the first two, so here’s my take on that. I really enjoyed the mystery involved with the first movie, and while there were a few twists in this movie, it did not have the same feeling. But it would be difficult to achieve that again without just repeating the same storyline, and this third installment definitely got closer than the second, which in my opinion was drastically inferior. I believe that many will enjoy MI3 more than either of the first two films.
Kind of sappy, but this is that “sweeter side of spy” I was referring to. There’s this incredible moment were you think they might actually kill off Ethan’s character, but after an astounding (and slightly inaccurate) resuscitation performed by his wife, he comes back. They also leave the door open for MI4 were I believe his wife (Michelle Monaghan) might join the team as a spy herself. This would be great for the actress considering it might mean she won’t spend the whole movie tied to a chair.
Finally, the object that the bad guy wants and the good guy wants to keep him from getting is referred to as “the rabbit’s foot.” There is some speculation, but the movie never reveals what it actually is. I absolutely love this plot device, not because it leaves it open to the audience’s interpretation, but because it offers an amusing commentary on how little we actually care about the “object” in a spy movie. What better movie than one with the word in the title to make it clear to us that spy movies are all about the “mission.”
This was an extremely entertaining blockbuster. Keep in mind that this is a spy film, and therefore is granted some lenience in regards to plot holes and conveniences. Suspend reality and enjoy. I give it 4 out of 5.
By Tina Alexander
