Mission Impossible 3

The first thing that caught my eye when I saw that Cruise was once again going to be put to the test, was that the film was directed by acclaimed writer/director J.J. Abrams, the series creator of LOST, and Alias. This is important, as the film plays out just like a longer episode of Alias.

The film starts out almost halfway through the film. Cruise has been captured by the evil Hoffman (which I have to pause and say that Phillip S. Hoffman has come to his prime. He plays a wonderful 'bad guy.) I'm not going to go into plot much, outside of saying that Cruise is once again put to the test when he must recover "the Rabbit's Foot" to save his wife.

One of the reasons that I think this film plays out well, is that it finally addresses what it must be like to be an IMF agent as well as a family. Cruise must battle with secrecy with his new wife, to save her from any dangers that might come along.

The direction was solid, with perfect cuts, and interesting camera work. With Abrams, he usually enjoys distance shots with a "wobble cam" effect, as if someone was recording it with a home camera. This gives the film a more 'in the set' feel, and puts the audience in the crowd that Cruise must run through.

The action sequences weren't just pyro! That's another good thing about this film. Though there were plenty of explosions, the film's action sequences weren't focused on how many things we can catch on fire. Most of the action focuses around a time limit-esque mission objective. This gives the film a fast pace without actually having to blow stuff up. And strangely enough, Cruise did all of his own stunts. So when you're watching TV, and you see the commercial where Cruise is blown against the car, you can relax, and know that's actually him. And as I hear, he fractured three ribs doing so. Let's hope he doesn't need medicine, right?

A bit of criticism though. At times, the film seemed to lag, not in action, but in terms of the same things happening again. Though this is only the third installment, the overuse of face printing, and double-cross seems to give the film a bit of a predictability that lets down some audiences.

Overall, I'd go see the film again. But that stems from my enjoyment of the character Ethan Hunt, and my enjoyment of Hoffman's acting ability. I was pleased with the cameo of the actor that played Shawn from Shawn of the Dead. His quirky character mirrors one Abrams created for Alias.

I'd recommend it if you're looking for an action movie that's pretty solid. Good action. Good 'action' acting and good film work. Great direction and a solid story. Worth at least the first $6.50. Not sure a second round would be suggested, but at least it's something I'd suggest for a Friday night date! Go--see it--and watch Cruise save the world from Hoffman!