a great start for the summer of 2006.

Rating: 8/10 (5 May 2006)

if you're a fan of the previous "Mission: Impossible" films, I think you'll be pleased with this sequel. It has all the action and suspense of its predecessors and it further develops the character of Ethan Hunt and his fellow spies. It also features more of the clever spy gadgets that would make James Bond green with envy. Fans of "Alias" should also be pleased with this film. Writer-director J.J. Abrams brings a lot of the elements that made "Alias" great into "Mission: Impossible III." There's international intrigue, romance, conspiracy, and tense action. It all comes together to make a solid and entertaining summer action flick.
From the very opening scene "Mission: Impossible III" grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. It opens with an incredibly intense scene where Ethan is chained and helpless as Davian holds a gun to Julia's head. It's emotional, violent, and nail biting. Though it kind of spoils what happens later in the story, it hooks the audience and pulls them fully on board for the ride. The rest of the action in the film is first rate. The first big action scene features a rescue mission. There's a great gun battle and I was quite shocked to see that Keri "Felicity" Russell could kick butt and hold her own alongside Tom Cruise. Abrams is notable for creating strong female characters and he does so here yet again. The second major action piece is a tense mission inside the Vatican. It's funny, tense, and intriguing. Here again a strong female presence emerges with Maggie Q. I hadn't recalled seeing this actress before, but she was as beautiful as she was tough in this movie. Other action scenes include an explosive battle on a bridge, an escape from IMF headquarters, and a great car chase through Shanghai. Action fans will be well pleased.
The cast in this film is really strong. Tom Cruise is Tom Cruise. There's not much more you can say about him. Philip Seymour Hoffman, as usual, makes a very impressive bad guy. Ving Rhames reprises his role from the previous films and he's in fine form. Laurence Fishburne doesn't have a very big role, but he's quite intimidating with the little screen time he has. It's the secondary characters that really help round out the film. As previously mentioned, Keri Russell and Maggie Q kick butt and are beautiful. Michelle Monaghan even gets a little action as Julia. Simon "Shawn of the Dead" Pegg really steals the show in a couple of brief scenes as Benji Dunn, the "Q" of IMF. He provides much of the humor in the movie.J.J. Abrams breathes new life into "Mission: Impossible" and proves that the franchise still has some life in it. If you liked the first two, you'll more than likely enjoy this. I personally thought it was better than "M:I-2."