Mission:Impossible III-The Third Installment

Rating: Null/10 (5 May 2006)

And this was against sizable odds by the way which gave it a sense that the franchise itself played out and not to mention its star much overexposed,but in all fairness,the third installment to the Mission:Impossible series really delivers the goods and then some in one of the most action packed thrilling roller-coaster ride of the summer. This is largely a result of an expertise television director J.J. Abrams(of "Alias" and "Lost") who KNOWS have a stage various action sequences and knows how to keep audiences enthralled from one scene to the next. Abrams raises the tension level to a maximum and also it is a cliché that will leave your pulse racing for more and more to follow. However,"Mission:Impossible III" makes up for what the other two installments basically missed since Abrams masterfully energized the series by taking a predictable and tired franchise with his signature style and does the impossible which was something the other two directors from the last two films tried to successfully accomplished,but still the last two installments were megamoney makers. Again,Tom Cruise returns as special IMF agent Ethan Hunt who is called back to duty to take on one of the ruthless villains he has every had to face with....a sadistic arms dealer and vengeful psychopath who is played masterfully and wonderfully innovative by best-actor Oscar winner Phillip Seymour Hoffman. It is Hoffman by the way that gives this film its sheer brilliance and raises the bar with just his presence along with the rest of the cast with includes Ving Rhames,Jonathan Rhys-Meyers,Billy Crudup,Michelle Monaghan,and Laurence Fishburne as a creepy IMF associate was well chosen indeed.
The best moments in the film are just absolutely breathless to begin with,especially the stunts where Cruise's character of Ethan Hunt jumps off a skyscraper and dangles upside down,gets run over by a semi tractor-trailer,and leaps across a 15-foot gap as a bridge is blown apart,not to mention the breathtaking helicopter chase where Hunt is being pursed by Hoffman's ruthless henchman. As far as the love story is concern between Cruise and Monaghan is basically the weakest link but the action sequences and its gritty nerve-racking scene where Hoffman's psychopath is on the scene which includes a a horrific sequence with Cruise,Hoffman,and Monaghan is the the best climatic part yet and more of it follows towards the end where the battle between Hoffman and Cruise really escalates. In other words,this a hip new installment of that has been resurrected to a cool approach and from there Tom Cruise and Company have done it again..taking a old concept and give it a new look. Simply Brilliant.