MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE III

by Joe Barber on May.06, 2006, under Joe Barber's Movie Reviews

JOE’S REVIEW:”MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE III”

When all is said and done, it’s highly unlikely you will want to jump up and down on a couch and proclaim your love for “Mission: Impossible III.” While the film, which once again stars Tom Cruise as super spy Ethan Hunt, has spectacular stunts and moves at a speedy clip, it’s plot is so thin in so many places, it makes the model/actress Twiggy look like Kirstie Alley-before the Jenny Craig intervention.

As the story begins, Hunt has retired from field work and now has a more stable life training new agents for the Impossible Mission Force (IMF.) Things are so calm that Hunt has actually started a steady relationship with a beautiful young doctor and gotten engaged. When one of his top trainees is captured while on her first mission, Ethan is asked to lead a team to rescue her. The rescue attempt kicks off a series of plots and double crosses involving the IMF’s pursuit of a dangerous international arms dealer (Oscar winner Philip Seymore Hoffman) who holds the key to a very dangerous weapon.

When pressure from a new superior and guilt over the rescue attempt push Hunt to the edge, he begins a personal mission to capture Hoffman and secure the new weapon, known as the “Rabbit’s Foot.” Apparent sucess is turned upside down when Hoffman capture’s Hunt’s fiancee and demands the return of the weapon or else.

Director and co-screenwriter J. J. Abrams (creator of the television series “Lost” and “Alias”) does a tremendously effective job of making “Mission III” visually exciting. Breath taking stuns and gripping action sequences that are paced with split second timing and pacing give the film an entertaining flow.

Where the film falls short is in the construction of its plot. Abrams and co-screenwriters Alex Kurtman and Robert Orci lack the ability or desire to craft anything more than the shallowest, paint by numbers story they could construct. Unlike the first “Mission” film, whose multi layered plot was fun to guess along with, you know what’s coming long before it happens. A few in-jokes that reference other Cruise movies and Abrams’ TV shows are mildly diverting but hardly engrossing. As for the acting, Cruise is good and solid supporting work is done by fellow “Mission” vet Ving Rhames, as well as newcomer Laurence Fishburne. Hoffman doesn’t overact in his villian turn, but isn’t on screen long enoiugh to create a fully fleshed out character.

“Mission:Impossible III” offers plenty of slam bang action. But, when the noise dies and the smoke clears, all you’re likely to be left with is a bit of ringing in your ears. For a summer movie, that is pretty standard, but, considering the talent on screen, we should have gotten more.

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for profanity, violence and sexyal situations.
JOE’S RATING:THREE STARS.